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DAY THREE:HAVE A MORNING DETOX. Start with some waterfront zen at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat’s 8 a.m. outdoor class, followed by a vegetarian buffet. (sivananda bahamas.org)

FIND YOUR SUN SPOT. Squeeze in maximum beach time at Cable Beach, just ten minutes from the airport, then quench your thirst with fresh fruit drinks at the locally run favorite Daiquiri Shack. (West Bay Street)

PARTY ON THE SAND. Flock to happening Junk-anoo Beach (1) to bask among fellow spring break-ers, cruise day-trippers, and local families enjoying a delicious cookout. (West Bay Street)

BE A HIGH ROLLER. Get all dolled up for din-ner at the Atlantis’s Café Martinique, an homage to the original that appeared in the 1965 James Bond film, Thunderball. Then test your luck at the seven- acre casino before ending the night on the glass dance floor at Aura Nightclub. (atlantisbahamas.com)

TAKE ONE PART TRANSLUCENT BLUE WATERS (so clear you can see up to 200 feet in the distance). Add an

equal part warm island breeze (springtime highs are in the 80s). Mix in your besties, and you’ve got the ingre-dients for an Instagram-perfect friends weekend in the Bahamas. Depending on your mood and energy level, choose from these three itineraries to best navigate the country’s 700 islands, just an hour’s flight from Miami.By R AC H E L C H A N G

Pick Your Paradise

DAY ONE:SIP FINE WINE. Kick off your trip Friday after-noon at Graycliff Hotel’s five-star restaurant for its wine-and-cheese pair-ing, including a tour of its famed cellar with 250,000 bottles from around the globe. (graycliff.com)

SHOP HANDCRAFTED TREASURES. Stroll over to the Straw Market and have multigenerational artisans hand-plait your custom hat, bag, or doll. (Bay Street)

TRY A FOOD CRAWL . Soak in the culture at Arawak Cay (2) as you hop from food stands to bus-tling restaurants and bars, enjoying local Bahamian cuisine like conch fritters and drinks like Kalik beer. (off West Bay Street)

DAY T WO:DO A LITTLE SOCIAL GOOD. Pay it forward at Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Centre’s volunteer days, every sec-ond and fourth Saturday, where you can help pre-pare the nesting area for the marching flamingos. (ardastra.com)

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IF YOU WANT TO: MIX AND MINGLEGO TO: NASSAU/PAR ADISE ISL ANDWith 70 percent of the Bahamian population on its 80 square miles, Nassau/Paradise Island is the prime spot to interact with both locals and fellow tourists.

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DAY ONE:BEACHCOMB YOUR HEART OUT. From Elizabeth Harbour, take a five-minute boat ride to Stocking Island for an afternoon chilling on the powder white beaches, snorkeling in blue holes and coral gardens, and collecting shells. (Stocking Island Beach)

SAMPLE ISLAND SPECIALTIES. Settle in at Chat ’N’ Chill, where you can watch the chef in action for the Make ’N’ Eat Conch Salad and feed scraps to stingrays that hover around the shore-front restaurant. Then raise a glass of the Bahamian cocktail Goombay Smash, made with owner Kenneth “KB” Bowe’s secret recipe, as you take in the idyllic view. (chatnchill.com)

DAY T WO:SWIM WITH SWINE. Book an Ocean Safari tour with Exuma Water Sports. You’ll search for endan-gered Bahamian rock igua-nas, starfish, and sand sharks—and then splash around with the swimming pigs at Pig Beach (2) for about 40 minutes. (exuma watersports.com)

VISIT A SECLUDED BEACH. Drive south of George Town to the island’s longest stretch of sand, the Tropic of Cancer Beach—where you can stand your ground on the landmark latitude. (Queen’s Highway, William’s Town)

GO TO THE ULTIMATE SAND BAR. Continue down Queen’s Highway to the waterfront Santanna’s Bar & Grill for its famous cracked conch. Past guests are even more famous—Johnny Depp frequented the spot while filming the Pirates of the Caribbean series. (William’s Town)

DAY THREE:DISCOVER THE LIFE AQUATIC. Explore the 13,440-acre Moriah Harbour Cay National Park through a tour like Off Island Boat Tours’ Sandbar Snorkel Safari (1), which follows turtles through mangroves that are home to baby crabs, crawfish, and groupers. (offisland boattours.com)

TASTE FRESH CATCH. Top off your visit at Shirley’s Seafood Restaurant in the Fish Fry cluster for coconut grouper and crab cakes, along with its top-selling drink, the Shirley Breeze. (George Town) 1

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IF YOU WANT TO: ISL AND - HOPGO TO: THE EXUMAS

With 365 islands and not a single traffic light, the Exumas begin about 35 miles southeast of Nassau yet feel like an entirely different world with their empty beaches, unique wildlife, and exotic atmosphere.

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DAY ONE:TROT IN THE SURF. Take a ten-minute water taxi from mainland Eleuthera to Harbour Island, home of Pink Sand Beach. Hop on a horse and prance through the soft blue waves as pastel col-ors envelop you from every direction. (Harbour Island)

POP BY LEGENDARY INSTITUTIONS. Swing by Ma Ruby’s, which claims to have inspired Jimmy Buffett’s 1978 hit “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” for an amaz-ing burger. Wash it down with the “World’s Largest Coconut” at Vic-Hum Club before dancing on the sand dance floor at Gusty’s Night Club (1). (Harbour Island)

DAY T WO:GO OFF-ROADING. Head south for Eleuthera Adventure Tours’ Dune Buggy trip to Lighthouse Beach. Then hike the path to the lighthouse for a stunning shot. (eleuthera adventuretours.com)

HANG AT A BAT CAVE. Turn back north on Queen’s Highway and stop at Ten Bay Cave, home to two colonies of leaf-nosed bats. (Savannah Sound)

ENJOY INFINITY DINING. At Pascal’s Ocean Front Seafood Restaurant Bar & Grill, you can eat in the dining room or jump into the infinity pool with a swim-up bar. (pascalsoceanfront.com)

DAY THREE:SEE THE MAGICAL TROPICAL FIELDS. Visit the Eleuthera Pineapple Farm for its picturesque quarter-mile tour. Or, if you’re visit-ing from May 31 through June 3, celebrate the Pineapple Festival with cooking and eating con-tests and tons of other themed activities. (Gregory Town)

IF YOU WANT TO: STAY ACTIVEGO TO: ELEUTHER A

With its upscale New England vibe contrasted with endless pineapple fields,

Eleuthera and adjacent Harbour Island paint a sophisticated background for a weekend

packed with wild exploration.

TAKE A ROYAL SOAK. Just south of the Glass Window Bridge sit the beautiful natural pools called the Queen’s Bath. Wade through the crashing waves, then kick back and relax in a tidal pool warmed naturally by the Bahamian sun. (Gregory Town)

ELEUTHERA, BAHAMAS

$300 PER NIGHT

AIRBNB.COM/ ROOMS/2844921

B O O K T H I S L I S T I N G

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