Picking a vacation destination for yourself and your family can be difficult. Sure, you could go to the same boring places that everybody else does; I’m talking about Disney World or the Grand Canyon or on a cruise, but why not mix it up with something a little more original and off the beaten path?
Whenever I think about a place to go on vacation I have two requirements; it has to be relaxing and it has to be sunny, (and if you can throw in a sandy beach or two that’s even better).
The problem is, I don’t want to go to the same beach resorts that everybody else does. That’s why I recommend Cat Island.
Many people have never even heard of it but it’s the sixth largest island in the Bahamas. Many people believe that it’s the most beautiful and certainly the most unspoiled of all the many islands in the Bahamas. It’s basically located southeast of Eleuthera and a little north east of Long Island.
When picking a vacation spot, it’s also important that the location has a story and Cat Island is no exception. Legend has it that Columbus landed there originally when searching for the New World.
What can you expect to find, and more importantly what can you expect to do while visiting this idyllic island in the Bahamas? Well of course there are the beaches and the crystal clear waters that are absolutely perfect for snorkeling.
You can also explore Mount Alvernia which is the highest point in the entire Bahamas at 206 feet above sea level.
The island is named after Arthur cat who was a famous British sea captain but some people think that the island was named because when the English first arrived they found the entire island populated by large hordes of wild cats! You can’t make this stuff up. Legend has it that the cats were left by the Spanish who were looking for gold in South America.
The entire island is only 50 miles long and between four and one mile wide, so it’s not a very big place. The first settlers arrived in 1783 and cotton plantations were built to support the island economically. You can still see the remnants of the original plantation mansions as well as the remains of some slave villages.
It really is one of the most beautiful islands in the Bahamas and has many high cliffs with amazingly spectacular views and a densely forested foothill section.
Cat Island is definitely worth your time as a great vacation destination.