Each island in the Bahamas is a different world, so sometimes visiting another island can feel like a completely new trip, so we decided to have a little getaway with a Jetski in the Berry Islands on a free day.
Hoffman’s Cay is located in the heart of the Berry Islands, north of the capital Nassau.
The most common way to get here is by boat. Many visitors travel by sailboat, spend some time here and then continue their journey. If you do not have such a possibility, you can fly by plane to Great Harbour Cay Airport (GHC) and rent a boat from there. With a little research, it is possible to find a fisherman or boat owner who will take you to the island.
Our journey took about 1 hour by jetski. Since we set off at the time when the waters started to rise, we were able to make a smooth journey except for a few shallow reefs. But the way back will not be so easy.
What makes Hoffman’s Cay so special, apart from its white beaches and turquoise waters, is the BlueHole, which is 180 meters wide and about 9 to 12 meters deep, located right in the heart of the island.
They are usually formed when islands of limestone dissolve and collapse with acidic groundwater. These and similar blue holes are natural wonders that you can see in different parts of the world. The water in BlueHole is a combination of fresh water from the island and ocean water. For this reason, the water temperature is similar to the ocean, so the average temperature is around 25C to 28C.
After reaching the island, you need to take a small walk to the center of the island towards BlueHole. If you don’t have a friend accompanying you, don’t worry because plenty of mosquitoes will not leave you alone on the island.
After a short walk through the dense bushes, you will come across an incredibly beautiful bluehole. The first activity to do is to put your belongings aside and jump off the slope about 10 meters high and cool off.
Although this place is not very suitable for scuba diving, it is very suitable for swimming and snorkeling.
When you stand in the middle of the BlueHole and look around, you feel like you are in a different world. Apart from the white beaches behind the hillside, there is a lush green forest. After swimming and having fun with the sounds of Caribbean bird species echoing in the BlueHole, it’s time to go back before the waters start to recede.
The changing water levels every 8 hours create new small islands in shallow spots, so while we thought we had to be very careful, we realized that we were actually a little late. We have to go around Great Harbour Cay, which is a little deeper, not the way we came from, and we will have to travel slower and more carefully because the wavelength is higher in the open sea.
The best time to visit Hoffman’s Cay is between May and September. The weather is more predictable and it is a drier season so you can travel more pleasantly. If you are looking for a more convenient time to visit Hoffman’s Cay, I would say April-May or September-October are the best times.
I hope one day you will come to this beautiful geography and benefit from the information in this article.
Thank You
