Ahh, the Bahamas. Whether you're after a decadent tropical beach holiday, a low-key eco-tourism getaway or a bona fide underwater adventure, the Bahamas is an evocative and idyllic destination.

An archipelago of more than 700 mostly uninhabited islands, the Bahamas stretches over 500 miles of warm, crystalline Caribbean Sea. Its name comes from the Spanish words, baja mar, which means shallow sea.