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Two hundred miles east of Nassau, small San Salvador is the
easternmost island in the Bahamas. Only twelve miles long and five
wide, this low-lying island features saline lakes and brine ponds
surrounded by palmetto brush, a beautiful shore of uninterrupted
white sands, and a western reef that offers some of the best diving
and snorkeling in the country. Despite this, its renown for aquatic
sports is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although it was the
original place where Columbus first encountered the New World, San
Salvador remained a backwater until diver Bill McGehee promoted the
beauty and diversity of its western reef in the 1970s, and Club Med
later added its own endorsement, building a resort north of Cockburn
Town (pronounced "Coburn") in 1992. Though it's the main settlement
on the island there's little to keep you in Cockburn, other than a
few accommodation options.
Typical island tours take in the lovely East Beach, Dixon Hill
Lighthouse, and the Bahamian Field Station (for prime birdwatching and
hiking), each taking about four hours and available through the two
major resorts. Likewise, either resort can arrange sport fishing and
underwater photography - which is quickly becoming something of a
cottage industry in San Salvador.
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Practicalities
Bahamasair offers twice-weekly flights from Miami and Nassau to Cockburn
Town, while Florida-based Air Sunshine flies to Cockburn Town out of
Fort Lauderdale. Both Club Med and Riding Rock Inn provide charter air
service for their guests.
There
are only a few choices for accommodation on San Salvador, most clustered
around Cockburn Town. Club Med Columbus Isle (tel 242/331-2000 or
1-800/453-2582) is a local branch of the French-based chain, as well as
one of the world's better dive-resorts, while less prominent Riding Rock
Inn , southwest of the airport (tel 242/331-2641 or 1-800/272-1492;
US$160-200 per person), also features diving packages, as well as
cottages and furnished rooms with patios (single US$75-100). Cockburn
Town has a number of grocery stores, restaurants and bars, though most
visitors predictably dine at the big resorts.
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