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| Cat IslandLong, spindly Cat Island is one of The Bahamas' islands least touched by tourism, where islanders still practice Obeah and bush medicine and make their living from basketry. Pink-sand beaches stretch for miles along the Atlantic coast; the western shore is laced with bonefish-clogged creeks. Swamps, mangroves, scrub and mahogany forest the interior. The town of New Bight, near the southern end of the island, originated as a free-slave settlement in the early 19th century. Among its claims to fame is the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, one of the architectural creations of an apostate Anglican priest named Father Jerome. Jerome also designed the Mt Alvernia Hermitage, a Celtic-Mediterranean fusion perched atop a hill at the end of a stone staircase. The hermitage makes for a stunning 360° view, especially at sunrise or sunset. Just north of town is Armbrister Creek, which is actually a creek-laced mangrove estuary perfect for exploring by canoe (rentable at the nearby Fernandez Bay Village resort). It leads inland to a crystal clear lake called Boiling Hole that bubbles and churns under certain tidal conditions, fueling local fears that it's haunted by a monster. Baby sharks and rays can be seen cruising the sandy bottom. |
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