Freeport

Travel Guide Caribbean Bahamas Grand Bahama Freeport

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Introduction

Freeport, Bahamas

Freeport, Bahamas

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Freeport is the capital of the Bahamas island of Grand Bahama.

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Sights and Activities

Although Freeport may not have the same number of attractions or tourists as Nassau, there are many activities and places to see for those that are willing to explore.

Lucayan National Park. Home of Gold Rock Beach, this spectacular park was the filming site of Pirates of the Caribbean II and III. Although mostly underground, the park also contains one of the cavern entrances to the limestone cave system, one of the largest underwater cave systems in the world.

  • Port Lucaya. Port Lucaya is the tourist 'hub' of the island and is the location of many restaurants and shops. Various water-related activities as well as tours can be organized through the tourist booths in Port Lucaya. Live music and entertainment is also offered weekly, although Friday and Saturday nights tend to be the most popular nights (especially during spring break).
  • Garden of the Groves - Former private garden of city founder Wallace Groves, this tropical paradise is well worth your time. http://www.thegardenofthegroves.com/.
  • Fish Fry(s) - Although there are many local Fish Frys, the most popular is located on Taino Beach and held every Wednesday evening/night.
  • Beaches - Freeport is the site of a ridiculous number of amazing white-sand beaches. Some of the more popular ones are located at Our Lucaya, although for those looking for their own private location, it is well worth the trip to check out some of the others. The further you travel, the less other tourists you will see. Recommended locations - Coral Beach, Williams Town Beach, Xanadu Beach, Taino Beach, Barbarry Beach, Plane-crash Beach, Gold Rock Beach etc. In general, the entire south side of Grand Bahama Island is beach, while the north side is mainly mangroves and swamps.
  • On the water - Various ocean relate activities provide a completely different perspective than what you will tend to find on land. For those who love swimming, either snorkeling or scuba diving the coral reefs are a must. The amount of tropical fish you will encounter is amazing. As well, various dive shops offer other interesting dives such as exploring ship wrecks, diving with sharks or dolphins, as well as exploring under water caverns in the limestone caves. Other water related activities include parasailing, jet skiing, glass bottom boat tours, as well as Booze Cruises.
  • The rest of the Island - For those more adventurous a trip either out to Maclean's Town or to West End is well worth while. If you are willing to explore you may be surprised by what little restaurants, shops, beaches, and hang out places you may discover. It will also give you a better understanding of the 'true' Bahamas, in contrast to what you will find in Port Lucaya.

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Weather

Freeport has a pleasantly warm but humid climate. Compared to Caribbean islands more to the south, there are some differences regarding temperatures, mainly because it is somewhat colder during the wintermonths of November to April. Generally though, temperatures are high, with summer maximum temperatures averaging around 30 °C and minimum temperatures around 24 °C. During the wintermonths temperatures are about 5 °C lower. The rainy season lasts from May to October, with September and October being the wettest months. This is also the time (especially from August to October) when hurricanes are a possibility.

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Getting There

By Plane

Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) near Freeport has international flights to/from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Toronto, Baltimore, Louisville, Richmond, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Providenciales (main island of the Turks and Caicos Islands), and seasonal to Milan. Moore's Island, Great Harbour Cay Bimini, Walker's Cay, Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour and North Eleuthra are domestic destinations served.

By Boat

Discovery Cruise Line operates a daily (except Wednesdays) cruise ferry between Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale in Florida and Freeport on Grand Bahama. It leaves at 9:30am from Fort Lauderdale, arriving in Freeport around 1:30pm, and returns from Freeport at 5:15pm, arriving in Fort Lauderdale around 10:30pm. So a one-way trip takes around 4 hours to the Bahamas, and about 5 hours back, which barely leaves you 4 hours at Grand Bahama Island. There are options to spend the night though and take a ferry the next day back to Florida. Services on board include three buffet meals and a Las Vegas style casino! A return ticket costs around US$140.

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Getting Around

There are many forms of transportation available in Freeport. Taxis which are available at all the major tourist stops discuss a flat rate before the trip depending on how far you go and number of passengers. There are many tour bus services available to give you a tour of the city of Freeport and highlight its features which may be more difficult on your own. Rental Cars is another option to see what Freeport has to offer.

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Eat

In the back of the Lucayan Market are many international restaurants. The cheapest hamburger is $5 USD: a decent lunch will cost you $20 USD approximately.

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Drink

Freeport nightlife may not be as vibrant as Nassau nightlife, but it still has a lot to offer.

  • Club Amnesia. This club attracts the likes of locals as well as tourists. One of Freeports largest night clubs playing a wide variety of hits. edit
  • Prop Club, Radisson Our Lucaya Resort. This club is located on the Radisson Our Lucaya property. This interactive club engages its guest from karaoke to live Bahamian bands and even caters to its sports fans with Sports TV Sundays.

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Sleep

Freeport has a wide variety of sleeping accommodations to cater to whatever your trip specifically needs. From all inclusive resorts to hotels.

  • Pelican Bay at Lucaya, Seahorse Rd, Freeport City, ☎ +1 242 373-9550. Conveniently located near the Port Lucaya Marketplace as well as walking distance from the beach. Hotel is small, but still offers many high end amenities including two pools and two restaurant/ bars.
  • Radisson Our Lucaya Resort, ☎ +1 242 373-1333. This resort has many activities to keep you busy including spending some time at The Senses Spa or try your luck at Treasure Bay Casino as well as many on site restaurants which offer a variety of tastes from Bahamian cuisine to Asian, Italian and even Middle Eastern dishes. Also located at this resort is Prop Club.

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Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes are not common on the islands, but in Nassau you can try Cybercafe, in the Mall at Marathon. On the Outer Islands, your hotel may have a computer with Internet access for guest use. If you're traveling with your own computer, internet access via Wi-Fi hot spots is increasingly common at hotels, even in the Out Islands. Some restaurants, cafes and foodchains like McDonald's offer free wifi most of the times as well.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to The Bahamas is: 1-242. To make an international call from The Bahamas, the code is: 011

If you bring your own cell phone, be sure to switch off roaming to avoid high internet costs. It's also better for lower call rates to buy a local SIM card (make sure your phone is unlocked), and internet charges are much lower in that case as well. Sim cards and airtime credit for topping up can be purchased online at Ezminutes.com or at the local shops. To apply the phone card credit, dial *44 followed buy pin number.

Another option would be to buy a simple local phone which usually comes with some value on the card for calling and internet as well. Rates are between $0.15-$0.33 per minute for local calls and incoming calls and about a dollar more for outgoing calls within North America, more for Europe and other areas.

Post

The Bahamas Postal Service provides services in the country. Most of the kiosks selling postcards also sell the stamps you'll need to mail them, so you probably won't need to visit the post office. If you do need a post offices, general opening times are 9:00am to 5:00pm, though sometimes shorter hours are kept o the Outer Islands. If you want to send a package, it's better to use companies like UPS, DHL or FedEx, as they are fast and reliable.

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Accommodation in Freeport

We have a comprehensive list of accommodation in Freeport searchable right here on Travellerspoint.

Freeport Travel Helpers

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This is version 5. Last edited at 10:49 on Aug 27, 18 by Utrecht. 11 articles link to this page.

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