NASSAU/PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS

Home to over half of the Bahamian population, Nassau brings to mind many things to many people. To some, it is the fine sand that ribbons the coast—so pure that it makes some think of baby powder, how smooth and white it is. To others, gambling comes to the fore, as the Bahamas are known for their world-class casinos. Others dream of their retirement in a colonial island paradise whose government increasingly recognizes that its inherent beauty is its economic strength. Yet for others, thoughts turn back to the 1980s, the days of the illegal substance cowboys exemplified by Don Johnson, Phillip Michael Thomas and the TV show "Miami Vice,"—the modern-day smugglers in high-speed chases from the American mainland to The Bahamas, as well as romance on the high seas. All this makes for a plethora of water sports and activities, superb shopping, excellent historic sites and a hopping nighttime scene.

But of course, the island of Nassau is so much more, it is an antidote for people needing relief from the day-to-day hassles and stress of life in the "real world", where the concern is not which reef to visit... more