Stays
From large resorts on Paradise Island to beach cottages on Eleuthera and villas in the Exumas, matched to the island that suits your trip.
Request stays on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is aptly named: about 80 miles from end to end and seldom more than four miles wide, with one road running its length. The east coast meets the Atlantic in cliffs and surf; the west slopes gently into shallow turquoise water. In between are small settlements, caves, churches and one of the deepest blue holes known.
Dean's Blue Hole, just outside Clarence Town, drops to about 663 feet (202 metres) from a sheltered cove, making it one of the deepest known saltwater blue holes in the world. It is a short walk from a white beach, safe to swim at the surface, and the venue for Vertical Blue, an annual international freediving competition. Clarence Town itself is marked by two hilltop churches, St Paul's Anglican and St Peter's Catholic, both the work of Father Jerome, the priest-architect who also built the Hermitage on Cat Island.
The northern end of the island is the resort area, centred on Stella Maris with its marina and airport, and on Cape Santa Maria, a long, sheltered beach often ranked among the best in the country. At the very tip, a monument commemorates Columbus, who is recorded as landing here in 1492 and naming the island Fernandina. The Tropic of Cancer crosses the island further south.
Hamilton's Cave, near Deadman's Cay, is one of the largest cave systems in The Bahamas and once sheltered Lucayan people; local guides lead walks through it. Salt Pond hosts the Long Island Regatta each year, when Bahamian sloops race and the settlement fills with visitors. The west coast flats are known for bonefishing, and the reefs and walls off both coasts draw divers.
Two airports serve the island: Stella Maris (SML) in the north and Deadman's Cay (LGI) in the centre. Distances are long and a rental car is essential.
Getting there
Routes change by season. We describe how arrivals work and leave schedules and fares to the carriers.
- Flights from Nassau serve Stella Maris (SML) and Deadman's Cay (LGI). Fly into the airport closest to where you are staying; the two are more than an hour apart by road.
- Mailboats from Nassau serve several settlements. A rental car is essential on the island.
What we can arrange on Long Island
Tours and experiences
Swimming pigs, reef snorkelling, blue holes, fishing, cultural tours and Junkanoo: the experiences that define a Bahamas trip, arranged with trusted operators.
Request tours and experiences on Long IslandBoats and charters
Crewed yachts, bareboat sailing in the Abacos and Exumas, day boats with a captain, and fishing charters across the islands.
Request boats and charters on Long IslandTransport
How to get between the islands and around them: domestic flights, fast ferries, mailboats, rental cars, taxis and airport transfers.
Request transport on Long IslandPlanning a trip to Long Island?
Send us your dates and what you have in mind. We will come back with real options for this island and honest advice about what fits.
Questions about Long Island
Can anyone swim at Dean's Blue Hole?
Yes. The hole opens from a sheltered, shallow cove and surface swimming and snorkelling around the rim are easy. Diving into the hole itself is for trained divers with the right equipment.
Which end of Long Island should I stay at?
The north, around Stella Maris and Cape Santa Maria, has the best known beaches and the most accommodation. The south, around Clarence Town, is closer to Dean's Blue Hole and quieter still.
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Often planned with Long Island
Cat Island
The highest point in The Bahamas, a hilltop hermitage, empty beaches and the home of rake-and-scrape music, an hour's flight from Nassau.
The Exumas
A 120-mile chain of 365 cays with the clearest water in the country, the swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto and a protected land-and-sea park.
Rum Cay
A 30-square-mile island with fewer than a hundred residents, Lucayan cave drawings, a shipwrecked Victorian warship and reefs that almost nobody dives.