The junction of the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans is littered with the 700 islands and 2,400 coral cays of The Bahamas that offer North American travelers easy access to sparkling beaches, gleaming megaresorts and quaint West Indian-style inns. A reef that stretches 760 miles from Andros to Long Island offers world-class diving of all types, including shallow reefs, wrecks, blue holes, walls and shark dives. Many divers choose to dive from live-aboard boats, which allow them to sample a number of islands during one vacation.

DIVES NOT TO MISS: 

The Bahamas are made up of many different islands with their own unique diving experiences. Andros is home to the world's third-longest barrier reef, which protects the entire 140-mile-long coastline. The reef has tunnels, caves, coral gardens and many wrecks fro divers to explore. The Blue Holes of Andros lead to complex underwater cave systems that house giant stalactites and stalagmites. Bimini is home to the wreck of the Saponam, which was used for target practice in World War II and has many holes for divers to swim in and out of. Bimini is also home to the ruins of the road that some scientists believe may reveal evidence of ancient Atlantis. Eluthers/Harbour Island has a razor-sharp reef named Devil's Backbone that has claimed several ships leading to many wrecks for diver to explore. A rare underwater site on the island is an underwater train wreck.

TOPSIDE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Shopping amidst the hustle and bustle of Nassau's Straw Market
• Meeting flamingos at Inagua National Park
• Negotiating duty-free deals on Nassau's Bay Street or in Freeport on Grand Bahama
• Exploring Hemingway's haunts on Bimini
• Relaxing on Exuma's colonial quaintness and shell-strewn seashores
• Jumping to colorful Junkanoo, the island's Christmastime carnival
• Chowing on curried conch and Kalik beer