Touristy “Tings”
Calabash Bay at Long Island was home for two weeks while we waited on a large swell to die down for passage to Cat Island. The settlement is called Seymour’s. It’s a small town with about 80 residents and a single quaint resort with a few cottages along the beach.
During our stay, we had great wind for wing foiling, time for some good land exercise and beautiful beaches for the dogs to run around like crazy. We especially love when we have opportunities to get out for long walks.
Long Island is said to be the third island discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Allegedly, he called Long Island the most beautiful island in the world and it’s easy to understand why.
The Columbus / Lucayan Monument has a panoramic view of the clear ocean waters, greenery and salt ponds. It sits on the cliffs at the northwestern tip of the island to commemorate the original inhabitants of the Bahamas, who lived on Long Island centuries ago.
We had so much fun capturing the beauty of this place with the drone but per usual, the photos and videos don’t do it justice. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful places we’ve visited in the Bahamas so far.
As the swell started to die down, we were excited to make the 50-mile jump to Cat Island. We had the wind at our beam and a 4-6 ft swell, but it was not unbearable for a day trip. The best part was the mahi we landed, which turned into several amazing dinners.
We arrived at New Bight on Cat Island and had the place all to ourselves. Knowing we wanted to keep moving, we decided to hike to The Hermitage the morning after we arrived.
The Hermitage sits on Mt. Alvernia. Yes, the term “mountain” is pretty generous here but it’s the highest point in the Bahamas at 206 feet.
A catholic priest built the medieval monastery by hand in 1939 to escape the world. The hand-built structures have detailed stone reliefs and intricate architectural details, said to be modeled after a monastery in Tuscany. It feels much older than it actually is.
The path up the hill has stone staircases and steep rocky inclines but it’s well worth the trip for the 360-degree views. There’s also a friendly family of goats who serve as the welcoming committee to visitors.
Our quick stop at New Bight also included a long walk to the local grocery store for some fresh produce and a stop by the local bakery for a fresh loaf of cinnamon swirl bread. It’s really a lovely, little town and we’re sad we didn’t get to stay for a weekend outing at the Fish Fry. No doubt, we will be back!
Check out all the trip details with the SeaPeople link below:
Member discussion