Cat Island, officially known as “San Salvador” before it received its present name by an Act of Parliament in 1926, is said to be named after the pirate Arthur Catt, who used to make frequent stops here. Residents still hold fast to the belief that Cat Island was the gateway to the New World.

It is a fishhook-shaped island, only 48 miles long and four miles across at the widest part. The island is located near the Tropic of Cancer, between Eleuthera and Long Island and about 130 miles southeast of Nassau and Paradise Island. It has one of the best climates in The Bahamas, with temperatures in the high 60's during the short winters, rising to the mid-80's in summer, with trade winds making the place even more comfortable.

Cotton plantation ruins are scattered around the island. The remains of slave huts dating back to the 1700s and Arawak Indian caves waiting to be explored. Cat Island also prides itself on producing The Bahamas’ finest rake ’n scrape music and holds an annual festival dedicated to it. Friendly people with farming, fishing and lobstering as their mainstay, quaint, tidy communities and an abundance of peace and quiet - these are the qualities defining Cat Island.

The highest in all the land

Mount Alvernia is the highest elevation in the country at 206 feet above sea level. The hill served as the hermitage of Father Jerome Hawes, who settled on the island in 1939, where he built a miniature monastery and hand-carved steps out of solid rock.

Activities and beauty galore

Cat Island provides a unique vacation for those who want to get away in a private, relaxing, laid-back environment. With 50 miles of rolling hills, miles of nature trails, and beautiful empty beaches, including the eight-mile Pink Sand Beach. Boating, diving and fishing are among the main reasons to go to Cat Island, but you can also enjoy sunbathing, swimming or snorkeling.

Stay in a remote and rustic village setting and relax under thatched-roof tiki bars, make your vacation home a cottage right on the beach or select a fishing marina that caters to anglers on a quest for a big-game catch. Whatever you choose, there’s something to do and see on Cat Island. Of course, you may choose to do absolutely nothing at all.