Cable Beach (New Providence Island)--The glittering shoreline of Cable Beach has easy access to shops, casinos, restaurants, water sports, and bars. It's a sandy 4-mile-long strip, with a great array of facilities and activities.

Cabbage Beach (Paradise Island)--Think Vegas in the tropics. It seems as if most of the sunbathers dozing on the sands here are recovering from the previous evening's partying. It's likely to be crowded near the megahotels, but you can find a bit more solitude on the beach's isolated northwestern extension (Paradise Beach), which is accessible only by boat or on foot. Lined with palms, sea grapes, and casuarinas, the sands are broad and stretch for at least 2 miles.

Xanadu Beach (Grand Bahama Island)--Grand Bahama has 60 miles of sandy shoreline, but Xanadu Beach is most convenient to Freeport's resort hotels, several of which offer shuttle service to Xanadu. There's more than a mile of white sand and (usually) gentle surf. Don't expect to have Xanadu to yourself, but if you want more quiet and privacy, try any of the beaches that stretch from Xanadu for many miles in either direction.

Tahiti Beach (Hope Town, the Abacos)--Since the beach is so isolated at the far end of Elbow Cay Island, you can be sure that only a handful of people will ever visit these cool waters and white sands. The crowds stay away because you can't drive to Tahiti Beach: To get there, you'll have to walk or ride a rented bike along sand and gravel paths from Hope Town. You can also charter a boat to get there, which isn't too hard, since the Abacos are the sailing capital of The Bahamas.

Pink Sands Beach (Harbour Island)--Running the entire length of the island's eastern side, these pale pink sands stretch for 3 miles past a handful of low-rise hotels and private villas. A coral reef protects the shore from breakers, making for some of the safest swimming in The Bahamas.

Ten Bay Beach (Eleuthera)--Ten Bay Beach lies a short drive south of Palmetto Point, just north of Savannah Sound. Once upon a time, the exclusive Cotton Bay Club chose to build here for a good reason; there may not be any facilities here, but since the hotel has closed, the white sands and turquoise waters are even more idyllic and private.

Saddle Cay (the Exumas)--Most of the Exumas are oval-shaped islands strung end to end like the links of a 130-mile chain. One notable exception is Saddle Cay, with a horseshoe-shaped curve near the Exumas's northern tip. It can be reached only by boat. Once you reach it, you'll find an unspoiled setting without a trace of the modern world and lots of other cays and islets where you can play Robinson Crusoe for a few hours.

Stocking Island (the Exumas)--One of the finest white sandy beaches in The Bahamas lies off Elizabeth Harbour, the main harbor of the archipelago, close to the capital of George Town. A mile from the little town of George Town, Stocking Island is easily accessible by boat from Elizabeth Harbour. The sands of this offshore island are rarely crowded, and snorkelers and divers love to explore its gin-clear waters. In addition to its beach of powdery white sand, Stocking Island is known for its "blue holes" and for its coral gardens and undersea caves.

Cat Island's Beaches--The white sandy beaches ringing this island are pristine, opening onto crystal-clear waters and lined with coconut palms, palmettos, and casuarina trees--and best of all, you'll practically have the place to yourself. One of our favorite beaches here, near Old Bight, has a beautiful, lazy curve of white sand. Another fabulous beach lies 3 miles north of New Bight, site of the Fernandez Bay Village resort. This curvy white sandy beach is set against a backdrop of casuarinas, and is idyllic and unusually tranquil. A final good beach is the long, sandy stretch that opens onto Hawk's Nest Resort and Marina on the southwestern side. None of the Cat Island beaches has any facilities (bring anything you need from your hotel), but they do have peace and quiet and seclusion.

Grand Bahama Island--The island is ringed with reefs, and dive sites are plentiful, including the Wall, the Caves (site of a long-ago disaster known as Theo's Wreck), and Treasure Reef. Other popular dive sites include Spit City (yes, that's right), Ben Blue Hole, and the Rose Garden (no one knows how this one got its name). What makes Grand Bahama Island a cut above the others is the presence of a world-class dive operator, UNEXSO (the Underwater Explorer's Society; tel. 888/365-3483 or 242/373-1250).

Andros--Marine life abounds in the barrier reef off the coast of Andros, which is one of the largest in the world and a famous destination for divers. The reef plunges 6,000 feet to a narrow drop-off known as the Tongue of the Ocean. You can also explore mysterious blue holes, formed when subterranean caves fill with seawater, causing their ceilings to collapse and exposing clear, deep pools.

Bimini--Although Bimini is most famous for its game fishing, it boasts excellent diving too. Three miles of offshore reefs attract millions of colorful fish. Even snorkelers can see black coral gardens, blue holes, and an odd configuration on the sea floor that is reportedly part of the lost continent of Atlantis (a fun legend, at any rate). Divers can check out the wreck of a motorized yacht, the Sapona (owned by Henry Ford), which sank in shallow waters off the coast in 1929.

Eleuthera--In addition to lovely coral and an array of colorful fish, divers can enjoy some unique experiences here, such as the "Current Cut," an exciting underwater gully that carries you on a swiftly flowing underwater current for 10 minutes. Four wrecked ships also lie nearby, at depths of less than 40 feet, including a barge that was transporting the engine of a steam locomotive in 1865, reportedly after the American Confederacy sold it to raise cash for its war effort.

Long Island (the Southern Bahamas)--Snorkeling is spectacular on virtually all sides of the island. But experienced divers venturing into deeper waters offshore can visit underwater cages to feed swarms of mako, bull, and reef sharks. Dive sites abound, including the Arawak "green hole," a blue hole of incomprehensible depth.

Cable Beach Golf Course (New Providence Island; tel. 242/327-6000)--The oldest golf course in The Bahamas, this par-72 green was the private retreat of British expatriates in the 1930s. Today, it's managed by a corporate namesake of Arnold Palmer and owned by Cable Beach casino marketers. Small ponds and water traps heighten the challenge, amid more than 7,000 yards of well-maintained greens and fairways. Despite these assets, however, we still prefer the competition: the Paradise Island Golf Club and the South Ocean Golf Course.

Paradise Island Golf Club (Paradise Island; tel. 242/363-3925)--Dick Wilson designed this 18-hole, par-72 course, which has completed a renovation to upgrade its clubhouse and facilities. It's not as challenging as the South Ocean Golf Course, but it has its own pitfalls, including the world's largest sand trap and water hazards (the Atlantic Ocean) on three sides. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player have endorsed this course. For the best panoramic ocean view (good enough to take your mind off your game), play the par-3 14th hole, which has been dubbed "the cocoa plum."

The Resorts at Bahamia (Grand Bahama Island; tel. 242/350-7000)--This megaresort offers two golf courses, Bahama's Ruby and Bahama's Emerald, both of which are par 72, with rolling, sandy terrain. Both of these courses were designed by Dick Wilson, but they're not as challenging as the South Ocean Golf course.