Andros

Nature is the draw. Andros has the highest concentration of blue holes in the world, both inland and offshore, formed as limestone caverns collapsed during past ice ages. Divers come for the reef wall and the blue holes; anglers come for the bonefish, which feed on the vast western flats and make Andros one of the sport's most celebrated destinations. Blue Holes National Park near Andros Town protects several of the inland holes along a trail.

Settlements are small and strung along the east coast: Nicholls Town and Red Bays in North Andros, Fresh Creek and Andros Town in the centre, Mangrove Cay and Congo Town further south. Red Bays is known for its straw work and traditional wood carving. Andros is also the source of much of the country's fresh water, barged to Nassau from its aquifers.

Accommodation runs to small lodges and guesthouses, many built around fishing or diving. This is not an island for nightlife or resorts; it rewards travellers who want time in the water or on the flats and are content with simple surroundings.

Andros Town is home to Androsia, the batik workshop whose hand-dyed fabrics in sea colours have been made here since the 1970s and are sold across the country, and to a United States Navy undersea testing facility that uses the deep water of the Tongue of the Ocean. Folklore runs deep: the chickcharney, a mischievous bird-like creature said to live in the pine forest, is the island's best known legend. Much of the west coast lies within the West Side National Park, a vast wilderness of flats and mangroves reached only by boat.