Discover 10 destinations to wet your whistle under the tropical sun.
With 700 islands and 100,000 miles of shoreline, finding the right seaside watering hole in the Bahamas isn’t always easy. This Caribbean archipelago serves cold brews and rum-infused cocktails at hundreds of places ranging from casual calypso clubs to chic tiki lounges.
To help you spend more time sipping than searching for fruity drinks, Marinalife surveyed its seasoned travelers and asked them to share their favorite oceanfront getaways. With the following list of Bahaman beach bars, you can craft an island pub crawl to the best locations with soft white sand and flip-flop fun.
1.Nipper’s Beach Bar & Grill, Great Guana Cay, Abaco
When you see deck furniture, umbrellas and the building painted in vibrant colors of a Caribbean rainbow, you know you’ve landed on an island hopper’s paradise. Two swimming pools, live bands and a rocking tiki bar add to Nipper’s spirited atmosphere. A flamingo pink chair on the beach is an ideal place for potent fruit juice drinks. The menu features local seafood, steaks and pasta. Sunday pig roasts are fabulous feasts.
2.Grabbers Bed Bar & Grill, Great Guana Cay, Abaco
Come for the day or stay for a week at this enchanting seaside resort that caters to every traveler’s whim. Kids build castles in the sand while parents snooze on hammocks stretched between palm trees. You can fish or snorkel in a nearby coral reef and toast glorious sunsets while a band plays at the tiki bar. The kitchen prepares dishes from easy sandwiches to gourmet treats.
3.Cracker P’s Bar & Grill, Lubbers Quarters Cay, Abaco
It’s OK to kick back and relax at Cracker P’s beach. But you might be tempted to hike the 7.5-acre estate’s nature trails through plush tropical foliage or join the fun with activities such as volleyball, bocce, croquet and horseshoes. Just-caught seafood is the menu centerpiece, flanked by steaks and the largest rum selection in the Bahamas. Monthly full-moon parties are magical.
4.Pete’s Pub & Gallery, Little Harbor, Abaco
If the Bahamas’ beauty sparks your artistic nature, then head to Pete’s and experience a working bronze foundry and gallery with ocean-in- spired sculpture, jewelry and artwork. Since the 1950s, this cultural haven has fostered local crafts in a seaside setting of palm trees and soft sand. The pub serves local fish dishes from cracked conch to grilled grouper, washed down with cool rum cocktails.
5.Sharkies Bar & Grill at Bimini Big Game Club, Alice Town, Bimini
Decked out in the bright yellow and blue hues of the Bahaman flag, this boutique resort has lured watersport lovers to its doors since the 1930s. In its aquamarine waters you can dive, kayak, swim or catch marlins Hemmingway style. The bar overlooks a 75-slip marina and pool patio with a big stone firepit. Cooks heat up dishes from the land and sea.
6.Staniel Cay Yacht Club Bar, Staniel Cay, Exuma
The beckoning ring of a bell announces that Bahaman-style dinner is served at this casual waterfront eatery. Located on a secluded beach, you can savor island cocktails on the deck while watching rosy sunsets over turquoise waters. Colorful nautical flags hang from the ceiling, and maritime memorabilia is tacked on the walls. Friends and locals enjoying live music and playing billiards creates a cozy vibe.
7.Sip Sip, Harbour Island, Eleuthera
Rum punch at lunch is the island way of welcoming you to the worry-free Bahaman lifestyle. is hidden gem overlooks a pink sand beach and water so blue that it looks like it was photoshopped. Chartreuse walls are a lively backdrop for locally grown ingredients infused in fresh dishes such as conch chili, seared tuna and grilled shrimp with mango. Banana-chocolate bread pudding is guaranteed to sweeten your day. In addition to the iconic Harbour Island restaurant, Sip Sip has opened its first outpost location at The Cove Atlantis.
8. The Dune Bar at One&Only Ocean Club, Nassau, New Providence Island
When mermaids long for an elegant evening, they dream of this posh resort. Nestled in a glamorous estate built by a Swedish industrialist in the 1940s, it’s graced with terraced gardens, manicured grounds, marble statues, bubbling fountains and infinity pools. The ocean view is exceptional, the gourmet food is peppered with island spices, and guests are treated like royalty.
9.Frigate’s Bar & Grill, Rock Sound, Eleuthera
Fishermen love the “You hook em; we cook ‘em” promise at this seaside jewel, because they can kick back with a rum drink and taste their catch prepared with authentic Bahaman flavors. In fact, the entire menu – from conch fritters to grilled sh and lobster tail – pays tribute to island traditions. The wooden deck, decorated with simple strands of white lights, offers a perfect setting to watch the sun set over the waves.
10.The Point Bar at The Cove, Gregory Town, Eleuthera
At this oceanfront resort, the dining room’s décor is so lovely it could be featured in a design magazine. Understated elegance and laid-back ambience are enhanced by organic and sustainable Caribbean cuisine. The sushi is fresh, cocktails are handcrafted, and the view is unforgettable.
Caribbean Rum – Honoring a Maritime Tradition
As you gaze across the blue Bahaman waters embracing a cocktail made of fine local rum, take pride in knowing that you’re upholding a nautical ritual that dates back over 400 years.
In the early 1600s, sugarcane plantation slaves discovered that molasses, a by-product of processing sugar, could be fermented and turned into alcohol. Their potent drink was called Kill Devil thanks to its harsh, strong taste. After fine-tuning distillation methods, palatable rum emerged. It became the rage of the Caribbean and the desired drink of seafarers throughout the New World.
Pirates showed a special affinity for rum. After raids on Spanish ships and villages, the infamous buccaneer Blackbeard liked to dock at island ports and join his crew in legendary drinking binges. One of his favorite concoctions was rum laced with gunpowder, which he would light and chug while it flamed and popped. Sir Henry Morgan, a British Navy officer turned privateer, was also notorious for plying his men with rum before battle. Today, his likeness is printed on bottles of Captain Morgan spiced rum.
Good rum wasn’t just the exclusive drink of bad boys. The British Royal Navy grew fond of it, too. In 1655, when England captured Jamaica, naval officers discovered a plentiful supply of rum and began doling it out twice daily in rations named “tots” to their shipmen. Mixed with lime juice, rum was a safer and more inspiring drink than barrels of water contaminated with algae and bacteria in a pre-refrigeration age.
British sailors developed such a taste for rum that they’d partake of it whenever an opportunity would arise. Take the case of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar. His corpse was placed in a cask of rum to preserve it during the journey back to England. Upon arrival, officials were astonished to find the cask was emptied of liquid and only held Nelson’s body. According to legend, thirsty seamen drilled a hole in the cask and drank all the rum en route.
That’s quite a commitment to drink and worthy of a toast to yo-ho-ho rum.
Take Home a Taste of The Islands With Your Own Bahama Mama
This classic cocktail captures the essence of the easy Bahamisan lifestyle. It blends fruity flavors of pineapple and orange juices with two kinds of rum and a coffee liqueur that adds a rich, almost chocolate undertone. Make one for yourself to restore that island groove or stir up a pitcher for your next party.
- 1⁄4 ounce coffee liqueur
- 1⁄2 ounce dark rum
- 1⁄2 ounce coconut liqueur
- 1⁄4 ounce 151 proof rum
- Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 2 ounces fresh orange juice
- 1⁄2 ounce of grenadine
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Transfer into a chilled collins glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry, an orange slice and a pineapple wedge. Sip slowly and feel the tropical breeze.
