BiminiSands - About Bimini

An Introduction to Bimini
Excerpted with permission from the Bimini Cruising Guide www.biminicruisingguide.com

A couple of miles long and a few hundred yards wide. Maximum elevation is roughly one palm tree high. Twin dirt roads optimistically named the King and Queen's highways. No cruise ships, casinos or mega-resorts. Plenty of golf carts but no golf courses. Traffic is defined as a boat anchored in the way of the seaplane. The island of Bimini has been called a glorified sandbar. And therein lies its enduring appeal.

Nestled on the border between the Gulf Stream and the Great Bahama Bank, the island and nearby cays provide some of the most sparklingly clear waters in the western hemisphere. The dazzling neon shades are as vivid as anywhere in the Caribbean, with underwater visibilities over 100 feet common.

Discovered in the early 1500's by Ponce De Leon, Bimini's long history is replete with literary figures, sport-fishing pioneers and numerous celebrities. Among them Ernest Hemingway, Adam Clayton Powell, Martin Luther King, Jimmy Buffet and many others. But equal billing over the years has gone to the pirates, rum-runners, ship-wreckers, outlaws and modern day cocaine cowboys. Indeed, the island is infused with a certain sense that "things are just different here."

Yes, Bimini inhabits a wonderful dichotomy. As the crow flies it's less than 50 miles from Florida. But between the skyscrapers of Miami and the shacks of Alice Town stalks the fabled Gulf Stream. The world's most powerful ocean current, it can be a benevolent companion or your worst enemy. This explains much of Bimini's character, physically close to the US but spiritually a world away.

Bimini has always had a reputation as a colorful place. Many would argue crusty is a better description. In a sense the island is a throwback to the 50's. A bit boozy and often laced with machismo, it's a place where small boats square off against the Gulf Stream and tales of the 'one that got away' are ubiquitous. A place where no one looks twice at a cold beer before noon. A place where politicians slink away to after falling from grace. Or, as in the case of one would-be President, Bimini is where they go to fall from grace in the first place.

In Bimini, Political Correctness is still just a distant theory.

Bimini island is actually a misnomer. More correctly "Bimini" is one island in the Bimini island chain. There are two main islands, north and south Bimini, and then a string of islets running south to Cat Cay, a private island for the rich and famous. About 25 miles north of Bimini on the edge of the Northwest Providence Channel lies the haunted island of Great Isaac, its picturesque lighthouse standing lonely watch over the nearby waters.

Bimini can rightfully lay claim to being the birthplace of modern sport-fishing. The International Game Fish Association, the IGFA, was essentially born on Bimini. In fact its first President and Vice President, Michael Lerner and Ernest Hemingway respectively, both lived on the island and fished it's surrounding waters. Deep sea, bottom fishing or fly casting on the flats - the variety is nearly endless. It is the ideal fishing destination, with a story on every dock.

In summer months the winds and seas of the Gulf Stream typically lay down. It is these favorable conditions that prompt south Florida boaters to head across in droves. It's not uncommon to see boats under twenty feet making the run, including the author who's crossed in a 17-footer with his 66 year old father. Indeed Bimini during summer weekends takes on a festive air of revelry, sometimes bordering on debauchery.

In summer it's not uncommon to see boats under twenty feet making the run, including the author who's crossed in a 17-footer with his 66 year old father.

But that's only half the story. During the rest of the year the island is often deserted, with visitors numbering in the dozens, not hundreds. It is remarkable to witness the change in atmosphere from the rowdy summer months.

In terms of hotels and nightlife, Bimini will never be confused with the any of the "St. Somewhere" islands. More than a few local buildings are in a perpetual state of “construction” and we use the term construction very loosely. The hotels are generally modest and likewise the restaurants will never give South Beach a run for its money. Which is just fine by those who frequent the island. They come to appreciate its real charms - the beautiful waters, easy fishing and slightly shady, always colorful atmosphere. It truly is, as Hemingway wrote, an island in the 'Stream.