Cat Island Honeymoon, The Bahamas

Discover Cat Island on a romantic honeymoon holiday – one of the Caribbean’s unspoiled gems. Cat Island is blessed with friendly locals, a pleasant summer climate averaging around 28˚C, pink-hued white-sand beaches framed by towering cliffs and fringed by dense forests and gently undulating hills.

Things to do and see
Choose from several gorgeous palm- and casuarina-fringed pink-sand beaches where you can sunbathe, swim and snorkel in seclusion.

Start with a trip to North Shore Beach, an 8km stretch of pink-hued sand, or Fernandez Bay Village Beach, a long crescent of powder-white sand backed by casuarinas facing tranquil waters.

Don’t miss Greenwood Beach, 12km of pink sand facing the Atlantic Ocean at Port Howe near the southeast tip of Cat Island, with great snorkelling and diving over coral heads right off the beach. Or visit Hawk's Nest Beach, located at the southwest tip of Cat Island near Devil’s point. None of the Cat Island beaches have any facilities, so you’ll need to pack a picnic.

Explore the island on foot along nature trails that wind over rolling green hills passing quaint native villages, wonderful flora and the remains of once-flourishing cotton plantations, including the Ambrister Plantation and the once-luxurious Deveaux Mansion.

For lovely views, climb up to Mount Alvernia: at 62m above sea level this is the highest point in the Bahamas. See also the remains of the Hermitage, a one-time religious retreat built by the hand of one man in 1939. Don’t miss the pre-Columbian Arawak Indian cave at Columbus Point on the island's southern tip.

Underwater, explore coral reefs, blue holes, walls, caves and shipwrecks teeming with rainbow-hued tropical fish, as well as sharks, rays and dolphins. Although you can snorkel just about anywhere, one of the best places is along the west coast at Dry Heads, a 7m-drop teeming with butterfly fish – and so-named because of the blanket of purple sea fan that is completely exposed at low tide.

Accommodation
Cat Island offers a good range of accommodation options, all of which face a gorgeous pink-sand beach with good offshore snorkelling. Some good options include the laid-back beachfront Fernandez Bay Village, the Greenwood Beach Resort & Dive Centre and Sammy T’s Beach Resort.

Best time to visit Cat Island?
Any time of the year is good for Cat Island honeymoon holidays. Temperatures average a balmy 24°C in winter (September to May) with refreshing gentle trade winds. The temperature averages 28°C during the rest of the year. You can typically swim and enjoy water sports year round, with water temperatures rarely dipping below 22°C. The rainy season (May through November) brings short tropical rainstorms. For more climate info: Bahamas Weather Guide

Location Named after the pirate Arthur Catt, this small, fishhook-shaped island is located between Eleuthera and Long Island in the Out Islands, around 209km southeast of Nassau.

Getting there – By air, Cat Island is serviced with non-stop flights from Miami (Fort Lauderdale) and Nassau. How to get to Cat Island . . .