The King’s Highway runs the length of Alice Town like a spine of tin roofs and pastel wood, the Atlantic glinting between buildings. Golf carts weave past fishing lodges and rum bars that have anchored this waterfront since 1848. This is where Bimini’s story actually begins — not at a resort, but on a narrow street where Hemingway once wrote and where the Gulf Stream delivers blue marlin within three miles of the dock.
Alice Town has been Bimini’s beating heart since 1848 — a colorful waterfront settlement where the King’s Highway runs past fishing lodges, rum bars, and marinas that have barely changed from their rowdy past.
Alice Town is Bimini’s main settlement and cultural center — where Hemingway wrote, where sport fishing took root in the Bahamas, and where you’ll find the island’s best bars, restaurants, and waterfront energy. It’s walkable, golf-cart-friendly, and compact enough to explore in a day, though you’ll want longer to soak in the atmosphere. The trade-off: it’s less polished than the big resorts, which is exactly the point.
History buffs
Sport fishing enthusiasts
Families who want a low-key island town
Alice Town sits at 25.7264° N, 79.2981° W on North Bimini, the Bahamian island closest to Florida. Named for Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, the settlement grew wealthy from wrecking and fishing before becoming a legendary destination for sport fishing and, during Prohibition, rum-running. Today it remains the capital of the Bimini district, where most hotels, restaurants, marinas, and tourist services are concentrated.
| Stop | Why It Matters | What You’ll Find |
|---|---|---|
| The King’s Highway | Alice Town’s main artery and cultural spine | Waterfront bars, restaurants, gift shops, dive operators, colorful colonial-era buildings |
| Hemingway’s Bimini | Literary and fishing legacy from the 1930s | Compleat Angler hotel, framed photographs, stories at local bars, annual tournaments |
| Bimini Big Game Club | Birthplace of organized sport fishing in the Bahamas | Marina, charter fleet, tournaments, waterfront dining, bonefishing on the flats |
| Waterfront Life | Local culture, cuisine, and island rhythm | Conch every way, Kalik beer, Goombay Smashes, Radio Beach, Bimini Road snorkeling |
The King’s Highway — Alice Town’s Main Street
The King’s Highway is a narrow road running the full length of Alice Town, lined with restaurants, bars, gift shops, and dive operators. It’s the kind of street where you can park a golf cart and cover everything on foot, watching captains clean their catch while you sip a cold Kalik. A parallel route called Queen’s Highway runs along the opposite shore, creating a loop that lets you explore both the protected harbor side and open Atlantic beaches within easy walking distance.
Architecture along the highway features colorful wooden buildings with tin roofs, many decorated with fishing memorabilia, nautical flags, and hand-painted signs. Golf carts are the preferred mode of transport, weaving between pedestrians and occasional cars. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, with locals and visitors mixing easily at the waterfront bars and restaurants that line the route.
Hemingway’s Bimini — Where the Writer Found His Muse
Ernest Hemingway made Alice Town his base from 1935 to 1937, drawn by blue marlin and tuna in the Gulf Stream offshore. He stayed at the Compleat Angler (originally called the Blue Marlin Hotel) and worked on To Have and Have Not while gathering material for Islands in the Stream aboard his boat Pilar. Hemingway also set up a boxing ring and challenged islanders to sparring matches, adding to the larger-than-life persona that helped establish Bimini’s reputation as a destination for adventurous sportsmen.
Stop by the Compleat Angler and the bars along King’s Highway where Hemingway drank — the framed photographs and stories on the walls are the real deal. The atmosphere he encountered — colorful buildings, fishing boats in the harbor, conversations about tides and offshore catches — is still very much alive.
Hemingway’s presence attracted other famous visitors and cemented Bimini’s reputation as a world-class big-game fishing destination. His legacy lives on in stories at local bars, framed photographs on restaurant walls, and annual fishing tournaments that continue the tradition he helped popularize.
Bimini Big Game Club — The Heart of Sport Fishing
The Bimini Big Game Club anchors Alice Town’s fishing heritage. Founded in 1936 by Nassau entrepreneur Neville Stuart, it began as a formal dining establishment and evolved into the center of Bimini’s sport fishing culture. The club has hosted tournaments since 1936, and its marina and resort complex serves as headquarters for anglers targeting marlin, tuna, wahoo, and mahi-mahi in deep waters just offshore.
The Gulf Stream flows within three miles of Alice Town’s harbor, putting blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, dolphin fish, and various tuna species within easy reach of day trips. Multiple marinas along the Alice Town waterfront offer fuel, slips, and services for visiting yachts, making this the primary boating hub for the Bimini chain. For fly fishermen, Bimini’s shallow flats rank among the world’s most respected bonefishing destinations, attracting anglers who travel thousands of miles for the ultimate shallow-water game fish.
Charter boats head out daily from the Big Game Club and other marinas — book ahead during tournament weeks (scattered throughout the year) when the fleet fills up fast. If you’re new to offshore fishing, most captains are happy to take first-timers and will walk you through the basics.
