You open the door in the morning and the beach is right there. Three miles of white sand, no other guests, no hotels in the distance, just the water and the reef beyond it. That is what waking up in the Main House at Paradise Beach feels like, and once you have done it a few times it becomes very difficult to imagine going back to a normal holiday.
The Main House is the largest of the four villas that make up the Paradise Beach complex on South Andros Island in the Bahamas. It sleeps six adults comfortably across three double bedrooms and has everything you need to settle in properly: a big well-appointed kitchen, a spacious living room, two bathrooms including an en suite, and a porch that is genuinely one of the nicest places to sit on the island at any time of day.
Inside the House
Three double bedrooms sleeping up to six adults, one of which has its own en suite bathroom. The second bathroom is just down the hall. The kitchen is large and fully stocked with everything you need to cook properly if that is what you want to do. The living room is comfortable and genuinely spacious, with a big flat screen television. The porch runs along the front of the house and has good seating and unobstructed views toward the beach. Fast WiFi and air conditioning throughout.
The Beach and Shared Facilities
Guests of the Main House have full use of everything on the Paradise Beach complex. That starts with the beach itself, three miles of private white sand with tiki umbrellas and sun loungers already set up. A few minutes along the shore is the beachside cabana, open during the day and into the evening, and a relaxed atmosphere that somehow always ends up being exactly what you needed.
There is also an outdoor pool, a games room with table tennis and a bar for evenings, five bicycles, two kayaks, two paddleboards, and snorkelling gear for everyone. No extra charge for any of it.
If you would like someone to cook for you, a local chef can be arranged separately. The food is traditional South Andros cooking, a lot of fresh seafood, and very good.
Adventures Worth Arranging
The property is well connected to the best guides and operators on the island. Bonefishing on the famous South Andros flats, scuba diving on the barrier reef, blue hole tours on land and underwater, conch diving, deep sea sport fishing, and more. Just ask and it can be sorted out.
Getting There
South Andros is not the kind of place you stumble across. You choose it deliberately, and that's part of what makes it special. From the United States, the most direct route is a flight from Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) straight to Congo Town Airport (TZN) on South Andros. Southern Air Charter and Flamingo Air both operate this route and the flight takes around 50 minutes. Schedules vary by season so it's worth checking both carriers when you plan.
If you're travelling via Nassau, Bahamasair and other regional carriers run multiple daily connections between Nassau (NAS) and Congo Town. This works well if you want to spend a night in Nassau first or you're island-hopping from somewhere else in the Bahamas.
Groups and travellers who want total flexibility often come in by private charter. You can fly from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Nassau and land almost whenever suits you. Your host can point you toward reputable charter operators. Arriving by private boat is also an option if you're already in the area.
Once you touch down at Congo Town Airport you are a short drive from the property, usually between ten and twenty minutes depending on exactly where in Kemps Bay you are staying. Car rental is available on the island and your host can sort out a taxi or transfer if you need one. Having your own wheels is genuinely useful if you want to explore beyond the beach, but plenty of guests are happy just staying put.
What to Expect When You Arrive
South Andros is not a resort island and it does not pretend to be. There are no swim-up bars, no souvenir shops, no organised pool entertainment. What there is, is real. Miles of empty white sand beach where you will likely be the only people for as far as you can see. Water so clear you can watch fish moving in it from the shore. A pace of life that takes about half a day to fully sink into and the rest of your trip to not want to leave.
The reef here is one of the most spectacular in the world. The Andros Barrier Reef is the third largest on the planet and it runs for a hundred miles along the eastern shore of the island. Whether you snorkel or dive, what you find out there is pristine. Coral walls, swim-throughs, sea turtles, rays, and reef sharks. The Tongue of the Ocean sits just offshore too, a six thousand foot underwater canyon that draws in larger pelagic species and is one of the most exciting dive sites in the Caribbean.
The island is also home to more than two hundred blue holes, which is the highest concentration anywhere on earth. These are natural sinkholes, some inland and some offshore, formed when sea levels were much lower during the last ice age. Jacques Cousteau led an expedition here in the early 1970s. Some of them are perfect for snorkelling, others go deep enough that cave divers have never reached the bottom. Guided tours are available and very much worth doing.
Anglers come here from all over the world and have for decades. South Andros is considered the bonefishing capital of the world, and that reputation is completely deserved. The flats here are vast, lightly fished, and full of trophy-sized bonefish in the eight to ten pound range. Tarpon and permit are around too. Your host can connect you with the best local guides on the island.
Day to day life on South Andros is unhurried. There is a local grocery store, a restaurant or two, and a gas station within easy reach of most properties. It is worth bringing a few things with you from the mainland, especially if you have specific preferences, but you will not go without. The people here are warm and genuinely welcoming. You are far more likely to get a wave from a passing car than to encounter anything even resembling a tourist trap.
Practical Information
The Main House is a ten to twenty minute drive from Congo Town Airport. Car rental and taxi transfers can be arranged. Children are welcome.