Garden of the Groves and City Tour

special offer banner Garden of the Groves and Freeport City Tour Grand Bahama International Bazaar Port Lucaya
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Children (Ages 2 and under) are free but must be accounted for.
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Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Standard
Shore Excursion Type Cultural, Scenic
Shore Excursion Duration 4 Hours
Activity Level ? Easy
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? An approximately 5 to 10 minute walk from the cruise ship pier.
Food/Beverage Provided None
Recommended Dress We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and sensible walking shoes. Sun glasses and sunscreen are also suggested
Restrictions Guests must be able to walk over paved, gravel, wooden planked and packed dirt surfaces.

Garden of the Groves and City Tour

A grand half day awaits on this fun-filled Grand Bahamas City Tour that includes Garden of the Groves and much, much more!

This narrated bus ride will first take you through the industrial area of Grand Bahama. Unfortunately, the island suffered significant damage from Hurricane Dorian in 2019; however, as you ride through the area, you will witness the ongoing recovery efforts to restore the affected areas. Get a first-hand look at the resiliency of the people of the island as they continue to rebuild during challenging circumstances from one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the island.

Your first stop and the highlight of this excursion is the Garden of the Groves, which fared surprisingly well during the hurricane. Here you'll explore winding trails through lush vegetation, cascading waterfalls, and sparkling fountains. Visit the picturesque chapel, which has been consecrated and is a favorite place for weddings, prayer, and meditation. Explore the Garden Shoppes and discover the sacred beauty of the Labyrinth.

At Garden of the Groves, indigenous and migratory birds and butterflies take insects from the many newly planted flowers and shrubs. Since the Garden was re-opened, it has been certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the U.S. Wildlife Federation. This means the new operators are providing the four basic habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive: food, water, cover, and places to raise young. You can take a walk down into the cool fern grove and admire the imposing limestone boulders that tower over both sides of the trail, or relax on the "Lofty Fig" deck, where you will have the opportunity to purchase local delicacies and cool Bahamian drinks.

From there, this Freeport cruise tour takes you to the famous Port Lucaya Marketplace, a collection of twelve island-style buildings nestled on a five-acre peninsula, which overlooks one of the most complete Marinas in The Bahamas. Stroll among the eighty specialty stores, boutiques, restaurants, outdoor and indoor bars and cafes. You'll find the most luxurious and respected names in jewelry, china, crystal, perfume, and designer apparel and accessories, all at duty-free prices. Should you opt not to explore the marketplace, you also have the option of spending approximately 45 minutes at the nearby Lucaya Beach--a white-sand coastline, which is perfect for sunbathing and swimming.

Afterwards, as you make your way back to the cruise ship, you'll be taken through Royal Palm Way, which was also once known as Millionaire's Row. View some of the local residential areas while also getting a glimpse of the famous Cooper's Castle. This 46-acre property is situated on the island's highest point of elevation and has become a local symbol of determination and hard work. The castle owner, Reverend Harvard Cooper, was born into a poor family in 1931. As an adult, he became a successful entrepreneur and owned franchises in the Bahamas for Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Pizza Hut, in addition to other businesses that included a chicken farm. To this day, his family still lives in the estate.

Guests wishing to stay longer at the Market Place or Lucaya Beach, are responsible for their own transportation back to the pier. Taxi shuttles run between the market (or the beach) and pier most of the day.

Please Note: This tour is only for guests arriving in Freeport via cruise ship.

4.5 Stars4.6 / 5  |  71 ReviewsReview This Tour
Great garden
February 24, 2023
Quite a pleasant afternoon. The coordination was efficient and the driver and tour guide were interesting
Reviewer: Walt Sobczak
5 Stars
Loved Garden of the Groves
February 22, 2023
Our tour guide on the way to the Gardens was fun and informative as was the guide at the Gardens. The Garden is beautiful and has good dining and shopping opportunities. Last stop was at a shopping site which was fine.
Reviewer: Debbie zoeller
5 Stars
First time in Freeport
October 19, 2022
A small bus of 20 people toured a beautiful Garden of the Groves and provided information about the island complete with interesting stories and history. It rained on the way back preventing us from stopping at an attractive looking beach. Great tour and guide.
Reviewer: Steve Kerlick
5 Stars
Garden of the Groves and City Tour
August 23, 2022
Enjoyed the tour. Very informative and our guide Boo was attentive, personable and willing to answer all questions. Everybody associated with the tour made us feel at home.
Reviewer: Thaddeus & Laura
5 Stars
Interesting
January 11, 2022
Ricardo was the tour guide. He was very informative and had great driving skills. Enjoyed the tour very much. We were disappointed that Atlantis was closed due to covid but that is life now.
Reviewer: Michelle Kimball
5 Stars
Had a great time in spite of the rainy day
March 08, 2020
Our bus and garden tour explored much of the Grand Bahama island that had been devastated in 2019. Our guide was highly knowledgeable which was very much appreciated by those listening. The long stop at the garden honoring the American real estate and economic developer of the island a generation ago was wonderful. The guide for the garden was clearly a horticultural guru. On the excellent paths in the garden, she talked about the various flora and discussed how the garden had made out during hurricane Dorian in 2019. My wife and I were so glad we came on this tour. Both guides were great! We will be taking this tour again the next time we cruise to Grand Bahama to see how the gardens have progressed. Highly recommended tour.
Reviewer: Dennis Titley
5 Stars