Bimini sits just 50 miles off the Florida coast, which makes it technically the closest Bahamian island to the United States. Spend an hour there and it feels nothing like it. Two slender islands, countless cays, water in shades that seem almost invented, and a pace of life that makes the mainland feel like a different planet. As a Virgin Voyages sailor, your day here centers around The Beach Club, but the island beyond it is worth knowing too.

The Beach Club: Virgin Voyages' Beach Club at Bimini. This is your home base for the day. A lagoon-style pool, private beach, complimentary food and non-alcoholic drinks, DJ-led afternoons, and a bonfire to close out the day. Private cabanas are available to book for those who want a more elevated setup, and they come with drink credit and attentive service.

The Marine Life: Bimini is a serious destination for divers and water sport enthusiasts. The waters around the island hold historic shipwrecks, healthy reef systems, and the chance to swim with wild stingrays. Shore excursions for all of the above can be booked in advance.

The Legend: The Bimini Road. Just offshore, a formation of large, flat limestone blocks sits on the ocean floor in a near-perfect J-shape. Discovered in 1968, some have theorized it as a remnant of the lost city of Atlantis. Scientists classify it as a natural geological formation. Either way, it is genuinely strange and absolutely worth a snorkel.

The Literary Connection: Ernest Hemingway spent significant time in Bimini during the 1930s, fishing, writing, and reportedly getting into bar fights. His novel Islands in the Stream was set here. The island takes this history seriously.

Sailor Tip: The Beach Club is complimentary for all sailors, but certain upgrades like cabanas and specialty drinks carry an additional cost. Book your cabana before departure if that is your style, as they sell out. If you want to explore beyond the club, the island is small enough to navigate independently and local operators near the pier offer tours and water excursions.

Bimini's earliest inhabitants were the Lucayan people, who were displaced after Spanish colonization in the early 1500s. The island later became a quiet outpost for Bahamian fishermen and spongers. Its profile shifted dramatically during Prohibition, when Bimini's proximity to Miami made it a convenient and lively stop for Americans looking to drink legally. Bootleggers, big game fishermen, and eventually celebrities made Bimini a destination. The island later gained international attention in the 1960s when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came here to write portions of his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, describing the island as a place of peace that helped him think clearly.