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2008 Crystal Cay Condo
Grand Bahama Island, the fourth largest of The Islands of The Bahamas, gets its name from the Spanish "gran bajamar" - meaning "great shallows" - for its many flats and shoals in the waters off the island. Early in its history, Grand Bahama Island was virtually uninhabited for almost 300 years. However, with the development of Freeport/Lucaya in the 1950s, and because of the island's proximity to the east coast of Florida, it is now one of the most visited of all the Bahamian islands.
History
After the Spanish claimed the island in 1492, there was barely a footprint to be seen on the beaches of Grand Bahama Island. The Lucayans were enslaved and transported to work the gold and silver mines of Hispanola and Cuba, and the pearl fisheries of Margarita, near Trinidad. The conquerers gave the island the name "Gran Bajamar" - great shallows - a term that eventually became the basis for The Islands of The Bahamas themselves.
After they stole away its inhabitants, however, the Spanish seemed to have completely ignored Grand Bahama Island. Once in great while, a ship would drop anchor, perhaps scavenge a few provisions, then sail off towards Europe or South America. More often than not, Grand Bahama Island was viewed as a perilous landfall, due to the treacherous shallow reefs surrounding it. So many ships would collide with the reefs that "wrecking" became a major livelihood of what few inhabitants there were, most of whom lived at West End. hard times it wasn't unheard of for the townspeople to actually try and lure ships onto the reef with a well-placed lantern at night.
Great Britain claimed the Islands of The Bahamas in 1670, after British colonists left Bermuda for the island of Eleuthera, where they sought religious independence. More followed, and other ports and colonies gradually developed, bringing in their wake an army of pirates and privateers. Grand Bahama was probably well known to famous pirates like Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Henry Morgan, as its reefs would have been perfect for running aground vessels, a common pirate tactic. By 1720, the crown had successfully established control over the pirates, and the island probably saw a lot less visitors than it had during "the Golden Age of Piracy." The sleepy colony lay largely undisturbed for another 200 years, when history finally caught up with it again.
The island lies just 55 miles off the coast of Florida and rambles on for 96 miles, rimmed with cities, villages, and cays that offer lasting evidence of the many different people and cultures that have called Grand Bahama Island home.
Home of Crystal Cay Condo, Grand Bahama Island is a unique destination. It allows visitors to combine a cosmopolitan vacation at a world-class resort with the charm of historical fishing villages and undiscovered ecological treasures. It has one of the world's largest underwater cave systems, three national parks, endless beaches, emerald green water and enchanting marine life.
