Lucayan National Park
Lucayan National Park
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
302 reviews
Excellent
194
Very good
67
Average
32
Poor
8
Terrible
1
Monica I
New York City, NY46 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
We decided the skip the expensive cruise excursions and go out on our own. We had to be back at the ship by 1, so we didn’t want to venture too far away. This ended up being a good choice.
In Freeport there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to walk to outside of the port area. Within the port area there are taxi drivers who will greet you and you can tell them where you want to go.
For $40 per person they took us to Lucayan National Park and Black Rock beach. Our driver stayed parked there the whole time so we could leave whenever we wanted to.
About a 30 minute drive, we got to a parking lot where we paid to get into the park. I don’t remember the exact breakdown but for 4 adults and one child (under 12) it was $50. The park was a short loop trail. Mostly flat (not wheelchair accessible) with stairs leading into the caves. The caves have viewing platforms - you’re not going to be wandering through, just looking. Bats, fish, pretty blue water. Along the trail were signs about the wildlife and trees. We saw butterflies and birds and lizards. I think we only spent about 20 minutes in that loop. I would have enjoyed more longer trails but it seems like that’s all there was.
We then walked right across the road to Black Rock beach. It was nearly empty with only one other family. Later 2 larger tour groups came through, but most of the time it was just the 2 small groups. The beach itself is truly beautiful and peaceful. Soft sand and perfect turquoise water. Little to no seaweed. Low tide meant plenty of space to stroll through shallow water. There was a local who was renting out chairs, though we chose not to. And selling food. Looked like he was setting up a grill. We bought a fresh coconut which he prepared for us to drink then then cut up for us to eat, and some chips.
When we were ready we just went back to the waiting cab driver and got back to port by around noon.
In Freeport there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to walk to outside of the port area. Within the port area there are taxi drivers who will greet you and you can tell them where you want to go.
For $40 per person they took us to Lucayan National Park and Black Rock beach. Our driver stayed parked there the whole time so we could leave whenever we wanted to.
About a 30 minute drive, we got to a parking lot where we paid to get into the park. I don’t remember the exact breakdown but for 4 adults and one child (under 12) it was $50. The park was a short loop trail. Mostly flat (not wheelchair accessible) with stairs leading into the caves. The caves have viewing platforms - you’re not going to be wandering through, just looking. Bats, fish, pretty blue water. Along the trail were signs about the wildlife and trees. We saw butterflies and birds and lizards. I think we only spent about 20 minutes in that loop. I would have enjoyed more longer trails but it seems like that’s all there was.
We then walked right across the road to Black Rock beach. It was nearly empty with only one other family. Later 2 larger tour groups came through, but most of the time it was just the 2 small groups. The beach itself is truly beautiful and peaceful. Soft sand and perfect turquoise water. Little to no seaweed. Low tide meant plenty of space to stroll through shallow water. There was a local who was renting out chairs, though we chose not to. And selling food. Looked like he was setting up a grill. We bought a fresh coconut which he prepared for us to drink then then cut up for us to eat, and some chips.
When we were ready we just went back to the waiting cab driver and got back to port by around noon.
Written 29 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SWF111111
Baltimore, MD1,495 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Visited in mid May 2023. This tour is quick and easy, with a couple very interesting spots. You don’t need a guide, just drive out and pay the entrance fee and read the plaques. We did a bit of reading up on the site before visiting. Head to Gold Rock Beach afterwards. Also, make sure you have plenty of gas in the car and bring food and drinks. There is nothing out in this area. It’s a fun thing to do!
Written 15 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa V
Flemington, NJ478 contributions
Jun 2021
Definitely worth a visit.. Caves, Burial Mounds of early Lucayan's The entrance fee was only $5.00 per person and children under 12 free. The restrooms are quite rustic. The Park is broken up into 2 sections. I recommend you do the "cave section" first then the "beach section" last. The caves house large colonies of harmless little bats. There are birds, butterflies and orchids as well as other plants and trees. There are signs with info on the flora and fauna. The trail is really short and won't take long at (15 to 20 minutes).
Then, cross the street and take either trail to Golden Rock Beach. We took the longer trail as you go through the mangrove swamp. The beach is absolutely beautiful! White sand and crystal clear blue water. The tide is low so that you can go out for yards and yards and not get too deep. I recommend bringing bathing suits, hats, sunscreen, and water! You can also pack a picnic basket and enjoy a day there. There are a couple of picnic tables on the beach but you may want to bring your own blanket.
Going back to car we took the shorter trail that goes over the inlets. It's a beautiful place to spend a day!
Then, cross the street and take either trail to Golden Rock Beach. We took the longer trail as you go through the mangrove swamp. The beach is absolutely beautiful! White sand and crystal clear blue water. The tide is low so that you can go out for yards and yards and not get too deep. I recommend bringing bathing suits, hats, sunscreen, and water! You can also pack a picnic basket and enjoy a day there. There are a couple of picnic tables on the beach but you may want to bring your own blanket.
Going back to car we took the shorter trail that goes over the inlets. It's a beautiful place to spend a day!
Written 29 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah G
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
This was fun, and had been on my list since I saw photos, but it wasn’t worth the price of admission, imo. $6/child under 13 and $11/adult, it cost $46 for my family to see a couple caves and go to an average beach. I love reading educational signs, but these could be summarized to say: there are 6 miles of mapped caves, there are bats in one cave (that was cool - I LOVE bats!) , one new category of crustaceans was found there that looks like a millipede, and remains of some Lucayan people were found buried there. Again, it was fun, just not a lot as far as not a lot to see, do, or learn. Visitor center was not open when we went; not sure if it’s typically not open or why it wasn’t.
Written 16 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cari B
9 contributions
Jun 2022
The park was interesting in itself....the grifter collecting money robs you though! I was persistent on knowing the cost of the entry when we arrived and he would not allow us to tour unless we paid his "up-charged" cost. I attempted to contact the National Park but no one cared to answer so if you're willing to get ripped off to walk through a couple caves and walkway....go for it but you're not missing out on much.
Written 28 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megan C
Broken Arrow, OK34 contributions
May 2023 • Family
We took a private tour with Donald Duncombe that we booked through ToursByLocals. It was a wonderful experience. Highly recommend going with Donald. He pointed out lots of information about the plant species and caves. The park area is pretty small and probably only takes about 20 minutes to go through. But you can spend as much time on the beach as you want to. Gold Rock Beach is calm and gorgeous and not busy.
Written 14 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cowgoddess
St. Petersburg, FL164 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
We nearly didn't make it here, but I'm so glad we did!! The caves were really neat and the beach was just lovely. It was overcast, so we never saw the rock turn gold, but it was still a nice beach. Found some great shells and the snorkelers in our group spotted some huge conch and a dolphin!
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John M
Sudbury, Canada7 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
Cute little day trip to take but I would suggest avoiding a "tour" ... we booked this as an excursion and were picked up by a taxi and the taxi driver was our "tour guide". He was a nice guy but basically just read the signs posted along the trail and offered nothing I couldn't have just read myself.
It was a nice location though and Gold Rock Beach was beautiful.
It was a nice location though and Gold Rock Beach was beautiful.
Written 21 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julesmommel
Bar Harbor, ME22 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Our family of five, including three teenagers, really enjoyed going to this park. It is definitely out-of-the-way, and for most of our experience we were the only people around. We first took the walk through the caves, and really enjoyed being able to see those areas. Afterwords, we walked down to Gold Rock Beach. The whole family agreed that that was our favorite beach on the island. Completely deserted, and beautiful. There was a person there that was renting umbrellas which was perfect for a little bit of shade. We stayed a couple of hours, and enjoyed every minute of it. Would definitely recommend to couples or families.
Written 3 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NancyC
Saint Louis, MO21 contributions
Mar 2023
The park as well as the area around the port suffered from the last hurricane. The caves you can visit in the park are interesting caves/sink holes with an interesting history. It is a long unimpressive drive, not a lot to see.
Written 6 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How much was the taxi round trip please?
Written 16 January 2019
Sadly no :( To do the walk around the caves loop is quite rugged and there are winding stairs to the caves themselves. To access the beach would also be tricky as it's a sandy pathway.
Written 5 April 2018
Great write up.
the wife & I are coming in on a cruise in a couple weeks and are looking for something a bit different.
The only real question is on the jeep rental.
Where did you rent & is it close to the port (easy access of the ship)?
Thanks for any help.
Written 21 March 2017
Sorry for the delay but we rented right from the hotel!
Written 22 June 2017
Can someone give me a contact name and number for a company that would do a tour from a ship docking at Freeport? I'm looking for about 33 passengers, transportation to and from the park and we'd want to spend some time exploring the caves. How long is the drive from the port?
Written 6 March 2017
Olá Flávio, eu vou para Freeport por cruzeiro, então não temos muito tempo (desembarque umas 09h e as 15h temos que estar já dentro do navio), gostaria de saber se dá tempo de ir até o Lucayan National Park, se tem táxis ou se tenho que reservar um passeio com alguma agência. E se você sabe se o porto de desembarque fica perto ou longe deste lugar. E a praia Gold Rock Beach é próximo também? O que você puder me dizer já ajuda. Obrigada.
Written 1 July 2016
BJM M
Toronto, Canada
My family is travelling to Bahamas next month and have been reading the reviews of Gold Rock Beach. Are there washroom facilities there? Nothing fancy needed ... but some sort of facility would be nice. Thanks.
Written 13 March 2016
Bonjour Louis, je vois que tu es allé au Lucayan National Park et que tu as été déçu. C'était trop court? Sinon Gold Rock Beach c'est payant? Aurais tu des "Must see" sur Gran Bahamas à me conseiller? Merci d'avance!
Written 28 November 2015
if we dont take the $50x2 people tour, how else can we get there? costs?
Written 22 November 2015
I rented a Jeep for $140 for the day.
Written 20 February 2017
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