Christopher Columbus dropped his anchor and planted his flag on the island of Guanahani in 1492, this one historical act changed the world as we knew it and thus signified the opening of the west; otherwise known as ‘The New World”. While it can be debated until the ends of the earth by the locals if this island was THE actual Bahamian island that Columbus first landed on, for this article, we’ll say that it was!
The island, renamed San Salvador (meaning Holy Savior), by Columbus is the home to some of the most beautiful beaches in The Bahamas, some of the most extraordinary & renowned dive sites, plentiful wrecks and jaw-dropping scenery. The 12 miles long and 5 miles wide island once dubbed ‘The Forgotten Island”, is a gem; shiny and rare.
On my last visit to the beautiful island of San Salvador, I had the opportunity to tour the island with one of the most famed San Salvadorians, Mr. Clifford Fernander, aka Snake Eyes. Don’t be alarmed; he is one of the most unassuming men you’ll ever meet. Aside from being a champion domino player (which is how he got his famous moniker), he is a walking historian and he has the artifacts to prove it. Snake Eyes is a life long resident of San Salvador who has travelled extensively around the world promoting & sharing the history of the island and The Bahamas. There’s nothing he doesn’t know about the island, which is why I chose to snake around the island with him.
While on my mini guided-tour of San Salvador, I was able to see historical stops like Fr. Chrysostom Schreiner tomb, the first permanently assigned Catholic priest in The Bahamas, the Whipping Post (blank stare), Dixon Hill Lighthouse (ahhmazing views), and the educational and research institution, The Gerace Research Centre as well as a few other historical stops.
My favourite part of the tour was listening to Snake play his harmonica in between his impromptu bush medicine teaching session. Oh, I also got to see some cotton balls growing on the tree.
From its amazingly blue waters to its rich history in the world we know today, and its welcoming people like Snake Eyes, San Salvador is definitely one of those bucket list places.
