City/Settlement: Arthur’s Town and Moss Town

Location: About 325 miles southeast of Miami and 130 miles southeast of Nassau/Paradise Island

Size: 48 miles long and one to four miles wide

Population: Approximately 2,000

      Images Courtesy of: Bahamas Tourist Office No one is quite sure how Cat Island acquired its name; however, this island has many lives. A pirate and contemporary of Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, Arthur Catt was a frequent visitor to the island, which is one explanation of its name. Others say the island resembles a feline sitting on its haunches when looking at it from above.

For more than four centuries, Cat Island was actually called San Salvador, and many believed this was where Christopher Columbus first landed in the new world. However, in 1926 a nearby island was redesignated San Salvador (as it is known today) and the name Cat Island was revived. British Loyalists who were fleeing the newly formed United States settled the island in 1783. They established cotton plantations, but when the cotton industry failed and the slaves were freed, the people of Cat Island turned to farming peas, corn, potatoes and later growing pineapples.

Cat Island is the ideal spot for travelers looking for a quiet, secluded vacation. The island is fringed with miles of empty beaches, including an eight-mile pink sand beach. World-class diving, snorkeling, fishing and miles of nature trails offer the opportunity for fun and adventure. Check out the Blue Hole where inside the opening, divers often encounter schools of fish, large grouper and Caribbean reef sharks.

Continental Connection (800-525-0280)

Island Express (800-228-2566),

Bahamasair (800-222-4262)

Southern Air (242-377-2014)

Cat Island Air (242-377-3318)

SkyBahamas (242-377-8993)

Accommodations on Cat Island include:

Bridge Inn (242-342-3013)

Fernandez Bay Village (800-940-1905)

Greenwood Beach Resort & Dive Center (242-342-3053)

Hawk’s Nest Resort & Marina (242-342-7050)

Pigeon Cay Beach Club (242-354-5084)

Sammy T’s Resort (242- 354-6009)

Island HoppInn(242-342-2100)

Shannahs Cove Resort (242-354-4249)

Flamingo Bay Club (352-383-2477)

Deveaux Mansion: At Port Howe, one can see the ruins of the Deveaux Mansion, a two-story, whitewashed building formerly used as a cotton plantation and now overrun with wild vegetation. Deveaux Mansion was once the home of Col. Andrew Deveaux of the U.S. Navy and was given to him as a reward for recapturing Nassau from the Spaniards in 1783.

Hermitage on Mt. Alvernia: The Hermitage, a small monastery at the summit of this mountain, remains shrouded in mystique even to this day. Father Jerome, an Anglican seminarian turned Catholic priest who was well-known for having built cathedrals and convents throughout the islands, built the Hermitage and the rock staircase leading to it as a final act of religious dedication.

New Bight Beach: This active beach, located near the Government administration building, is the site of the annual Cat Island Regatta and is used by the locals for weekend dances and holiday picnics.

U.S. currency is accepted and is interchangeable with the Bahamian dollar. In September through May, the temperature on the Island averages 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit; the rest of the year is warmer, with temperatures between 80 and 85 degrees. Nighttime temperatures are generally cooler by 5-7 degrees. All U.S. citizens and foreign nationals traveling to/from the United States to/from The Bahamas are required to present a valid passport, passport card or WHTI-compliant document to re-enter the United States. All Canadian citizens traveling to/from Canada to/from The Bahamas are required to present either a valid passport, an official birth certificate or an original naturalization/citizenship certificate. For more information please visit Bahamas.com.