Tournament fishing remains a Bimini tradition with events throughout the year, continuing the legacy that Hemingway and the Big Game Club helped establish.
Waterfront Life — Bars, Conch, and Island Rhythm
Alice Town’s waterfront bars are institutions, from historic watering holes where Hemingway drank to modern beach bars serving Goombay Smashes and cold Kalik beer. The culinary focus is local seafood — conch prepared every way imaginable, fresh grouper, and lobster in season. Stuart’s Conch Stand along the King’s Highway is a local fixture, serving conch fritters, cracked conch, and conch salad that tastes like the ocean.
For swimming, head to Radio Beach on the Atlantic side — it’s a short walk or golf-cart ride from the King’s Highway. For snorkeling, boat trips to Bimini Road (a submerged rock formation sometimes called the “Bimini Road”) run regularly from the marinas. Morning is the calmest time for both.
The protected harbor has sheltered vessels for more than 150 years, and the waterfront bars and restaurants along King’s Highway offer front-row seats to the daily rhythm of island life — fishermen returning with their catch, yachts coming and going, and the easy conversation of locals and travelers sharing a cold Kalik at the end of the day. A parallel route called Queen’s Highway runs along the opposite shore, giving you a loop that takes in both the harbor side and the open Atlantic beaches within a short walk or ride.
Getting to Alice Town — The Practical Side
Alice Town is the most accessible settlement in Bimini, but you still need to plan your approach. Here’s how the main options stack up:
| Option | Details | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Fly to South Bimini Airport | American Airlines nonstop from Miami (under 1 hour); also flights from Nassau. Then take a short ferry from South Bimini to Alice Town on North Bimini. | Travelers coming from the US or Nassau who want the fastest route |
| Balearia high-speed ferry | Departs from Fort Lauderdale, docks at Resorts World Bimini. From there it’s a short taxi or golf-cart ride to Alice Town. | Travelers who prefer to avoid flights and bring more luggage |
| Private yacht or boat | Crossing from Florida takes 3–4 hours. Marinas along the Alice Town waterfront offer slips, fuel, and customs clearance for vessels arriving from the US. | Boaters and those who want their own transport once on the island |
Once you’re in Alice Town, a golf cart is the best way to get around — rentals are available near the ferry dock and at the resorts. The King’s Highway and Queen’s Highway form a loop that’s easy to cover in a few hours, with plenty of stops for food, drinks, and beach time along the way.
Bimini is close enough to Miami for a spontaneous escape — leave Miami after breakfast, stand on a white-sand beach before lunchtime. The new American Airlines nonstop flight from Miami takes less than an hour, making Bimini one of the quickest international beach vacations in North America.
Before You Go — Alice Town
Is Alice Town walkable?
Yes. The King’s Highway runs the length of the settlement, and most bars, restaurants, and marinas are within a 15-minute walk of each other. A golf cart makes it even easier and is the preferred local transport.
What’s the best way to get there from Florida?
The fastest option is the American Airlines nonstop from Miami to South Bimini Airport (under an hour), followed by a short ferry to Alice Town. The Balearia high-speed ferry from Fort Lauderdale is a good alternative if you prefer not to fly.
When should I visit for fishing tournaments?
Tournaments are held throughout the year, but the peak season for marlin and tuna runs from spring through fall. Check with the Bimini Big Game Club for their current tournament schedule before you book.
Is Alice Town family-friendly?
Yes — the compact layout, golf-cart culture, and relaxed pace work well for families. Kids enjoy the waterfront, conch fritters, and the novelty of riding in a golf cart everywhere. Radio Beach offers calm swimming on the Atlantic side.
What’s the one thing I shouldn’t miss?
Walk the King’s Highway at sunset, grab a Kalik at one of the waterfront bars, and watch the fishing boats come in. It’s the same scene that’s played out here for over 150 years, and it’s the closest you’ll get to Bimini’s real story.
Alice Town — Where Bimini’s Story Begins
Alice Town isn’t a polished resort destination, and that’s exactly what makes it worth your time. It’s the place where Bimini’s identity was forged — by wreckers and fishermen, by Hemingway and the marlin he chased, by the generations of Bahamians who’ve kept the King’s Highway humming with life. You don’t visit Alice Town to escape the past; you visit to walk through it, one colorful building at a time. If Bimini’s story draws you in, the untouched shores of Hog Cay offer the next chapter worth exploring.
References
Sail Abacos. “Alice Town.” Sail Abacos, 2025. ↗
Caribbean Journal. “Bimini Island Is Closer to Florida Than You Think.” Caribbean Journal, 2026. ↗
Sail Abacos. “Alice Town, Bimini.” Sail Abacos, 2025. ↗
For more Bahamian island adventures, check out the family-friendly beaches at Treasure Cay, the crystal-clear waters of Little Stirrup Cay, or the hidden gem of Hawksbill Creek for a quieter side of the Bahamas. Each spot offers something different, but Alice Town remains the place where the island’s story actually begins.
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