Cat Island Beach House Vacation Rentals

Legendary Monsters

When you first look at Cat Island, you are sure to notice the dreamy beach atmosphere at places like New Bight Beach. But in addition to pristine beaches and beautiful water near your Cat Island beach house, you'll also find local lore haunting the various watering holes. Boiling Point is a tidal lake with bubbling water that locals ascribe to the presence of a sea monster in the caverns below the lake. When the water rushes into the cavern system, you can see a whirlpool form. Jaques Cousteau explored the caverns, though, and only found manta rays and baby sharks; the bubbling water is actually caused by tidal conditions.

Other monsters are said to live in "holes" around the island. Great Lake, also called Mermaid Hole, is said to be home to mermaids living amongst the four-bed holes that lead to underground caverns and passageways. And Big Blue Hole has caverns leading to the ocean with strong undercurrents that drag the prey of the resident horse-eating monster out to sea. Many more colorful local stories surround the points of interest near Cat Island beach house properties.

When you're ready to see some regular monsters, the south side of Cat Island is a great place for oceanic whitetip shark diving in the spring. You might see Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, great hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, silky sharks, dusky sharks, blue sharks, and whale sharks. You'll also see a variety of vibrant sea life surrounding the reef.

Historic Figures

We already mentioned Arthur Catt and Jaques Cousteau as notable figures who once visited Cat Island. In addition, the famed priest and architect John Hawes (or Father Jerome) retired to the Bahamas as a hermit and built two structures on Cat Island: The Hermitage, a monastery on Mount Alvernia, and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in the settlement of Old Bight. The Hermitage is a particularly attractive spot, as it offers a 360-degree view of the island and all of its charms. And Columbus point, on the southern point of the island, was so named for the local tradition that Christopher Columbus first landed here, as opposed to San Salvador.

The local Cat Islanders are impressive in their own right. Many island residents farm and fish, living sustainably off the land. When you join the quiet Cat Island community in a Cat Island beach house, you become a part of this rich tradition.