About Andros

The largest yet least explored

 Covering a vast 5,956 square km, just 48 km west of Nassau and 281 km southeast of Ft Lauderdale, Florida, Andros is the largest and yet least explored island in The Bahamas chain. The peaceful island has some unique features amongst the other islands of The Bahamas; Andros is home to the oldest dive resort in the world, the second-largest reef in the Western Hemisphere, and crystal-clear waters which maintain a year-round temperature of 27C (80F).

Ancient riverbed

The sheltered waters of the reef are 6 to 15 feet deep on average, but eventually drop off into the depths of the Tongue of the Ocean. Geologists think that this area was once a prehistoric riverbed, similar to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Extensive underwater caves

Blue holes, found both inland and in the ocean waters off the island's coast, were formed by water erosion and flooding at the end of the last ice age. The oceanic holes connect to the intricate inland underwater cave system. As the tides rush in and out, ideal feeding grounds are formed for the creatures of The Bahamas. Andros is home to an underwater world of prolific and diverse marine life, offering tremendous diving opportunities.

Myths and monsters

According to the local folklore of Andros, Bahamas watersports aren’t the only things that are legendary – there's the myth of the Chickcharne, the half man, half bird-like figure that is said to protect against evil, and a dragon-like sea monster called the Lusca, believed to lurk in the watery depths of the blue holes.

Baskets and batiks

For those who want to take more than the islands’ colourful stories home with them, visiting Andros is the right choice - in The Bahamas, Andros is famous for its crafts. Local Androsians are renowned for making straw baskets that are actually waterproof, and they also pride themselves on the art of Androsia batik, a colourful printed fabric.

Cultural melting pot

Andros is rich in history, culture and ancient rituals, dating back to before the 1400s, when Africans migrating to South America travelled far across the oceans to settle her shores. These brave voyagers brought with them customs and traditions as varied as the lands from which they came. Over the centuries, this melting pot of different races and religions with different economic, cultural and religious backgrounds, has come to live in harmony in The Bahamas – Andros is all the more interesting for it!

Seminole Indian tribe

After the Africans, came the Spaniards in the 16th century, naming Andros La Isla del Espiritu Santo, the Island of the Holy Spirit. Some-time during the 17th century, the Seminole Indians migrated from southern Florida to Red Bay, on the west coast of the island – an area where a tribe still lives today and are especially lauded for their fine straw work.