Plunge into the Past | Historic Sites South of Grand Isle Resort in Exuma

While Exuma is a sparkling collection of islands connected by clear blue seas of colorful reefs and enticing underwater caves, there remain a few things in the Bahamas you can only explore by foot. Leave your snorkel at the resort because the only things this adventure requires are closed-toe shoes and a sense of curiosity. Among the southern half of this great island lies the weather beaten cemetery of Rolle Town, named for a beloved landowner who gave everything to his slaves upon his death, and the remains of the Bowe Family Plantation, which has largely survived into the present day in spite of coastal winds and the eroding effects of salty ocean spray.

Band together history buffs and everybody else! Compared with the luxury of Grand Isle Resort these ruins are a bewitching sight to behold, to be sure. In the late 1700’s, British expatriates fleeing the Revolutionary War settled in the temperate islands of the Bahama, quickly establishing an economy of hearty crops such as tobacco and cotton. Crumbling before your eyes is a ghostly reminder of these colonial times—the former estate of the Bowes dynasty, which made its wealth from the sweat of slaves out harvesting. Walking around the site today the broad roof of a house, along with a spacious kitchen and the slave quarters, can clearly be made out.

Instead of slogging through more hot afternoon sand families can cruise down to enjoy the modern amenities of Georgetown, where there’s plenty more to discover. Hard to miss is Sandpiper Arts & Crafts. Strolling around this big teal-green building any thought of ghosts and tombstones will lifted away and fly off in the cool sea breeze. Travelers mustn’t forget, a plunge beneath the waves is always an excellent way to beat that famous Bahamian heat.