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Columbus Island real name San Salvador a.k.a. Watlings
island.
The island is about 1 hour flight away from Nassau , which is the capital of the
Bahamas.There are about 800 inhabitants on the island and only 2 hotels.One of these is
Club Med Columbus Island |
The Club Med was built for the 400 year anniversary of the discovery of the USA. Every
year they hold the so called discovery day .This all inclusive resort has been rated as
Best Dive resort / operation in 1997 by Rodale's Scuba readers choice.
Upon arrival at the airport of San Salvador you are taken your hotel by a 3 minute bus
ride.But don't panic. The only time planes are landing is when people leave or arrive at
the Club Med .
| At the airport you can see a unique traffic sign.The road around the
island crosses the airstrip. So people driving on this road have to stop and look for
planes coming n or taking off. There is only one traffic light on the whole
island ,and it's not even operational. It belongs to the local junk yard annex boat wharf.
After all there are only about 80 cars on the whole island. |
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The club consists of a central building that holds the theatre , bar ,reception and
excursion desk , bank and main restaurant. At the left perimeter of the terrain there is a
second building called the SeaCentre which holds the Scuba shack , doctor office , gym , 2
more restaurants and the Disco.
View from the main hall to the pool |
One of the Bar's ( there is one inside as well) |
The Sea center |
Poolside bar |
Media Luna restaurant at the SeaCentre |
The resort map as wallpainting |
| Despite the fact that the vegetation on the island is not so plentiful as
other islands of the Bahamas , the club Med has succeeded in creating a tropical garden.
In these gardens are the guest bungalows. All of them , except the singles rooms have a
view to the ocean. Every day a sprinkler systems makes share the garden looks as
green and nice as can be. Nice pathways have been put down that connect all buildings on
the site. |
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The architects who designed the site traveled for one year around the
world to find the decorations and artifacts used to create the Club atmosphere. Everywhere
you look you can see artworks ,sculptures ad statues from all over the world |
 
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The club offers 3 restaurants. The main restaurant offers 3 meals a day
all of them in buffet style. The evening buffet is based on a certain theme and cycles
every week. Thursday is Fish , Friday is Tex-Mex , Saturday is Club Med , Sunday is
continental , Monday is French , Tuesday is Asian , etc ...
Besides this you can , in the evening , also opt to eat at one of the two other
restaurants on the domain. One is a grill and the other an Italian. A simple call to
the reception is sufficient to book a seat.
As is usual in any club Med , Wine beer and other beverages are completely free during
lunchtime.
The buffet offers everything form 20 different entrees to 15 main dishes and , mix and
match type of food. Desserts are also plenty . |
Excursions.
Numerous things are possible You ca take a trip to Nassau , island tour and others
Sports :
Diving ,surfing ,kayak , sailing ,snorkeling ,water-ski , swimming , horseback riding ,
volleyball ,tennis , etc . plenty of those.
Diving :
This resort has been given the readers choice awards of 1997 in Rodale's scuba
magazine.
They have 3 diving boats each capable of holding about 40 divers .There are about 50
dive locations that are frequented. by the boats. The locations cycle on a weekly basis
and also on season basis. In the morning a boat leaves at 8 and one at 8.30 they go to
completely different locations. If you stay 2 weeks you can do the two boats ,seven days
at 2 locations per day. that makes 28 different sites !. If you still haven't had enough a
third boat is leaving the dock around 2.15 PM. this is a one tank dive . So you can do a
total of 3 dives a day ( tables or computer permitting) Once a week they have a nightdive.
On this occasion the Media luna restaurant is reserved for the divers , so they can have a
late dinner.
It is a good advice to take some Vaseline if you are going to do the nightdive. There
is lots of jellyfish in the water. A full suit and hood are preferable. You can put
Vaseline on bare skin to prevent the stingers from hitting you.
 My favorites are
Dr John's , La crevasse , Telephone Pole ( for the friendly grouper) and the
Amphitheater.There are numerous caverns ,swim-thru's an beautiful coral heads. The fish
life is abundant. Lot's of turtles can be seen. |
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For great pictures you need to go to telephone pole. There is a big Nassau
grouper called Frankie which hangs out there. He let's you pet him and follows you
around.A professional photographer goes out on the boat twice a week. The grouper is so
used to this that the photographer can order him to perform tricks. He comes up to you and
wait until the flash goes off. Then he heads back to the photographer. |
| The club also offers an island tour. This takes you by bus all the way
round the island. You visit places that have played a role in the islands history . You
have a stop at Columbus landfall monument. Although a number of islands dispute the right
to be the place where Columbus first set foot on his journey to America , this island is
be believed to be the one and only. A number of scientists have traced the route and
studied the description Columbus gives of the island, and this one matches the most to the
notes of Christopher Columbus. |
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Dixon Hill lighthouse ( one of the few oil light lighthouses left in the
world ). It is also the highest lookout point on the island. The lighthouse flashes 2
times every 25 seconds and can be seen from a long distance. When you go out on the
nightdive you can see the beam sweep by.
The lighthouse uses petroleum for fuel . It has a twin lens floating on a bath of
mercury. A clockwork mechanisms makes it turn. There are two lighthouse keepers. One for
the first half of the night , one for the second. They have to wind the clockwork about
every two hours. On the excursion you visit the tower and have a nice view over the east
side of the island. |
 visit the Club Med
site www.clubmed.com
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