San Salvador Island, the exposed peak of a submerged mountain that reaches 15,000 feet to the ocean floor, is one of the easternmost islands of The Bahamas archipelago. It is 12 miles long, five miles wide and has a population of approximately 1,000 residents.
The island is home to many monuments, ruins, and shipwreck sites that directly reflect its rich history. It has miles of pristine and secluded beaches, and an emerald-blue sea of such sparkling clarity that divers have visibility of up to 150 feet. Sparkling lakes cover the interior of the island and many relics of Loyalist days can be found.
The pace of life here has changed little over the centuries and today San Salvador is the ultimate escape. Cockburn Town (pronounced Co-burn) is the main settlement and is home to a large white-washed Catholic Church and an interesting museum, filled with historical artifacts dating back to Lucayan Indian days.
Christopher Columbus made his first landfall on San Salvador Island during his historic voyage to the New World. Four separate monuments mark the exact spot where he came ashore on October 12, 1492. However, it is generally regarded that he landed at Long Bay, where a big stone cross now stands. Called Guanahani by the native Lucayan Indians, Columbus renamed the island San Salvador or "Holy Saviour," noting in his journal: "The beauty of these islands surpasses that of any other and as much as the day surpasses the night in splendour."
The island was taken over by British buccaneer George Watling, and he renamed San Salvador Island after himself (Watling Island). It wasnt until 1925 that the island name was restored to its original.
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