Long Island Bahamas (Clarence Town, Calypso Cove)

Long Island (Bahamas) is an island and a Bahamian district with capital Clarence Town (south-central location). The island has length approx 80 mi (130 km), max-width 4 mi (6 km), land area approx 230 mi2 (600 km2) and total population around 3,000. Clarence Town's permanent residents are under 100.

Long Island is approx 110 mi / 175 km to the south of Half Moon Cay (Carnival’s private Bahamian island) and approx 165 mi (265 km) southeast of the country's capital city Nassau (New Providence Island).

The island's scenery is marked by steep rocky headlands (on the northeastern coast) and wide, soft-sand beaches (on the southwestern coast). To the west of Clarence Town is located Dean's Blue Hole -  world's second-deepest underwater sinkhole (after South China Sea's hole / 300 m) with depth ~660 ft (~200 m). The coastal scenery is highlighted by small bays, scenic inlets and offshore cays (small islands). One main road runs north-south - from Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort (Galliot Cay) to Gordon's Settlement (Gordon's Beach). On-island transportation is limited to taxis.

Long Island's economy is based on tourism, commercial fishing and export-oriented cattle farming (pigs, chickens, goats, sheep). Tourism-related activities include sail boating, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, freediving (at Dean's Blue Hole). Cape Santa Maria Beach is ranked as one of the world's most beautiful.

Most tourists arrive via small plane charters or via commercial flights from Exuma Airport (Great Exuma Island, northwest of George Town) or directly from Nassau. On Long Island are located two airports serving domestic flights only - Deadman's Cay Airport (Bahamasair) and Stella Maris Airport (Pineapple Air, Southern Air Charter).

Crystal Serenity ship's summer 2021 schedule (July 3 through November 7) included a total of 38x voyages with roundtrip departures from both Nassau and North Bimini Island (Bailey Town).

Next table shows the 7-night/8-day Nassau roundtrip itinerary (named "LUXURY BAHAMAS ESCAPE") as call ports and times.

Prices started from USD 2000 per person (EUR 1680 / GBP 1445 pp) with double occupancy.

Long Island was also included in the 2022's schedule of the superyacht SeaDream 2. Next table shows the 7-day itinerary from Puerto Rico to Florida USA.

(NEW) Calypso Cove cruise port and resort

In October 2022, The Bahamian Government signed an agreement for building a new cruise port on Long Island. Located on Long Island's southern tip (to the south of Clarence Town), Calypso Cove will be developed on a 200-hectare/500-acre land which rights are already secured by Azul Destinations (travel company part of Azul Brazilian Airlines) from the private landowner.

The budgeted USD 250 million (~GBP 220M) project will result in Calypso Cove Bahamas (a luxury resort and cruise ship port) to be constructed and managed by a consortium of Azul Destinations (Brazil) and Calypso Cove Destinations (an independent developer).

The new cruise port will feature a docking area with a double-sided pier, capable to handle simultaneously two of the world's largest passenger ships (RCI-Royal Caribbean's OASIS-class), with max daily passenger capacity ~13000. The developers estimate that Calypso Cove could receive up to 0,75-1 million cruise tourists annually.

There are government plans for improving Long Island's Deadman's Cay Airport, in order to make it easier for both domestic and international tourists to arrive by air. Currently, Deadman's Cay Airport serves two Bahamian airlines (Bahamasair and Southern Air Charter) for domestic flights linking to Stella Maris (Long Island), Nassau and San Salvador Island (Cockburn Town Airport).

The lagoon-based infrastructure development project also includes the construction of a 200-room boutique hotel, an 18-hole golf course, a casino, a large waterpark, dining facilities, bars, retail shops, live entertainment, beaches (with over-water cabanas and popular watersports activities), nature trails, as well as a premium boat marina facilities allowing berthing of mega-yachts.

The project is managed by Carlos Torres de Navarra (former VP of Global Port & Destination Development for Carnival Corporation).

Construction works on the new Calypso Cove cruise port and resort are planned to start in 2023 December of 2024 January. The project's Phase I will offer employment for ~300 Bahamians. Once completed, the facility will employ and provide business to thousands of Bahamians.

Calypso Cove Cruise Port would add a new private Caribbean island destination close to the largest American cruise homeports (in Florida), for more diverse short roundtrips/mini-cruises from the USA. It is expected Calypso Cove to be included in 3-4-day voyages (also visiting the nearby Grand Turk, approx 280 mi/450 km to the southeast) and as a third call port in 5-day itineraries visiting The Bahamas (Nassau plus a private island).