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| Pinder's Point Lighthouse, Grand Bahama Island |
Iconic Lighthouses Lead the Way to Famous Beaches and Distinct Island Experiences
Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/08/05/3401006/find-the-lighthouse-find-the-best.html#ixzz1UMmJNbM7
Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/08/05/3401006/find-the-lighthouse-find-the-best.html#ixzz1UMmJNbM7
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
/PRNewswire/ -- Sailors prized them. Pirates hated them. Today they are romantic symbols of adventure, travel and solitude. Lighthouses still stand watch throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas and The Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society safeguards three of the world's few remaining kerosene-burning, hand-wound lighthouses.
Built in 1863, the famed Hope Town Lighthouse on Elbow Cay, Abaco still guides boats and ships today. Boating remains a way of life in The Abacos and throughout The Bahamas and the lighthouses are treasured even if modern captains navigate by satellite. The Dixon Hill lighthouse on San Salvador and Southwest Point lighthouse on Inagua have also escaped automation and still must be hand wound every two hours by keepers who have tended their flames since the mid-1830s. You can explore these lighthouses and their proud tradition via a video at VisittheBahamas.
There are still two dozen active lighthouses in The Bahamas and many others that have been decommissioned; there are even a few faux lighthouses. Several are easily accessible and can be explored by visitors in search of their own seafaring tale or just a bird's eye view of the island.
Hog Island LightOriginally built in 1817 and situated on popular Paradise Island just off Nassau, New Providence, Hog Island is the oldest lighthouse in The Bahamas and is also the oldest surviving lighthouse in the West Indies.
Pinder's Point LighthouseOverlooking bustling Freeport Harbor, this red-and-white candy-striped icon was restored, relit, and reactivated in 2009. Grand Bahama also has two often-photographed "faux" lighthouses—Lucaya and High Rock.
Hope Town Lighthouse In operation since 1863, Abaco's red-and-white striped lighthouse is still hand-wound and accessible by ferry from Marsh Harbour where it is surrounded by Bahamian style buildings.
Hole-in-the-WallAlso on Abaco, this British-style lighthouse is painted white on the lower third and red on the upper two-thirds and is home to the work of the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization.
San Salvador Lighthouse (Dixon Hill)Established in the mid-1800s and built in 1887, Dixon Hill is a very popular Bahamas lighthouse facility to visit because it is still occupied and operated by lighthouse keepers who refuel the 400,000 candle powered lighthouse by hand every 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Andros LighthouseBuilt back in the early-1890s, this Andros landmark was made famous in the Blake Alphonso Higgs (known as Blind Blake) song, "Run Come See Jerusalem," which told the story of a 1929 hurricane when more than 20 islanders drowned near the lighthouse.
Eleuthera Point The long island of Eleuthera has several lighthouses and this early-1900s version is a classic. The island also has several other active lighthouses, including North Palmetto Point, which is available as a vacation rental.
Southwest Point Great Inagua's classic all-white lighthouse near Matthew Town is popular with visitors who want to see the hand-cranked light and visit with local lighthouse keepers.
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| Hopetown Lighthouse, Abaco, Bahamas |
