Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach, Grand Bahama

The caves

The park's limestone hides one of the longest charted underwater cave systems in the world. Two caves are open: Ben's Cave, with a spiral stair down to a clear pool, and Burial Mound Cave, where remains of the Lucayan people who lived here before 1492 were found. Both are reached by short trails from the car park. Diving in the system is restricted to permitted specialists.

Boardwalk and beach

Across the road, a boardwalk crosses Gold Rock Creek through mangroves to Gold Rock Beach, where low tide uncovers ripples of sand and shallow pools stretching far out; at high tide much of the beach is underwater, so check the tide before you go. The park is managed by the Bahamas National Trust, which charges a small admission.

History and wildlife

The caves take their name from the Lucayan people, the first inhabitants of The Bahamas, whose remains were found in Burial Mound Cave. The underwater system below has been charted for miles by cave divers and is among the longest known. Above ground the park's small area holds all of Grand Bahama's main habitats: pine forest, coppice, mangroves and beach dune. Bats roost in the caves, land crabs cross the trails, and the creek is a nursery for fish and a feeding ground for herons.

Allow two to three hours for the caves, the boardwalk and the beach. The park is about 40 minutes by car from Freeport and Lucaya along the Grand Bahama Highway, and tours from the resorts include it, often with kayaking on the creek.