Gold Rock Beach

As a bona fide Bahama beach bum fan, I recently had the opportunity to visit and enjoy Freeport’s Gold Rock Beach on Grand Bahama Island. It gets its name from the beautiful golden cast the rock off shore gets when the sun sets behind it. This off shore rock, Gold Rock, is surrounded by coral reefs. The beach by itself is beautiful and anchored by some of the highest dunes on the island, windswept casuarinas, and seagrapes. Resident hermit crabs and some friendly raccoons seemed to enjoy the beach as much as I did the day I visited. The beach is part of Lucaya National Park and though it is open to the public it was nearly deserted, giving it a serene private feel. There are a couple of walking trails (one through the mangrove swamp and the other via the creek) that make travel to the beach interesting and easy to access. The sea breeze when you finally reach the beach feels even better as you trade the humidity and hum of insects along the trails for the gentle sounds of waves lapping the white sand. Gold Rock Beach is a place you shouldn't miss if you get a chance to visit Grand Bahama Island, I know I look forward to returning there again.