Acklins Island is one of the least known islands of The Bahamas,
Acklins comprises the southern and southeastern part of the chain.
The terrain is hilly and desolate, with unusual rock formations, and
varied plant and animal life, including an occasional swamp turtle.
Along its coastline are numerous hidden coves with extensive,
beautiful beaches and a number of tiny, colorful, villages.
Acklins and Crooked Island are separated by a shallow lagoon, known
as Bight of Acklins. They are two of the four islands forming an
atoll which hugs the beautiful shallow waters of the Bight of
Acklins.
Bordered by the nearly uninhabited Castle Island and Long Cay, they
are as natural as they were when The Bahamas was first "discovered."
Columbus reputedly sailed down the leeward side of the islands
through the narrow Crooked Island Passage, which has ever since
served as an important route for steam ships traveling from Europe
to Central and South America.
The bight of Acklins is more than 1000 square miles of shallow
water. This is one of the largest area of bonefish-flats in the
Bahamas. Exploring this system of flats, creeks, channels and
mangrove marls could take a lifetime.
The vast fishing grounds cover the area from Lovely Bay on down
past Jamaica Cay. There are miles of pristine wadable flats and
backcountry creeks loaded with bonefish, plus deeper channels that
hold permit and tarpon.
Acklins Island has many interestingly named hamlets--Rocky Point,
Binnacle Hill, Salina Point, Delectable Bay, Golden Grove, Goodwill,
Hard Hill, Snug Corner, and Lovely Bay.
Some Crooked Island sites
have more ominous names, such as Gun Point and Cripple Hill.
Getting There -- There's an airport at Colonel Hill on Crooked
Island and another airstrip at Spring Point on Acklins Island.
Bahamasair (tel. 800/222-4262 in the U.S.; www.bahamasair.com) has
two flights a week from Nassau, on Wednesday and Saturday, to
Crooked Island and Acklins Island, with returns to Nassau scheduled
on the same day.
There is also mail-boat service, with the MV United Star, leaving
Potter's Cay Dock in Nassau and heading for Acklins Island, Crooked
Island, Fortune Island (Long Cay), and Mayaguana Island each week.
Check the schedule and costs with the dockmaster at Potter's Cay
Dock in Nassau (tel. 242/393-1064).
A government-owned ferry service connects the two islands; it
operates daily from 9am to 4pm. It links Lovely Bay on Acklins
Island with Browns on Crooked Island. The one-way fare is $4.
Once you arrive at Crooked Island, a taxi service is available, but
because of the lack of telephones, it's wise to advise your hotel of
your arrival. |
