Editor's Note: On September 1, 2019, Grand Bahama Island (along with the Abaco Islands) were impacted by Hurricane Dorian, a category-5 storm and the strongest to make landfall in The Bahamas in 80 years. Freeport reopened to cruise passengers on September 27.
Freeport, an industrial center, is located on Grand Bahama Island, the archipelago's northernmost island. Grand Bahama, just 70 miles from Palm Beach, Florida, is a regular stop on the short-cruise circuit from South Florida. But the fourth-largest isle in the Bahamas' 700-strong chain, also owes its popularity to its smooth white-sand beaches and water sports, from snorkeling to deep sea fishing.
In the 1950s, the island realized its potential for tourism-related revenue when Wallace Groves, an American financier from Virginia, proposed building a town that both appealed to visitors and sufficiently supported industry. Since then, Freeport has boomed with hotels, restaurants, casinos and ecotourism attractions like Lucayan National Park. Its island atmosphere and miles of sunny beaches coupled with its close proximity to the United States makes Grand Bahama Island a top vacation spot for Americans.
Port Lucaya and its marketplace have evolved into the tourist hub of the island, partly through design and partly because of hurricane damage to other parts of the area. Freeport's got everything from shops and beaches to restaurants and a casino -- not to mention a handful of major golf courses.