Summary

  • Bimini offers a more authentic vacation experience compared to crowded and touristy Nassau, with friendly locals and a rich culture.
  • Bimini is known for its stunning beaches, clear turquoise waters, and abundance of marine life, making it a paradise for beach lovers and water sports enthusiasts.
  • From swimming with dolphins to encountering elusive Hammerhead sharks, Bimini offers unique and unforgettable wildlife experiences that make it a world-class choice for travelers.

When planning a vacation to the Bahamas, many think of Nassau, the capital and the most popular vacation destination in the country. While Nassau has its advantages, not least of which is its closeness to Paradise Island and Atlantis—and being the location of two amazing hotels that make it worth visiting—many tourists will stick with Bimini because Bimini is far less crowded and touristy and has an appearance that’s arguably more authentic while at the same time just as pristine and bucolic as that of Nassau.

At the end of the day, vacationing somewhere else in the Bahamas other than the capital, at a place such as Bimini, provides visitors with a more authentic encounter with the country and its friendly citizens. In this article, we share the countless things Bimini is known for.

UPDATE: 2023/09/11 17:03 EST BY NOAH STAATS

Bimini Is One Of The World's Many Hidden Gems Worth Seeing This Year!

Bimini will always be a stunning vacation destination for people across the globe. With friendly folks, dolphins, white sand beaches, and experiences one can only find in the Bahamas, Bimini is a world-class choice for travelers. Have fun!

Related: 10 Best Things To Do At The Greek Bahamas Of Lichadonisia

11 The Residents Of Bimini Are Very Kind And Helpful

Bimini Island, Bahamas
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Bimini Island, Bahamas

One of the less-talked-about reasons Bimini is so famous is the people. With a rich culture and plenty of smiling faces to greet tourists, the residents of Bimini are known to be incredibly helpful. Local businesses line to streets of town, with Bimini locals being more than happy to lend a hand. People make these destinations what they are, and that's the case for Bimini. Don't be afraid to stop by, say hello, and THANK those who make the island so special.

  • Super Friendly: Bimini locals are known to be super sweet and helpful.

FYI: Here's how much $100 gets tourists in the Bahamas.

10 Bimini Is Known As The Location Of The Fountain Of Youth

Ocean view Bimini, Bahamas
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Ocean view Bimini, Bahamas

Whether it’s legend or truth, tradition has it that Juan Ponce de León, the famous Spanish explorer—known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida—may have been searching for some fountain of youth on his trip to the Americas at the dawn of the 16th century. According to several accounts, this fountain of youth, which was able to turn men into boys, was located in Bimini. Well, Juan Ponce never made it past Florida. However, the waters of Bimini’s Healing Hole have allegedly been known to possess some healing properties.

9 Bimini Is Known For Dolphins

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Bimini Bahamas
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Bimini dock in Bahamas

If swimming with dolphins should form part of a vacation, Bimini is just the place to go. There are two common species of dolphins in Bimini: the Bottlenose Dolphins—who get their name from their chunky bottle-shaped mouths—and the Atlantic Spotted Dolphins. Whichever species one encounters, the experience is to die for.

  • Where Can I Swim With Dolphins In Bimini? Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center is one of the best places to swim with dolphins in Bimini.

There are also plenty of dolphins in San Salvador, another area in the Bahamas.

8 Bimini Is Known For Being The Nearest Island To The US

Overseas highway to Key West island, Florida Keys, USA
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Overseas highway to Key West island, Florida Keys, USA

Being only about 50 miles away from Miami, Bimini is the nearest island to the United States. It’s so near that a flight across will take less than an hour. For those who want to use a ferry, the trip will be over in less than three hours. Because of its proximity to the United States, especially Florida, Bimini is a quick private island escape.

  • Location: Bimini is only 50 miles from Miami, Florida, making it the nearest island to the United States.

Related: Here’s Everything You Shouldn’t Be Doing In The Bahamas

Freeport, in the Bahamas, is another close island to the US.

7 Bimini Is Known For The Hilton At Resorts World Bimini

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Bimini Palm Tree
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Palm tree in Bahamas

Sometimes hotels lend their fame to the countries and locations they occupy: such as Beverly Hills and Los Angeles or the Ritz-Carlton and Hong Kong. When it comes to Bimini, there’s no question about it: The Hilton at Resorts World gets the crown. Most of its rooms open out to the picturesque sights of the Genting Highlands.

  • Where Is the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini Located? The hotel is 2 miles (3.5 km) from Alice Town.

6 Bimini Is Known For Hammerhead Sharks

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Bimini Bahamas
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Boat yard in Bimini

Although there are many sharks that gracefully glide through the clear waters around the coast of Bimini, making the island one of the shark capitals of the world, the Hammerhead sharks are usually an overwhelming majority. This is the more thrilling as Hammerheads are notoriously elusive and difficult to find anywhere else on the planet.

  • When Is The Best Time To See Hammerheads In Bimini? The best time to see Hammerheads in Bimini is from December to March, especially in the waters of South Bimini.

5 Bimini Is Known As Hemingway’s Favorite Vacation Destination

Yacht in Bimini
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Yacht anchored in Bimini

In the world of writing, Ernest Hemingway needs no introduction. It turns out Bimini was among the famous writer’s favorite vacation destinations. Actually, Hemingway may have been the one who put Bimini on the global tourism map. It was here that he reportedly wrote Islands In The Stream and parts of To Have and Have Not. It’s said that when he was not out fishing, Hemingway would be holed in a room at the Compleat Angler. Unfortunately, the hotel went up in flames with several Hemingway memorabilia.

  • Hemingway would come here as a vacation destination due to Bimini's beauty, peacefulness, and charm.

4 Bimini Is Known For Being A Rumrunners Haven During Prohibition Era

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Shipwreck in Bimini
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Shipwreck site in Bimini, Bahamas

Billed a “noble experiment,” the prohibition would nonetheless lead to illegal smuggling and sale of alcohol in many places in the United States. But Florida, with its rugged coastline, would quickly emerge as a national hotbed. It turns out that Bimini was a crucial transit point for the transportation of alcohol, which was legal in the Bahamas but then illegal in the United States.

  • Rum has always played a major role in Bimini's economy and cultural significance.

Related: 10 Unusual But Exciting Things To Do In The Bahamas

3 Bimini Is Known As A Mangrove Wonderland

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Lighthouse in Bimini
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Bimini lighthouse in the Bahamas

Bimini is home to the only mangrove habitat on the Western Great Bahama Bank. Because of this, Bimini was designated a high-priority site as a Marine Protected Area way back in 2000. This extensive ecosystem supports an impressive variety of marine life in addition to adding to the island’s breathtaking beauty and attractiveness.

  • The natural beauty of the island is notable, with mangroves being a key player.

2 Bimini Is Known For Its Stunning Beaches

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Bimini boat house
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Boat inside in Bimini

For a beach experience, Bimini, because of its sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters, is a show-stopper. The sparkling sand that fringes many Bimini beaches is white, clean, and almost spotless. Of course, with a beach comes several water sports that beach addicts would enjoy participating in.

  • Beaches: Bimini has endless beaches with clear water and soft white sand.

1 Bimini Is Known As A Major Sport-Fishing Destination

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Bimini, Bahamas
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Fishing in Bimini

This is arguably what Bimini is best known for. Since the days of Ernest Hemingway, Bimini still maintains its deserved reputation as a fishermen’s playground. Some travelers and experts even consider this one of the fishing capitals of the world.

  • Fishing is a sport often done here in Bimini. It's referred to as the fishing capital of the world.