According to medicinelearners, the Bahamas is a country and archipelago in the Caribbean (North America) that has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1973. The Bahamas consists of 700 full-fledged islands and another approximately 2,500 mini islands. Of all these islands, about 30 to 40 are inhabited. The largest island is Andros. A number of smaller islands are: the Bimini Islands, Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Great Inagua, Eleuthera, Cat, San Salvador, Acklins, Crooked and Mayaguana. The capital of the Bahamas is Nassau. Some major cities in the Bahamas are: Freeport, West End, Coopers Town and Marsh Harbour.
The Bahamas is known for its white beaches, clear blue water and many luxury hotels and golf resorts. The most popular islands for a vacation are Grand Bahamas, New Providence and Paradise Island. The islands are ideal for diving for the many species of fish and coral reefs. Especially the many predatory fish, including various shark species, attract many divers. There are also several national parks in the Bahamas, including the Abaco National Park and the Lucayan National Park where you will encounter many flamingos. The population of the Bahamas is largely dependent on tourism. About 40% of the population works in the tourism sector. See bridgat for other cities and countries as well as climate and weather in Central America.
Where are the Bahamas located?
Travel information of Bahamas
Official name: Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Continent: North America
Area: 13,878 km²
Capital: Nassau
Country code: BS, BHS
Population: 400,516 inhabitants (2022)
Form of government: Parliamentary monarchy
Highest point: 63 m (Mount Alvernia)
Distance (Amsterdam – Nassau): 7,328 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in the Bahamas that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of the Bahamas, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to the Bahamas. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about the Bahamas?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in the Bahamas at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
The islands have a tropical maritime climate. Average temperature in summer is between 25 and 35 degrees. In winter between 15 and 25 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for the Bahamas can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of the Bahamas can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March, April and December are the best months to travel to the Bahamas. In these months you avoid the rainy and hurricane season.
Language
English is the official language in the Bahamas.
Would you like to translate from or into English for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival in the Bahamas.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in the Bahamas for less than 3 months.
When departing from the Bahamas, you must pay a $20 departure tax. This applies to everyone aged 6 and older.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in the United States of America (also for the Bahamas): nederlandwereldwijd.nl.
Dutch consulate in the Bahamas: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
US Embassy and Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to the Bahamas.
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for the Bahamas if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit the Bahamas.
Money and Currency
In The Bahamas, payment is made with the Bahamian dollar (BSD).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in the Bahamas can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices in the Bahamas are a lot higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +46% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (9% more expensive), food (84% more expensive), imported beer in catering (35% more expensive), cigarettes (35% more expensive) and public transport (59% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In the Bahamas it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been charged yet, a tip of approximately 15% is given.
Time difference
In the Bahamas it is 6 hours earlier than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in the Bahamas differs from that in the Netherlands.
The local time, date, time zone and exceptions for the Bahamas can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route You must drive on the left
in the Bahamas. You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in the Bahamas. With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within the Bahamas.
Electricity
In the Bahamas you need a travel plug. In addition, in some cases you need an inverter.
More information about common plugs and sockets in the Bahamas can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 911
– Fire: 911
– Ambulance: 911
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap in most places in the Bahamas. You can recognize this by the cloudy water.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to the Bahamas can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from the Bahamas can be found at Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Bahamas websites end in.bs.
Official websites of the Bahamas: bahamas.gov.bs and bahamas.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in the Bahamas is 001242 or +1242.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from the Bahamas? Then use the Dutch country code 01131.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Telephone Directory of the Bahamas.
Company details can be found in the Bahamas Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from the Bahamas.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from the Bahamas.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in the Bahamas can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in the Bahamas, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about the Bahamas?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited the Bahamas. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in the Bahamas can be found on Protected Planet.
The Bahamas is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to the Bahamas? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant laws and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to the Bahamas.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.8.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Allowed
– Clothing: Wearing camouflage clothing is prohibited.
Did you know…
…The Bahamas motto is ‘Forward, Upward, Onward Together’?
…The Bahamas has one of the oldest and longest underwater caves?
…More than 1.3 million tourists visit the Bahamas every year?
…The Bahamas has more than 315 sunny days a year?
…The name Bahamas is derived from the Spanish Baja Mar (shallow sea)?
Our verdict on the Bahamas as a travel destination
Very few Dutch tourists come to the Bahamas because there is little supply, there are no direct flights and the prices are high. Yet the country has everything to offer that belongs to a carefree holiday. The friendly people, beautiful beaches on a clear blue sea in combination with pleasant temperatures is the ideal mix for a beach holiday. For the active traveler there are also many hiking, snorkeling and diving options. The capital Nassau is located on the beach and houses many colonial buildings. You will also find a range of shops, markets, restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.
