Fodor's Expert Review Hawk's Nest Resort and Marina

Catering to private pilots, yachters, and serious fishermen, this small laid-back resort at Cat Island's southwestern tip has its own 3,100-foot runway and a 28-slip full-service marina with a dive shop for guests. The marina is the best in the area for deep-sea sportfishing, and visitors can see sharks, rays, and other marine life regularly swimming around the marina docks. The rooms are standard, but are clean and well-maintained seaside cabanas. A nice pool by the clubhouse, surrounded by umbrellas and lounges, makes up for the lack of good swimming near the club, though there's a nice swimming beach a few steps away. They also rent bicycles, paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment. Usually quiet, this resort is booked and bustling during major fishing tournaments that take place every two months or so. At those times, the partying fishing crowd have a dining room and bar at the marina, leaving the rest of the resort in relative peace. A young, experienced couple, Randy and JR Holder keep the resort in good shape and the guests happy. Randy is a PADI dive instructor and takes guests on personal dives in one of The Bahamas's most spectacular low-wall dive areas starting mere feet from the marina entrance. You need to book a dive at least a month in advance to ensure Randy can take off from his general manager duties.