5 Best Sights in Andros, Bimini, and the Berry Islands, Bahamas

Avid divers shouldn't miss a trip to underwater Bimini Roads, aka The Road to Atlantis. This curious rock formation under about 20 feet of water, 500 yards offshore at Bimini Bay, is shaped like a backward letter J, some 600 feet long at the longest end. It's the shorter 300-foot extension that piques the interest of scientists and visitors. The precision patchwork of large, curved-edge stones forms a perfect rectangle measuring about 30 feet across. A few of the stones are 16 feet square. It's purported to be the "lost city" whose discovery was predicted by Edgar Cayce (1877–1945), a psychic with an interest in prehistoric civilizations. Archaeologists estimate the formation to be between 5,000 and 10,000 years old. Carvings in the rock appear to some scientists to resemble a network of highways.

One famous sight that nature lovers should catch is Captain Bill’s Blue Hole in Blue Hole National Park. Blue holes are the top of extensive water-filled underground cave systems formed in the ice age, and there are hundreds on Andros. Located northwest of Small Hope Bay, the National Trust has made Captain Bill's popular and comfortable with a boardwalk and a shady gazebo. Steps allow you to jump 30 feet down to cool off, and there’s a nature trail around the hole’s 400-foot diameter. Accessible by car or bike, Captain Bill's is included on most guided tours.

Hidden in the west coast mangroves of East Bimini is the Healing Hole—a cold spring of freshwater amid the hot sea saltwater with, some say, real, and others, mythical, healing powers. Hard to get to and find, it’s best to hire a guide in a shallow boat, or, if you want exercise, in a kayak. You can only get there in mid-to-high tide, and make sure to take insect repellent. You’ll see much life above and below water. For ecolovers and adventure-seekers only.

Mystical and mesmerizing, blue holes pock Andros's marine landscape in greater concentration than anywhere else on Earth—an estimated 160-plus—and provide entry into the islands' network of coral-rock caves. Offshore, some holes drop off to 200 feet or more. Inland blue holes reach depths of 120 feet, layered with fresh, brackish, and salt water. Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole, with a 40-feet diameter, is one of Andros’s most popular and is lined with picnic benches and a ladder.

On an island known for magical blue holes, the Victoria Point Blue Hole is Mangrove Cay's superb ocean hole for snorkeling and diving. Just ask the folks at Swain's Cay Lodge or Seascape Inn—or any local—where to find it.