Take the ferry or one of the classic mailing boats that leave Nassau regularly from Potter's Cay below the Paradise Island Bridge if you are adventurous and have time to spare. While fast, modern, air-conditioned boats now make some trips bahamas yacht charter, slow, old-fashioned craft still serves some distant destinations. In particular if you decide to go on the mail boat route, you can even find your way on the deck through piles of wood and cargo crates; on these woolly mail boats you can expect to spend five to twelve or more hours slowly between island outposts.

This is an unpredictable occasional measure in Bahamian time, and bad weather can throw away the schedules. In general, mail boats cannot be booked in advance and services are limited.

The best place to be for holidays

Bahamas Ferries has most (and comfort) island-hopping facilities in Bahamas, with air-conditioned boats offering cabin attendants food and drink. Time schedules change very often; if you intend to take a flight back to an island, test and double-check departure time and build in additional time in the event that the time is wrong or that the ship will not go on inexplicably. The most popular Nassau tourist destinations like Spain's Wells, Governor's Harbor, Harbor Island, Abaco, Exuma and Andros are served by ferries. The ferry, running from Nassau to Spanish Ports, Governor's Harbor to Harbor Island, costs $81 one way, and takes approximately two hours each way.

Local ferries transport islanders and visitors to smaller cays from the main island to the outer Islands. In general, these ferry companies travel several round trips a day and maintain a more timely schedule than the ferry. It's a fast ferring service that enables a day trip while Bahamas Paradise cruise line is sailed from the harbor of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, and more like a small cruise ship, although hotel packages may include transferring to the Grand Bahamas. Balearia Bahamas Experts sail to Fort Lauderdale 's Port of Everglades (Terminal I).