Acklins: Lucayan Heritage, Reefs and Island History

Acklins is the largest island in the group and remains largely untouched. Key themes for your trip include Lucayan sites, historic buildings and tours on the water. The Bight of Acklins, which separates Acklins from Crooked Island, is also part of the island’s distinctive landscape. As you plan, consider whether you’d like to focus primarily on cultural history, nature or activities at sea.

Lucayan Heritage and Island History

Acklins is home to numerous Lucayan sites. Near Pompey Bay Beach is the site of one of the largest Lucayan settlements discovered in the Bahamas to date. In Spring Point stands Outside Kitchen, the ruin of a stone house overgrown with flowering shrubs. The two places offer different perspectives on the island’s history: one focuses on the Lucayans, the other on a surviving stone structure.

Just off the southern tip of Acklins lies remote Castle Island. A striking lighthouse dating from 1867 stands there; pirates once used it as a hideout when attacking ships in the nearby passage. Castle Island is accessible only by boat. If you plan to visit the lighthouse, be sure to take this access requirement into account.

Another distinctive feature is cascarilla bark. Acklins Island is one of only two islands in the Bahamas where it grows; on Acklins, it has long been used in traditional bush medicine. The bark is also harvested and exported as the main ingredient in Campari liqueur. This connection between plant life, tradition and a local product offers a perspective on the island that extends beyond its coasts and historic sites.

The Bight and Its Shallow Waters

In the Bight, the water is often no deeper than knee-high even five miles from shore. The Acklins Bight, a marine area shared by Acklins and Crooked Island, covers 61,436 acres. Acklins also includes the Southeastern Bahamas Marine Managed Area, a designated marine area of 6,053,010 acres. These figures help convey the scale of the marine landscape without conflating the two areas.

Both the Bight of Acklins and the mangrove-lined waterways of Crooked Island draw visitors to this remote corner of the Bahamas for bonefishing. Boat tours also head to a private island off the coast of Lovey Bay; the offshore cays there are home to endangered Acklins rock iguanas. There are several different aspects to explore on the water: the shallow Bight, mangrove waterways and the wildlife of the cays.

Snorkeling, Caves and Tours

Bay Boy Tours offers half-day and full-day snorkeling trips to the reefs off Lovely Bay on Acklins. Visitors may see lobster, rays, nurse sharks and a variety of tropical fish. Terrence Collie’s snorkeling experience offers close-up views of sea sponges, coral and sea urchins; participants may also encounter a sea turtle. Underwater life is the focus of both experiences, although sightings of particular animals are not equally certain.

Other tours visit the bat and limestone caves at Atwood Harbour and Jumbey Hole. Bay Boy Tours also offers eco-friendly vehicle tours, walking tours on footpaths, and trips through mangroves, harbours or creeks that include Acklins. Terrence Collie offers full-day sightseeing and boat tours that explore Acklins. When planning, you can choose between snorkeling, cave destinations, and tours by land or water.

Getting There and Planning Your Trip

Acklins Island Airport (AXP) is connected to Nassau by scheduled domestic flights. When searching for a hotel on Acklins, you can start by deciding which experiences you’d like to shape your stay, such as the Lucayan sites, Castle Island, cave tours or snorkeling. This helps you choose where to stay based on your travel interests.

Discover more destinations: Salina Point, Central Andros, San Salvador, North Eleuthera, North Abaco, Central Eleuthera, Long Island, Central Abaco.

See the main travel overview: Bahamas.