Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ANDROS
POP 7400
Known to Bahamians as 'the Big Yard,' Andros is the country's unexplored backcountry - a
whopping 2300 sq miles of mangrove swamps, palm savannas and eerie primal forests full
of wild boar and (as legend has it) an evil man-bird known as the chickcharnie. By far the
biggest island in the Bahamas, it's the least densely populated - its eastern shores are dotted
with ramshackle, blink-and-you'll-miss-'em hamlets, while the entire western side is an un-
inhabited patchwork of swampland known, appropriately, as 'The Mud.'
Diving and bonefishing are the two main draws for most visitors. A 140-mile-long coral
reef, the world's third largest, lies a few hundred yards off the east shore. Beyond it, the con-
tinental shelf drops into the blackness of the 6000ft deep Tongue of the Ocean. The island's
bizarre blue holes - water-filled vertical caves occurring both inland and offshore - attract
advanced divers and National Geographic crews alike.
Travel in Andros is not easy. Just getting from point to point can be harrowing, as the is-
land is divided into three chunks by wide ocean sounds, with little transportation between
them. Getting a meal can be a challenge, as most 'restaurants' are nothing more than a shack
in someone's front yard, only open when they happen to have a fresh shipment of food. Un-
less you're staying in one of Andros' small handful of all-inclusive resorts, travel on the
island is very, very DIY.
OK, clearly Andros is not for everyone. But if you're eager for off-the-grid adventure,
Andros offers a glimpse of the Bahamas the way it was 50 years ago - unpaved roads, starry
skies, empty beaches, curious locals.
A word of warning, especially for hikers and birdwatchers; the gargantuan forests, marsh-
lands and scrublands are also used by Bahamians hunting wild boar and birds, so be careful.
Also come well prepared for the aggressive horsefly (or 'doctor fly,' because its bite hurts
like a syringe) and clouds of mosquitoes and sand flies.
