Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SAN SALVADOR
Known for its astonishingly clear waters that often give divers visibility over an amazing
200ft, tiny San Sal is the nation's outermost island. This 12-mile speck is ringed by superb
reefs, and over 40 dive sites lie within easy reach of the shore, with even more near Rum
Cay and Conception Island. Nondivers will also appreciate the 30 miles of gorgeous beach
on the island, which are wonderful for walks and playing in the shallows.
The island's unique geography is a mixed blessing: acres of mangroves and saltwater
lakes make much of interior inaccessible, making it home to very diverse wildlife, but also
swarms of mosquitoes. Industrial strength bug spray is in order at dusk and dawn, and a
warning: beaches are infested with no see 'ums, the vicious sand flies so tiny that you never
see them, but with appetites that would embarrass a fast-food chain. Try the mariners' solu-
tion; Avon Skin So Soft.
Also be careful if you explore the brush areas. There are quick sands as well as poison-
wood and manchineel trees.
On the plus side, San Sal offers excellent birdwatching. Ospreys (or 'chicken hawks') are
everywhere. The cays off the north shore are favored by boobies and other sea birds. Egrets
and herons pick for food in the brine pools. Besides diving and birdwatching, activities are
quite limited, and the lack of tourist revenue and other industry of significant size has con-
tributed to the island's sometimes visible poverty.
History
San Salvador, meaning 'holy savior,' was the moniker bestowed by Christopher Columbus
on the first land he sighted in 1492. But, there is little evidence to support the entrenched
claim that Columbus first landed here, a fact accepted locally as adamantly as the belief that
the earth was flat.
Recent discoveries of Spanish artifacts are said to support the landfall claim - a claim
effectively debunked by
National Geographic
in 1986 when it convincingly concluded that
Columbus first landed at Samana Cay. However, in 1989 yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnson
retraced Columbus' route using 15th-century instruments and ended up at…San Salvador.
Take your pick!
Getting There & Around
Air
San Salvador is served by
Cockburn Town Airport
(ZSA; 242-331-2919/20) , ad-
jacent to town. There are daily flights (one way $100) between San Sal and Nassau on both
Bahamasair and Cat Island Air.
Boat
Call the
Dockmaster's Office
( 242-394-1237, Nassau) and check the
Bahamas
Ministry of Tourism
( 242-302-2034;
www.bahamas.com
)
for the latest boat schedules
and costs. The MV
Lady Francis
($40, 18 hours) mail boat departs Nassau for San Salvador
and Rum Cay on Tuesday at 1pm, departing for Nassau on Saturday at 9am.
