Reputed to be elfin creatures with three fingers, three toes, and red eyes, chickcharnies bring lifelong good luck to anyone lucky enough to see one. Andros even has its own "Loch Ness Monster," a dragon-like sea monster called the Lusca.

The island was called "La Isla del Espiritu Santo" (the island of the Holy Spirit) by the Spaniards.

As people began to inhabit Andros, setttlements such as Staniard Creek, Nichols Creek and Mastic Point arose as the first communities. Once these settlements became overcrowded, people began to migrate to other areas of the island such as Red Bay and Fresh Creek. At first, the settlers attempted to farm the land of Andros, but being mostly limestone, the lack of fertile soil led them to other forms of trade.

The people discovered trades such as sponging, fishing, basket weaving, woodcarving and fabric crafting which became a unique aspect of their culture. The community of Red Bay is an excellent example of the culture that thrives on Andros.

Just off the sandy white beaches of Red Bay, natives spend the day on the ocean harvesting sponges to bring back to shore. Here the sponges go through a distinctive process of drying and cleaning to prepare them to be sold all over the world. Sponge finishing is one of the most important forms of income.

Andros is home to the second-largest reef in the Western Hemisphere, popular with divers for its blue holes & some of the deepest cave diving expeditions in the world is located here. In the inland waterways, there are huge schools of bonefish-making this an ideal fishing location.

Andros Bahamas has more to offer than any other fishing area (the reef runs for about 170 miles) in this hemisphere due to the vast fishable flats located here (either by wading or by boat).

Andros is considered the Bonefishing Capital of the World where anglers from around the world pit there skills against the wily bonefish, and Andros flats are world-renowned for the numbers of bonefish as well as trophy-sized bonefish. Many of the flats have been found to contain large schools of bonefish weighing in at around 3-5 pounds.

Most of the major towns in Andros are scattered along its northeastern coast. Heading south, the settlements become more remote and are well worth a visit for palm-fringed beaches and warm and friendly people. Driggs Hill, Congo Town, and Kemp's Bay are ideal for long walks and relaxing under the palms.

The snorkeling and scuba diving is good, bird watching is fabulous (see below), and Kalik Gold is the beer of choice. The operative word for Andros is casual.

There are over 200 species of birds that inhabit the Bahamas--and Andros, with its vast undeveloped land, is home to many of them. Among the most common ! are: The Bahama Woodstar, the West Indian Woodpecker, the Loggerhead kingbird, LaSagre's Flycatcher, the Bahama Swallow, the Bahama Mockingbird, The Red-legged Thrush,  the Black-faced Grassquit, Noddy Tern, White Crowned Pigeon, Zenaida Dove, White-bellied Dove, the Key West Quail Dove, the Smooth-billed Ani and the Cuban Emerald Hummingbird, to name but a few.

Andros is also the home of Androsia, the colorful handmade island clothing of the Bahamas. Begun in 1972 as a cottage industry, The Androsia Batik Factory is open weekdays for guest visitors to view the batik/dying and sewing process. Great deals on clothing and fabrics can be found at both the Androsia Factory Outlet Store and the boutiques all around the different islands of the Bahamas.