Discovering West End’s Natural Charms and Local Flavor

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GRAND BAHAMA, BAHAMAS – West End is the best end. It’s a phrase I’ve heard for years when people talk about the Grand Bahamian settlement of West End. It’s known for producing countrymen and professional athletes, but one thing I didn’t know was just how unique the food culture and activities are.

Our escapade began at Paradise Cove, a rustic spot that sits on Deadman’s Reef Beach, where treasures of the ocean’s coral reefs hide just beneath the surface.

Guests can choose to kayak, paddleboard, or snorkel. Our choice? Snorkeling.

Before heading into the water, owner and manager of Paradise Cove Barry Smith gave us a quick briefing on the marine life we may encounter.

Barry Smith – Owner, Paradise Cove
“When you get here you can expect to see everything—turtles, stingrays, moray eel, you can see octopus, you can see crabs, you can actually see tarpon.”

Denielle Miller – Reporter, Our News
“We are done swimming amongst the coral and the turtles. Now it’s time for us to see the pigs.”

Our next stop: Celebrity Eco Adventures Limited, where “head honcho” pig Oreo leads the show in the popular swimming pigs activity.

Khadejah Thompson – Manager, Celebrity Eco Adventures Ltd.
“In 2013 we had only beach activities. We always had the food and bar; however, we just wanted, like I said, something unique and we saw that the swimming pigs excursion or attraction was something that was unique to the Bahamas as a whole, and we realized that Grand Bahama didn’t have something like that.”

And after hours of water-filled fun, it was time to eat.
We headed to Sherry’s on Da Westside for their iconic panni cake and pickled conch salad.

This was my first time trying the famous mix, and I’ll be honest, I’ll be back.