They Come for a Quick Beach Stop. They Leave Having Found One of the Bahamas’ Last True Secrets.

Long Island is a 60-mile-long sliver of limestone and turquoise water that most Bahamas visitors sail right past on their way to Nassau. Calypso Cove, the small tender destination near Clarence Town on the island’s southeast coast, is a purpose-built beach enclave — but it’s surrounded by some of the most genuinely wild, uncrowded Bahamian landscape you’ll find anywhere in the archipelago. The single most important planning tip: tender operations here are weather-dependent and can be delayed — build buffer time into every plan.

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Port & Terminal Information

The tender port serving this destination is Calypso Cove, a private beach club and dock facility located near Clarence Town on Long Island’s eastern shore. You’ll arrive via tender from your ship, which typically anchors offshore in the protected bay. Calypso Cove itself has a beach bar, restrooms, lounge chairs, and basic water-sports rentals — but no ATMs, no luggage storage, and no tourist information desk beyond what the cove staff can offer.

The nearest ATM is in Clarence Town, roughly 2 miles away. Wi-Fi is available within the Calypso Cove beach area (ask staff for the password). You can check your terminal location on Google Maps before departure to orient yourself for independent exploring.

Tender queues can be long at peak disembarkation — aim to be in the tender line within the first 30 minutes of it opening if you plan to explore beyond the cove.

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Getting to the City

From Calypso Cove, reaching Clarence Town or the wider island requires a little effort — which is exactly why most passengers stay put. If you want to explore, here’s how it works:

On Foot — Clarence Town is approximately 2 miles from the cove along a paved road. It’s walkable in 35–40 minutes but exposed, hot, and there’s no sidewalk. Recommended only in the early morning or for fit walkers.
Bus/Metro — There is no public bus service on Long Island. This is not a bus destination.
Taxi — Local drivers meet tenders at the dock. Expect to pay $10–15 per person one-way to Clarence Town, or $60–80 for a 3–4 hour island tour for a group of 4. Negotiate the round-trip fare before you get in and confirm the pick-up time in writing on your phone.
Hop-On Hop-Off — No HOHO service operates on Long Island.
Rental Car/Scooter — No formal rental desks operate at the cove, but some guesthouses in Clarence Town rent cars for ~$80/day. Pre-arrange via your hotel if staying overnight. Not practical for a day visitor.
Ship Shore Excursion — Worth it here if you want guaranteed access to Dean’s Blue Hole or the north-end cliffs, since the ship organizes transport and holds the tender for your group. Browse guided options on Viator or GetYourGuide for vetted local operators.

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Top Things to Do in Long Island Bahamas, Clarence Town, Calypso Cove

Long Island rewards the curious — the cove is your comfortable base, but the real island is waiting just beyond it.

Must-See

1. Dean’s Blue Hole (free) — The world’s second-deepest known saltwater blue hole, plunging 663 feet into an electric-blue circle surrounded by white limestone cliffs. Freediving championships have been held here; you can simply float on the surface and feel genuinely awestruck. Located ~25 miles north of Clarence Town — take a taxi or book a guided tour on Viator. Allow 2–3 hours including transit.

2. St. Paul’s & St. Peter’s Churches, Clarence Town (free) — Two hilltop churches built by the same man — Father Jerome, a converted Anglican priest who became a Catholic monk. One Anglican, one Catholic, built decades apart on opposing hills. The views over the turquoise harbor are exceptional. Allow 45 minutes.

3. Father Jerome’s Hermitage (free) — The same monk who built Clarence Town’s churches later carved a hilltop hermitage out of limestone on Cat Island, but his legacy here is equally striking. The churches alone tell a story you won’t find in any other port. Self-guided; 30 minutes.

Beaches & Nature

4. Calypso Cove Beach (included with ship access) — The home base: calm, warm, shallow, with lounge chairs and a beach bar. It’s genuinely pretty, even if it’s managed. Perfect for families who don’t need anything else. All day if you want.

