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Population: approximately
1,000.
Capital: Cockburn
Town
Language: English
Geography: San
Salvador lies 200 miles southeast of Nassau, New Providence.
63 square miles on top of a mountain peak with a debt of
15,000 feet to the ocean floor.. It lies 40 miles southeast
of Port Howe in Cat Island and 22 miles northeast of Rum
Cay.
Time Zone: Eastern
Standard Time
Currency: The
legal tender is the Bahamian dollar (B$1), which is equivalent
in value to the US dollar. Both US and Bahamian dollars
are accepted interchangeably throughout the islands. Travelers
Checks and Credit Cards (credit cards not accepted at gas
stations) are also accepted. There are ATM's available at
the banks in San Salvador.
Economy:
There is not much action going on in San Salvador. Many
of the islanders fly to Nassau for jobs. Those on the island
are mainly involved in tourism or small scale farming.
Nationality: Bahamian
Medical:
There is one San Salvador Medical Clinic north of Club med.
No tropical diseases exist on the island. There is a little
poison oak on the Bahamian islands.
Entry Requirements:
Passports required.
Driving:
Bahamian's drive on the left side of the road (remember:
right is left). There is one main road that runs all the
way around the island.
Electricity:
120/240 volts, suitable for all US appliances.
Getting
to San Salvador...
Airports: San Salvador Airport
Take Bahamasair from Nassau.
Mailboats:
MV Lady Fransis $60 one way.
Marinas:
Riding Rock Inn Resort and Marina. 242-331-2631
Where to
stay: There are two accomodations to stay in on the
island, Club Med, and Riding Rock Inn. Riding Rock Inn has
seen better days. In the olden days the islanders used to
wear ties and suits to attend the restaurant. Now it is
more suitable for cut off shorts and thong shoes. Club Med
is pretty expensive compared to hotels on the other islands.
AKA: San Salvador
is also known as Guanahani.
Riding Rock Inn shown above
Bar are Riding Rock Inn shown above |
Drinking
Water: Most homes have sisterns which collect rain water
in a tank underground or above ground when it rains. Most
sisterns are made of cement or plastic. It's always good
to conserve the use of water when staying in the Bahamas
as it can run out if it does not rain for awhile.
Weather
in San Salvador: Click here for weather in the Bahamas
Highest Point San Salvador:
120 feet
Area (Sq Miles) of San Salvador:
63 sq miles
Known by many names:
- "Guanahani" by the Lucayan
Indians.
- "Landfall of Columbus"
and
- Collumbus namde it "San Salvador"
meaning "Holy Saviour"
- When Captain John Watlings a British
pirate took over the island he renamed it after himself,
"Watlings Island". In 1925 the name San Salvador
was restored.
Lakes: There is a "great Lake" connecting
all the principal settlements stretching the entire length
of the island at 10 miles long and 2 miles wide and 16 feet
deep at the deepest point.
Attractions:
- New world Museum
- watlings Castle
- Bahamian Field station (centre
for research in archaeology, biology, geology and marine
sciences.
- A burried treasure was recently
discovered here and the ownership is presently being determined
by the courts.
About Columbus Landings: There
was a development of land lots on a pristine golf course
in the 1970's called Columbus Landings. After the lots were
sold off, the golf course was left to rot as the previous
owners took the money they made off the lots and ran. What
remains are the people who purchased the lots and still
love them for their beautiful beaches and wonderful views.
Unfortunately, the sand beaches shift tremendously in San
salvador so some of the people who purchased lots on the
beach now own a lot in the water itself. Columbus Landing
does have 2 home owners associations which meet on a regular
basis.
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