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Cat Island is the ideal spot for family vacations looking for a quiet, secluded family holiday. With 50 miles of rolling hills and empty beaches, including the eight mile Pink Sand Beach, you are sure to be safe from other family beach vacation resorts. Of course this doesn't mean you'll be bored. World-class diving, snorkeling, fishing and miles of nature trails offer the opportunity for fun and adventure at this family vacation resort. Believed to be one of the most beautiful islands of The Bahamas, it was once also a frequent stop for pirate Arthur Catt -- which some believe is the explanation for the island's name. The natives engage in simple activity such as weaving straw hats and bags. While out exploring the island, it's likely you'll see this firsthand. Other sights worth seeing are the many beautiful churches and the ruins of homes from the 19th century. The highest point on The Islands Of The Bahamas can be found on Cat Island. Up some 206 feet in the air, Mt. Alvernia stands tall through a thick forest. At the summit of this mountain lies a small monastery built by Father Jerome, who was known for building cathedrals and convents throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas. Cat Islanders are known for their ingenuity at using the materials at hand to make whatever they need. For example, local musicians produce unique sounds from instruments built from scrap materials -- and much of The Islands Of The Bahamas' indigenous music, folklore and myth originated here. This is one of the most beautiful, fertile islands in The Islands Of The Bahamas and boasts the highest elevation of them all. Its 150 square miles are covered with rolling hills of dense green forests and uncounted miles of magnificent beaches. Still very much enmeshed in the past, evidence of Cat Island's early cultures abounds. It has a population of 1,678. Eclectic visitors, cottages, and islanders make this remote island one of The Family Vacations best kept secrets. It's not that hard to get to, you just have to work at it a little. Your efforts are well rewarded with a deserted, powdery white sand beach rimmed with causerina pines. Peace and solitude are the hallmark of this established nine-villa Family Vacations. Each beach house is unique, some wood, some stone, some with kitchens, garden baths, all with ceiling fans. You have yards of beach with gently lapping waves all to yourself. Fernandez Bay Family Vacations lies on the leeward side of Cat Island, about midway in its long, skinny 45-mile length. Catt, a pirate who plied its clear waters is the island's namesake. Maintaining the just-settled 17th century quality Family Vacations, villages still known as settlements, dot the quiet coastline. The Armbrister family has owned a large portion of Family Vacations Cat Island since an eighteenth century English monarch deeded this far-off land to their ancestors. Operating this sleepy Family Vacations for over 20 years, Mrs. A, as she is affectionately known, revels in her role as hostess, divulging tidbits of information and history on The Bahamas and Cat Island in particular. Her son, Tony and a small, friendly Family Vacations staff assist in the operation of Fernandez Bay, including charter air service from Nassau to the adjacent airstrip. Strolling barefoot down the Family Vacations beach at sunset, guests gather for drinks and dinner at dusk each evening. A great chance to mingle with other fortunate souls who hang out on Cat. The beach bar runs on the honor system, you make yourself a drink and write the tab. "Bahamian scrumptious" best describes the cuisine as able and creative local chefs spoil you with lobster, grilled seafood, steaks, chicken, and local vegetables to satisfy the most hardy appetite. Provisions from the resort's general store are available to fix your own breakfast and lunches, or you can savor home-cooked meals in the library-turned-cafe. The biggest decision every day at this Family Vacations is whether to bike the 4 miles to Mt. Alvernia, highest point in The Bahamas at 206 feet to visit The Hermitage, snorkel and swim in front of your cottage, take a sunfish sail, join the dive staff in an excursion to Cat Island's shipwrecks and coral reefs, or laze in the hammock and read a book. Nightlife is what you make it. Visiting sailors, many repeat guests, and newcomers enliven the dinner conversation and evening bonfire. Couples and families alike love the Family Vacations. Children are welcome, babysitters available, and the villas are quiet and private along the half-moon bay. Fernandez Bay Village proves the perfect choice to indulge yourself, languishing in the Bahamas Out Islands' solitude and relaxed atmosphere.Check out Fernandez Bay Village, for more information about this luxury Bahamas vacation resort! |