5. Cape Santa Maria Beach (free) — Consistently ranked among the top 10 beaches in the entire Bahamas, this 3-mile arc of powder-white sand and glass-calm water is in the island’s north. Hire a taxi for the day ($80–100 round-trip for a group). Allow a full afternoon.

6. Stella Maris & The Atlantic Side (free) — Cross the island’s narrow spine to the windward Atlantic coast and you’ll find dramatic wave-carved cliffs, blowholes, and rough surf in total solitude. 30-minute taxi ride from Clarence Town. Allow 1–2 hours.

7. Shark Reef, Rum Cay (nearby island) (tour pricing varies) — A short boat trip from Long Island, Rum Cay offers Caribbean reef shark dives with nearly zero tourist pressure. Check GetYourGuide for boat tours. Full-day excursion.

Day Trips

8. Deadman’s Cay Cave System (free–$10 guided) — Extensive inland cave system with stalactites and fossil shark teeth embedded in the walls. Local guides offer informal tours — ask at the Clarence Town dock. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Family Picks

9. Snorkeling off Calypso Cove (~$15–25 equipment rental) — The cove’s calm, clear water is ideal for first-time snorkelers. Equipment is available at the beach. Coral patches are within easy swimming distance. Allow 1–2 hours.

10. Blue Hole Swimming at Dean’s (free) — Kids are mesmerized by the color transition from aqua to deep blue. The shallow limestone ledge around the hole is safe for swimming and jumping. 2–3 hours including travel.

Off the Beaten Track

11. Grotto Bay Blue Hole (free) — Lesser-visited than Dean’s, this inland blue hole sits in a shallow lagoon accessible by a short walk through scrubland. You’ll likely have it entirely to yourself. Allow 1 hour plus transit.

12. Long Island Straw Market, Clarence Town (free to browse) — A handful of local vendors sell hand-woven straw goods and locally made hot sauce — small, genuine, unhurried. Allow 20–30 minutes.

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What to Eat & Drink

Long Island’s food scene is the Bahamas stripped of tourist polish — cracked conch, fresh snapper, and peas ‘n’ rice served from home kitchens and no-sign shacks. Most places take cash only and operate on island time, so build in extra time for meals.

Cracked Conch — battered and fried fresh-caught conch; the defining Bahamian dish. Order it anywhere in Clarence Town. $8–12.
Conch Salad — raw conch diced with peppers, citrus, and onion; best from roadside stands in Clarence Town. $6–10.
Grilled Snapper — whole local red snapper grilled over charcoal; ask locals which cook is serving that day. $12–18.
Peas ‘n’ Rice — slow-cooked pigeon peas with rice; served as a side everywhere. $3–5.
Kalik Beer — the national Bahamian lager; available at Calypso Cove beach bar and everywhere in town. $4–6.
Sky Juice — coconut water, gin, and sweet milk; a Bahamian beach drink worth trying once. $5–8 at the cove bar.
Calypso Cove Beach Bar — burgers, fish sandwiches, frozen drinks; convenient and decent. $10–18.

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Shopping

Clarence Town has no boutiques or souvenir shops worth a detour — and that’s part of its charm. What you’ll find is a small straw market with genuine handwoven goods, locally bottled hot sauce (a great $5–8 gift), and occasionally fresh-caught conch sold from coolers on the roadside. The straw work here is the real thing, not imported knock-offs.

Skip the generic Bahamas T-shirts and shell trinkets at the cove itself — they’re the same items sold in Nassau for twice the price. The hot sauce, straw baskets, and any locally made jams or preserves are the only purchases with a genuine Long Island story behind them.

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How to Plan Your Day

4 hours ashore: Tender in early, grab a lounge chair at Calypso Cove, snorkel the reef off the beach, have a Kalik at the bar, browse the cove’s small market. Relaxed, beach-focused, zero stress.
6–7 hours ashore: Tender in, take a taxi to Clarence Town (15 min, $12/person), walk the two hilltop churches, grab cracked conch from a local kitchen,

📍 Getting to Long Island Bahamas, Clarence Town, Calypso Cove

Use the interactive map below to explore the port area and plan your route from the terminal.