The Paths at Our Lucaya

By Brooke Cunningham

Entering my room to find a large luxurious living room, two large beds and a yellow hand blown glass plate full of treats for a weary traveler on the sideboard and the setting sun filling it all with orange light. Through the glass doors and beyond the balcony tall palms waved lazily in the evening breeze between twinkling fresh water pools bordered by a sparkling turquoise ocean that followed the wide white beach that separated them. Paths wandered through gardens, pools and trees, carefully lighted and just begging to be followed. This is Lighthouse Point at Our Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island.

I was thinking on the flight over that I might find this brand new resort too crowded due to its easy access to Florida. With over 1300 beds, the place certainly could rock. But because of the careful design involved in creating Our Lucaya, it was jazzy and sociable where you would expect it to be, and serenely quiet where that was desirable. In fact, there were four different lifestyles represented on the 372 acres of beach front.

Lighthouse Point is tranquil and luxurious, with an impressive fitness center and rejuvenating spa in its center. Up the beach a quarter of a mile or so lies the Manner House which is used for conferences and business gatherings and has very elegant lanai right on the sand with 24 hour butler services.

Beyond that, Breakers Cay looks like a cruise ship ready for the exciting bustle of singles escaping their daily lives. Way up at the end of the resort Reef Village offers a wonderful family area, complete with suites containing a master bedroom, living room and bunk bed room for the kids. Camp Lucaya is there as well for parents who want to play golf or go out to dinner assured that the kids are safely having a very good time of their own.

Combined in this inclusive resort are 14 restaurants and lounges, three very distinctive freshwater swimming areas with multiple pools in each, a golf course, several outdoor hot tubs, and one of the nicest spas I have found bordered by the pristine beach with smooth water to the horizon. The varied preferences in vacation style were comfortably spaced with only paths to connect them.

Adults who want to be parents part of the day, lovers over an elegant dinner sans enfants later, perhaps followed by a bit of robust disco dancing and then a nightcap in white wicker rocking chairs on a wide verandah surrounded by soothing jazz and the gentle motion of the ocean will make good use of these paths as well.

One path leads to a rabbit warren of over 80 very sophisticated shops. Further beyond that is the Port Lucaya Marina. The buildings have a loose easter egg  colored organic arrangement to them, which leads to constant surprises around every corner.

From the fresh fruit stand which opens a fresh coconut for your mid day Pina colada to the H. R. Stern outlet, to the Givenchi and Rolex shops blended with hand silk screened clothing and Bahaman hand crafts of shell, woven grasses, wood and glass, it is exciting to explore. Prices are astonishing for gold, silver and gemstone jewelry, half of what I have seen in other places.

In the course of three nights, my friends and I followed the paths to three very different places for dinner. Under gently swaying palm trees, serving delicacies from all zones of the Pacific Rim is China Beach. Churchill’s Chophouse offers carefully selected cuts of beef, vintage wines and live music from the baby grand in the salon. I had prime rib which was carved tableside, and a baked artichoke with excellent red wine. Willy Broadleaf’s is all about being an adventurer. Diners can meander between a Mediterranean palace, and Egyptian open-air market, a Saharan buffet and a Mexican cafecita sampling foods from each region. I got happily lost among huge tapestries, shelters made of palm fronds, and columns of brightly colored tile each offering its own regional buffet.

Nightlife at Our Lucaya has as much variety at the end of each path as the dining. We went dancing at the Prop Club with its exotic lighting and curious blend of calypso and Jankanoo music. Our final evening found us sitting on big rocking chairs listening to live music and sipping island rum at Portobellos. Another evening ended with a bit of time spent at the Havana Cay Cigar Bar with its dark wood, leather chairs, fine cognac and soft jazz.

Our Lucaya is a masterful blend of differing vacation experiences at the end of each path. We found peaceful days, quiet dinners and long slow evenings. We also enjoyed running around in skiffs, playing with dolphins, sociable dinnersfollowed by noisy dancing into the wee hours.. Life is a wonderful mix of adventures along the paths at Our Lucaya.

Our Lucaya
Information 877.687.5822
Website: http://www.ourlucaya.com

To enter the Bahamas you need to have a driver’s license plus a birth certificate or a passport. There is a departure tax of $18.

Photos: http://www.coastalstories.com/lucaya/