That said, much of Grand Bahama's attraction lies in its humble roots. Its focus is less on hospitality spectacle than on traditional island lassitude. It's a great place to get out and wander, with its multiple national parks and nature sanctuaries, its famous Garden of the Groves botanical garden (with over 10,000 tropical flower spices) and its Arts and Straw Market in the Port Lucaya Marketplace. The island is also a major diving destinatino, and features six miles of underground caves and charted tunnels in the Lucayan National Park.
Most of the hotels and accommodations on Grand Bahama Island are in Freeport and its immediate suburb, Port Lucaya -- home of the large Our Lucaya resort -- though there are guest houses and villas in the many small town and communities that dot the island. The capital, West End, was once a prominent port for bootleggers, but has returned to being a sleepy fishing village with a few historic buildings and recently developed Old Bahama Bay resort and marina. It's still the kind of island where you can drift, slip away outside of the towns and cities, find a secluded spot on the beach, and make it your own.
