Many other species used by early Bahamians are also on display, such as Uniola, a springy grass used to stuff mattresses, and the Agave plant, whose sharp-pointed leaves served as needles. Then visit the Hydroflora Garden , a five-acre compound that offers visitors a fascinating look into the science and technique of hydroponics, growing plants without soil. History buffs won't want to miss walking The Heritage Trail in Freeport , one of the islands' most popular nature walks. Before 1955, the main transportation artery on Grand Bahama was the Old Freetown Road , little more than a dirt path. After the advent of modern highways, the old road was abandoned and left to nature, and now only a stretch of it remains.
Nobody thinks of pine forests, stalagmite-filled caves, and mangrove swamps.
Well they are, and at Lucayan National Park , you can see thousands of them, along with mangroves, ferns, and dozens of rare flower species, including orchids. Trails meandering throughout the 40-acre park will give you a whole new idea of the environmental complexities of the Bahamas , where beaches represent only one of six distinct ecosystems, all of which are represented in the park. The park also features one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world, created by the seepage of acidified rainwater into the island's limestone base over hundreds of years. If there is a best-kept secret in the Bahamas for folks who love to do their exploring on foot, it probably lies along a winding nature trail, within the tangle of a mangrove swamp, or somewhere on a secluded beach. The fun goes on after dark.