A marooned shipwreck looming over the waterline, a submerged roadway pointing toward the lost city of Atlantis, wild dolphins and some of the prettiest reefs this side of the Bahamas: Bimini certainly had a tall order to fill after all the stories I've heard in the past.So close yet so far away from a hectic America lifestyle, our nearest Bahamian neighbor is just 50 miles due east of the Sunshine State. Visiting for the first time feels like stepping back to a less complicated and demanding era. Fertile fishing grounds and phenomenal dive sites are just some of Bimini's great attributes, mainly due to its close proximity of the nutrient-rich Gulf Stream. It's a mere 45-minute hop from Fort Lauderdale aboard a seven-seat puddle jumper. Or better yet, try a seaplane charter out of Miami. Either way, divers can look forward to finning with the fish within a few hours of departure. Before I knew it, I was descending onto a lengthy strip of reef that sprouted up from the 40-foot-deep desert floor. Huge schools of fish, namely snappers, grunts and spadefish, slowly cruised back and forth along a coral oasis appropriately named the Strip. It sort of reminded me of watching ants passing along a crack in the sidewalk when I was a kid. But it was a place called the Bimini Road where my senses really kicked into high gear. Flashbacks of Chariots of the Gods played over and over in my mind as I drifted over this ancient roadway mapped out by dozens of huge boulders. Spaced three across and extending for over a quarter mile, these 6 to 8-foot-wide carved slabs lie in sequential order roughly 1,000 yards east of North Bimini. They're resting at a 15-foot depth and are completely covered with growth. Due to the nature of the sandy bottom surrounding the roadway, it's a frequent hangout for stingrays, peacock flounders and small schools of goatfish.Bimini is actually made up of two islands. A navigable channel divides the north from the south. It seems as though every time the dive boat piloted through this waterway, I'd catch a glimpse of either an eagle ray or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin motioning along the banks. I thought it would be cool to be able to swim with them. Unfortunately, heavy boating traffic makes this area unsafe area for diving.The next morning, I checked out some more of the wonderful sites around North Bimini, specifically Caves and Caverns and the Bimini Barge. However, a day later I found the reefs to be even more colorful and active with marine life the farther south we ventured. Victory Reef and Tuna Alley are about an hour's ride away. Both are well-sculpted spur-and-groove reefs perforated with swim-throughs and undercut with ledges. Places where sharks, turtles and stingrays are almost always found holed up in the reef. Those fortunate enough to witness a big game fish cruise by do so while keeping their eyes peeled along the sloping drop-off next to the deep blue. It's the type of encounter that never seems to take place when both dive buddies are looking in the same direction, especially if you're the one holding the camera. On the way back, we stopped off at the Sapona, Bimini's notorious wreck. A concrete Liberty ship that rises above the shallows from a far distance. With its bow buried in the sand at 18 feet, the wreck of the Sapona serves as a superb shallow dive and snorkeling site. The hull was covered in corals and yellow-and-red encrusting sponges. I spent almost half the dive simply hovering next to a huge opening on the starboard side observing schools of snapper stream inside and out.I later found the wreck to also be a great night dive, a time when tons of orange cup corals unfold from within the dark cavities of the wreck and octopuses come out to feed. But active marine life hasn't been the ship's only occupants, especially since it was fully intact when it ran aground almost 80 years ago. According to folklore, the Sapona served as an early haven for rumrunners during prohibition in the United States. It also endured heavy target practice from U.S. Navy warplanes during World War II. Today, divers still find the odd coral-caked 50-caliber machine-gun bullet lying around the base of the wreck. Even though, diving and deep-sea fishing opportunities are nothing short of fabulous on Bimini, don't expect much in the way of modern conveniences topside. Cable television, telephones and morning papers are still considered luxuries, not necessities in many hotels.At the center of Alicetown, the main settlement on North Bimini, a small straw market fronts King's Highway, a single-lane road connecting a conglomeration of marinas and open-air bars. Sweet aromas lingered through the air each morning, luring visitors, myself included, into tiny shops where loaves of fresh Bimini bread are sold. Ernest Hemingway traveled the same road many times when he lived on the island back in the 1930s. At that time, he was writing Islands in the Stream. One of his favorite hangouts, a hotel and bar called the Compleat Angler, now houses a museum filled with samples of his work and photographs of his life. At night, the place rocks with music performed by island musicians. The End of the World Bar is another place renowned for serving cold Kaliks, the official beer of the Bahamas, and listening to island tunes. People watching through the assorted undergarments hanging from the ceiling and walking across a sand floor are additional reasons this place is so popular. Try finding a place like that in the United States.In fact, in terms of remoteness, a trip to Bimini might even feel as though you've actually been to the end of the world and back. The best part, however, is that this Bahamian island does live up to its reputation as a great dive destination, and it's a close one to boot. How to Get There Bimini is located 50 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Although Nassau and Freeport are the major gateways to the Bahamas, a few charter services fly directly into Bimini from the Fort Lauderdale Jet Center. Seaplane charters originate out of Miami. Major carriers to the Bahamas include American Eagle 800-433-7300; Bahamasair 800-222-4262; Delta 800-221-1212; and US Airways 800-428-4322. Charters to Bimini include Island Air 954-359-9942 and Chalks International Airlines 800-424-2557.The medium of exchange is the Bahamian dollar, which trades at par with the U.S. dollar, also accepted everywhere. Electrical current is 120 volts, 60 cycles. In the winter, temperatures range in the 70s (F) and drop into the 60s (F) at night. Summer temperatures average about 10 degrees warmer.United States citizens are required to carry either a passport or birth certificate and drivers license for entry. Bahamians speak English, which is accented with a British lilt. Bimini Undersea Adventures 800-348-4644; www.biminiundersea.comScuba Bimini Dive Center 800-848-4073; www.scubabimini.com