Nature of Bahamas - national parks and reserves for active recreation

In the western part of the Atlantic, to the south-east of the Florida Peninsula, between the United States and the island of Cuba, there is the archipelagic state of the Bahamas. It consists of 700 islands, but only 30 of them are inhabited. The majority of the islands are nothing but long and flat strips of land formed by corals. Mount Alvernia on Cat Island is the highest point of the Bahamas. The mountain rises 63 meters above sea level.

Despite mostly flat surface, the islands have many karst forms of terrain. This is the reason why there are no rivers in the Bahamas, but karst lakes are widespread on the archipelago. The tropical climate is predominant on the islands. The rainy season starts in May and lasts until October. There are many pine forests on the islands, but it is also possible to see bushes and rocky formations mixed with swamps and sandy coastline. Even though most islands are not big, there are roughly 25 national reserves in the Bahamas. Needless to say, these are protected territories.

Not far from the main city of the Bahamas, Nassau, on Silver Bay Island, tourists can visit Crystal Cay Marine Park Aquarium. It is skillfully made right among coral reefs and occupies an area of 16 acres. Visitors can look at marine creatures and their lifestyle in a large pool that ends with a transparent tunnel. It allows everyone to see the real beauty of the underwater world and stay dry. The splendor of natural colors and the diverse underwater world of the Caribbean Sea simply cannot leave both adults and children indifferent. A gorgeous watchtower remains the center of the park. It offers a fabulous panorama of the whole Crystal Cay Marine Park Aquarium, Paradise Islands, and Nassau skyline. During a visit to this park, tourists can also visit an underwater observatory that offers an exhibition with corals. A visit to Crystal Cay Marine Park Aquarium, which has become one of the major landmarks of the Bahamas, will certainly leave only positive memories. When looking at memorable photographs taken here, travelers will definitely want to return to this park. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Lucayan National Park is located approximately 30 kilometers away from Freeport. This nature reserve has become widely popular because of unique limestone formations and underwater caves. In Lucayan, there are almost 12 kilometers of various grottoes, tunnels, and underwater lakes that are recognized among the longest cave ecosystems in the world. The park’s mangrove swamp has become one of the most popular areas that never ceases to attract numerous visitors from around the world. The park, the total area of which is 16 hectares, is founded on the lands that once belonged to Lucayan Indians. In 1986, remains of this tribe were found in a cave, and the national park was named after the tribe. The park is full of wonders. In Lucayan, visitors can see unique limestone caves, mangrove forests, Cuban pine groves, and numerous blooming flowers including gorgeous orchids. The park was used in the filming of the second and third episodes of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. It is possible to reach the national reserve by boat or by land.

However, if tourists want to see gorgeous flowers and exotic animals during their vacation in the Bahamas, it is hard to think of a more suitable place than the Retreat Garden National Park. It is located in Nassau on New Providence Island. Enormously beautiful blooming orchids, more than 170 types of palm trees from ordinary to rare ones, cedar trees – this is just a small fraction of flora available in the Retreat Garden National Park. The park has become home to such rare tree as Madeira that is also known as redwood. It is possible to explore the park together with an excursion group or alone. In case of the latter option, it is better to purchase a map of the Retreat. Having hidden in a silent place, visitors can see many rare birds in their natural habitat.

Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre is located in the central part of Nassau. It has become home to many different species of birds and reptiles. However, Ardastra Gardens, the size of which is 20 square kilometers, have become famous mostly because of flamingoes. This bird has already become the symbol of the center. Visitors to Ardastra Gardens can feed flamingoes with apples – the birds simply adore this fruit. Besides gracious flamingoes, more than 300 species of different animals live in Ardastra Gardens. Visitors can see lemurs, jaguars, and various monkeys. Besides native species of the Bahamian fauna, there are also animals from South America, the Caribbean region, and other distant parts of the world. Thanks to the efforts of employees of the zoo, every animal lives in conditions that are close to their natural habitat as much as possible. In Ardastra, there are many interesting species that represent the flora of different regions. As a rule, these are plants that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates.