Bimini: Gateway to Color

A mere glance at the elongated landmass among the scattered cays in the Bahama region, and one understands the charming magnetism that Bimini has always exuded and still manages to bind new victims under its spell.

Fishermen flock here in droves in search of the elusive, almost mythical sea creature called the blue marlin. Ernest Hemingway partied and rested in the shadows of the blossoming trees that still beckon the heat-stricken seaman to their balmy, fragrant haven, and many a sailor comes home with tall tales of his visit to this legendary isle of Bimini.

As the sign at the flamingo-pink courthouse announces, Bimini is the gateway to the Bahamas. However, it merits the title of capital, or at least the capital of color. For color is the byword on this enchanting island. It can be encountered everywhere, be it natural or contrived.

In nature, it reigns in the gorgeous turquoise water, the mutable shades of sand, the truly azure sky and the blazing blossoms on tree branches and tiny stems that seem to grow spontaneously everywhere.

Color is transposed into every aspect of life: laundry hanging on the sagging lines, and fanciful doors, posts, calico window frames and inviting signs are crusted with florid paint.

Try a hand at early-morning ocean fishing and hope to catch a glimpse of the elusive blue marlin. If you miss it, don’t worry; there are plenty of them stuffed in the pubs and bars for the curious visitor to see. How about just gazing at the impostor that is naively painted on the façade of a club bearing its distinctive name? And speaking of clubs, next to the Blue Marlin is the Red Lion, only to show that every creature has its distinctive color here on Bimini.

"Yes, we have ice” is a welcome sign posted on a fence or a doorway. Heaven help us when there should be no ice on Bimini! The sun is relentless and the sky mercilessly cloudless. Even the cool sea breeze gives up its freshness before it exhales on the trim Bimini shorelines. And when the sun finally sinks into the ocean, the crimson western sky is just a promise of the nature of the night to follow. Maybe temperature has something to do with temperament. Maybe that’s why the island is bathed in vibrant hues, and its people are so friendly.