Freeport/Lucaya is one of the largest towns in the Bahamas, and offers much
to the visitor. The unique UNEXSO Dolphin Experience is a stretch of water where
visitors are able to swim with wild dolphins that come and go as they please.
The popularity of this complex, the only one of its kind in the world, means
that reservations are essential.
The famous straw products of the Bahamas can be admired and bought in Freeport’s
Straw Market, which also offers examples of carvings and other traditional wares.
Freeport’s main shopping zone, the International Bazaar, is a sprawling
stretch of stores offering a huge variety of goods. One of the more amusing
things on offer is the opportunity, at the Fragrance of the Bahamas factory,
to create, bottle and name your own perfume. The section open to visitors is
housed in a replica 18th century Bahamian mansion, complete with hostesses in
traditional English attire.
Freeport also offers wonderful opportunities to enjoy the unique flora of the
Bahamas. The Garden of the Groves, named after Wallace Groves, spreads across
12 acres and allows the visitor to wander through examples of over 1000 species
of plants and flowers. The nearby Hydroflora Gardens displays flowers grown
using hydroponic techniques, and includes a museum dedicated to the famous Bahamian
conch shell. The Lucayan National Park covers over 40 acres of land, with walkways
taking you through four distinct ecological zones. This park even has a network
of caves that can be explored on foot.
The most accessible national park in the Bahamas is the Rand Memorial Centre,
where over 200 kinds of birds and 400 types of plants can be seen. West Indian
flamingos are found here in abundance. Other bird species include the Antillean
Peewee birds, the Red-legged Thrushes, and the endangered Bahama Parrot.
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