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 San SalvadorSan Salvador
San Salvador is a small, roughly oval island about 12 miles long on the eastern edge of The Bahamas, facing the open Atlantic. Many historians believe it was the first land Columbus reached in the New World on 12 October 1492, and the island carries several monuments to the claim. Today it is known above all for diving: the sea floor drops away into deep walls a short swim from shore.
The island was called Watling's Island until 1925, when it was renamed to reflect the Columbus connection. A white cross at Long Bay, erected in 1956, marks the spot most often cited as the landing; other monuments, including one placed by the Chicago Herald in 1891 at Crab Cay, show how long the debate has run. The claim is still contested by scholars who favour Samana Cay or other islands, and San Salvador's own museum in Cockburn Town presents the evidence.
Cockburn Town, on the west coast, is the capital and the site of the airport. The west coast is also where the diving is: the shelf is narrow and the wall begins close to the beach, with sites known for clear water, corals and hammerhead sharks in season. The island's one large resort sits on this coast, and most visitors come either for it or for the diving.
Inland, San Salvador is laced with salt lakes that make up much of its area. The Dixon Hill Lighthouse on the northeast coast, built in 1887, is one of the last lighthouses in the world still hand-wound and lit by kerosene, and the keeper will usually let visitors climb it. The Gerace Research Centre hosts university field courses in geology, marine science and archaeology, a reminder of how well documented this small island is.
Getting there
Routes change by season. We describe how arrivals work and leave schedules and fares to the carriers.
- San Salvador airport (ZSA) at Cockburn Town has flights from Nassau and, seasonally, direct flights from the United States tied to the resort.
- Mailboat service from Nassau is weekly. A rental car or a resort shuttle covers the island's single loop road.
What we can arrange on San Salvador
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 San SalvadorBoats 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 San SalvadorPlanning a trip to San Salvador?
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 San Salvador
Did Columbus really land on San Salvador?
It is the most widely accepted candidate for his first landfall, but the evidence is debated and several other islands have been proposed. The island's monuments and museum present the case.
Is San Salvador only for divers?
Diving is the main draw, but the beaches, the lighthouse, the monuments and the quiet appeal to non-divers too. Expect limited restaurants and nightlife outside the resort.
Related guides
4 min read
Which Bahamas island is right for you?
An honest comparison of Nassau, Paradise Island, Exuma, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Abaco, Grand Bahama, Andros, Bimini and the Out Islands.
4 min read
How to get around The Bahamas: flights, ferries and island transport
A practical guide to moving between and around the islands of The Bahamas: domestic flights, fast ferries, mailboats, rental cars, golf carts and taxis.
3 min read
Snorkelling and diving in The Bahamas: where to go and what to expect
Where to snorkel and dive in The Bahamas: the Andros wall, Exuma's marine park, Bimini's hammerheads and Grand Bahama's shark dives, plus seasons and rules.
Often planned with San Salvador
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.
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.
Long Island
Eighty miles of contrasts: Atlantic cliffs on one side, calm shallows on the other, Dean's Blue Hole, twin hilltop churches and beaches without footprints.