Have you ever heard of Bimini, Bahamas, a tiny island chain that’s a little hop, skip, and jump from Miami?
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It’s one of the weirdest and coolest destinations that I’ve had on my bucket list for years.
Bimini first landed on my radar when I was in middle school because I saw the movie Tuck Everlasting, a story about two star-crossed teens who can’t be together because his family drank from a fountain of youth and became immortal, and hers didn’t.
(Spoiler alert: His family gets run out of town for being undead weirdos, leaving our young female protagonist to her own devices. She chooses not to drink from the fountain, which the male protagonist doesn’t find out until he rolls into town on a motorcycle one hundred years later and finds her tombstone.)
Thanks to the film, I got really into the idea that there might be a true fountain of youth somewhere. And, at the time, all sources pointed to the westernmost island of the Bahamas: a chain of islands called Bimini.
Apparently, there’s a fountain of youth on South Bimini. And that’s not all—there might even be a road to Atlantis hidden along its coasts. Oh, and a shipwreck from the Prohibition era.
That’s a pretty insane list of attractions for an island that’s only seven miles wide. And it’s doubly crazy when you consider how accessible and affordable it is to reach Bimini.
Want to take a closer look at what to do in Bimini, Bahamas? These are the five ‘secret’ adventures of Bimini, plus how to get there and where to stay.
What to do in Bimini, Bahamas: The 5 secret adventures
The Fountain of Youth (South Bimini)
When Juan Ponce de Leon made it to the Caribbean in the early 1500s to settle the islands for Spain, he heard rumors of a Fountain of Youth further north. Leon set sail from Puerto Rico on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth, eventually landing in Bimini. Though he never found the fountain, it has since been located. It’s a limestone well that’s said to be thousands of years old, located right off a main road on South Bimini.
Bimini Road (North Bimini)
Located off the coast is a submerged alignment of stones known as The Bimini Road. Today, it’s a popular scuba diving site that lets you explore the 1,500-foot-long road, which some people believe was once part of the Lost City of Atlantis. Apparently, the submerged road closely mirrors others built in the Mediterranean during Antiquity.
The SS Sapona (North Bimini)
As one of the more well-known shipwrecks in the Caribbean, the SS Sapona isn’t necessarily a secret adventure—but it’s one of the coolest reasons to visit the island. That’s because, unlike many other sunken wrecks, you don’t need a scuba certification to explore.
Plus, it’s got a great story. The SS Sapona was a rum-runner during the US Prohibition era and was (allegedly) used as a floating nightclub for nearby Floridian revelers. Cut to a terrible hurricane, which sank the ship and left it moored on the sand, half above water.
Hammerhead safari (North Bimini)
I can’t think of anything more terrifying than a Hammerhead shark encounter, but some people love this type of adrenaline-inducing adventure. On the Great Hammerhead Safari, you can sink to depths of up to 20 feet and watch these marine apex predators swim above you. Keep in mind that this is only available from November to April.
Dolphin House (Alice Town)
Who doesn’t love a creative museum visit? Even if you’re usually bored by drier exhibits and plaques with tiny fonts, you’ll be inspired by a trip to Dolphin House. The grounds are a work of art created by a fifth-generation local who uses local materials, from tiles to seashells, to create interactive and sensory pieces. If you like mural projects like Philly’s Magic Gardens, you’ll love Dolphin House.
What to do in Bimini, Bahamas: transportation & lodging tips
You can take a flight to North Bimini from South Florida, which takes only around 30 minutes. You can also take a ferry from Fort Lauderdale with the company Balearia Caribbean. The crossing takes around two hours. Additionally, many cruise operators dock in Bimini, giving you the chance to make a day trip out of the experiences above.
Once you get to the islands, the main form of transportation is golf carts. You can easily rent from a local company by working with your concierge.
And speaking of concierge—where should you stay? Alice Town is the capital of Bimini, which is located right between North and South Bimini.
And speaking of concierge, you can book a room at:
- Resorts World Bimini (Alice Town)
- Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina (Alice Town)
