If you’re looking for a quieter, more local beach in Bimini, this Blister Bay Bimini guide will walk you through exactly why it ended up being one of my favorite spots on the island. It’s a beach where you can relax, spread out, and enjoy the water without feeling like you’re packed into a tourist area. And if you like snorkeling and fresh conch salad, this spot checks both boxes.
The easiest way to get to Blister Bay is by golf cart.
We rented one right near the cruise port (super quick process), and it was about a 10-minute ride to the beach. If you’re planning to explore more of the island, I highly recommend going this route because you can move at your own pace and stop wherever you want.
I break down exactly where to rent and what to expect in my full guide — see my full review of my Bimini Golf Cart Day: The Best Way to Explore Bimini on a Cruise Stop.
If you’re flying in instead of cruising, you can also find flights using Skyscanner to plan your trip, and then browse where to stay near Bimini here to be close to all the main beaches.
Once you get there, it’s an easy drive, and you can pull right up near the beach access without any hassle.
Blister Bay is exactly what you picture when you think of the Bahamas — clear turquoise water, soft white sand, and way fewer people than the main beaches.
We went twice — once in the morning and again later in the afternoon.
Morning: it was just us
Afternoon: maybe 5–6 other people total
Even with a few people there, the beach is so spread out that you barely notice anyone else. If you’re someone who prefers a more laid-back, less crowded beach, this is easily one of the best spots in Bimini.
Around 10am, there was already a local guy there setting everything up (he goes by My Bimini Link on Instagram). He was cleaning the beach when we arrived and came over to chat — super friendly, not pushy at all.
He rents out chairs and umbrellas for:
$20 for 2 chairs + an umbrella for the day
Honestly, for how nice the setup is, it’s such a good deal.
He also keeps the beach clean (including seaweed when it comes in), which makes a big difference compared to some other areas. Just note: it’s cash only.
If you like snorkeling, this is an easy spot to do it. The water was calm, visibility was really good, and the fish were super close to shore. I brought my own snorkel gear, and within minutes I saw several types of fish, a stingray, and a parrot fish.
You don’t need a boat or tour for this — you can literally just walk right in and start snorkeling, which is my favorite kind of snorkeling (low effort, high reward).
If you don’t want to bring your own gear, you can also book snorkeling tours in Bimini here, but honestly, this is one of the few places where you really don’t need one.
Even though it’s a quieter beach, there’s still plenty to do:
Snorkeling right off the shore
Relaxing with chairs + umbrella
Cornhole
Beach volleyball
Or honestly… just float in the water and do nothing, which is what I ended up doing most of the time (10/10 recommend).
Right up the stairs from the beach is one of the best food stops on the island — Shaky’s (also known as Mike’s).
This was recommended by locals, and once you try it, you’ll understand why.
Conch salad is about $15, made fresh right in front of you, and you can get regular or tropical (with pineapple or mango). It doesn’t get much fresher than this, and it’s literally steps from the beach, which makes it an easy lunch stop.
If you’re planning your food stops ahead of time, check out my guide to the Best Conch Salad in Bimini: 3 Local Spots You Need to Try so you don’t miss the good ones.
A few helpful things to know ahead of time:
No bathrooms
Limited shade (just umbrellas or trees near the road)
Soft sand (easy to walk, no rocks)
Seaweed can come in sometimes, but it’s cleaned regularly
No bugs when we were there
If you only have time for one beach in Bimini, I would choose Blister Bay.
It’s super beautiful with crystal clear water, soft white sand, and some of the easiest snorkeling on the island. Between the relaxed setup, the local feel, and having some of the best conch salad right there, it ended up being one of my favorite stops of the day.
If you’re trying to plan your full stop, I map everything out in my One Day in Bimini: The Perfect Island Itinerary so you can fit this in without overthinking it.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Filing this one under “go now before it gets cold.” Bonneville Hot Springs is one of those trips where fall access is honestly the sweet spot the campground road is open, the hike in is short, and you skip the snow-and-gate situation we dealt with when we went in March.
September and early fall mean clearer trails, easier parking, and pools that are just as good without the extra mile of hiking to earn them. Fewer than 10 people out there when we visited, a rustic changing booth, zero amenities, and pools that range from “relax” to “actually scalding” until you move some rocks around and mix in river water. Small waterfalls feeding in, mountains in every direction, not polished, and that’s exactly the point.
Full breakdown on parking, what to pack, and timing it right is linked in my bio.
Summer’s not even over and I already have the itch. Fall hiking season is calling and I am answering.
Save this if you feel the itch too.🍁
Columbus hotel roundup because “just find something downtown” isn’t a strategy✈️
I stayed across the price spectrum on this one so I could actually compare notes. Hotel LeVeque is the splurge Art Deco lobby, marble bathrooms, and a restaurant (The Keep) worth visiting even if you don’t book a room. If you want to walk everywhere, Le Méridien puts you right in the Short North with murals and shops outside your door. And if budget’s the priority, Aloft gets you clean and modern near Ohio State without the markup.
Want a full escape from the city instead? Hocking Hills lodges and Gervasi Vineyard are both an easy drive out and worth the detour.
Not every hotel on this list is for every trip... that’s kind of the point. Full breakdown by neighborhood and budget, link in bio 🍂
Thousands of motorcycles, decades of history, and one very hot infield. 🏍️
I went into Mid-Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days expecting a bike show. What I got was closer to a small town that pops up once a year camps stretched across the hills, swap meet tables piled with parts I couldn’t name, and bikes older than some of the people admiring them parked next to restorations that looked showroom-fresh.
Fair warning: this is not a quick stop. Give yourself the whole day, wear real shoes, and don’t skip the racing watching pre-war machines and modern superbikes share the same track is worth the sunburn.
Ohio keeps surprising me. Full recap on the blog link in bio. 🔗
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