Things to see and do in Bahamas

The pale pink sands of Harbour Island are a sight to behold, while the powder-fine alabaster beaches of Paradise Island are home to soaring seabirds and gently rustling palms.

Stand in Columbus' first 'New World' landing place near Cockburn Town on San Salvador, home to 40,000 Lucayans at the time of his 15th-century arrival and now a prime scuba-diving spot.

Ok, so fishing is possible almost anywhere in the Bahamas, but the Abacos have cultivated a reputation as the angler’s choice port of call. It’s not just the several annual world-class fishing tournaments here, but also the top-quality professional guides (like the incomparable Edward Rolle, with twenty years’ experience) to show you tricks of the trade. Besides the Abacos, there’s also Andros, the “bone-fishing capital of the world” and Bimini, dubbed “big-game fishing capital of the world.” Meanwhile, at 1,800m (6,000ft) the fertile deep water trench dubbed Tongue of the Ocean is a prime deep-water spot for a major haul.

Outside fancy Freeport and Lucaya with their wide tree-lined streets, restaurants and cruise port facilities, the smaller settlements of Grand Bahama are surprisingly low-key, and among the friendliest places in the country to boot. Towns like McLean’s Town and Eight Mile Rock are fabulous places to get to grips with real Bahamian culture.

This is the nation’s number one party: street processions and dance bands fill the streets, along with a lively party crowd, at the Bahamian Junkanoo festivities on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The event follows the pattern of the Caribbean carnival, with revelers in elaborate costumes made from crepe paper and cardboard wheeling through the streets. Nassau’s Junkanoo is the liveliest, but there are other processions in Eleuthera, the Abacos and Grand Bahama Island. There are also Junkanoo summer festivities - see Events. (www.bahamassummerjunkanoo.co.uk)

This 40-acre protected reserve on Grand Bahama secretes one of the world’s longest underwater cave systems, and with it its own unique wildlife (such as the Remipedia bat) – incredible given the diminutive size of the park. A great way to see the park highlights is to kayak through: much of it is made up of navigable waterways.

Climb to the highest point in the Bahamas on Cat Island’s Mount Alvernia, 63m (206 ft) above sea level. Straddling the summit is a photogenic medieval-style monastery, a labour of love by one father Jerome, who had the steps carved out of solid rock. It’s one of the best viewpoints on the Bahamas too, and a great spot to get away from it all. With its high cliffs and emerald forests there’s plenty more opportunities for solitude-seeking on Cat Island too.

There are few pleasures in life as simple as sipping rum-laden cocktails (a Bahama Mama is an essential experience) on Abaco Beach at sundown, watching the golden sky turn a dramatic pink-crimson. To add to the magic, fairy-lights illuminate the shore as dozens of boats gently bob out in the harbour.

Dozens of colourful stalls at Nassau's bustling straw market produce a melee of crowds bartering over local goods. You can join them, or, for a sophisticated shop, splash some cash in the swish stores at Bay Street, a haven of designer brands.