Bimini – a rum-running haven during Prohibition
Bimini, just about 80 kilometres east of Miami, is the part of the Bahamas closest to the United States – and that shaped its history. During Prohibition in the US, the islands became a favourite haven and supply point for rum-running; William McCoy used Bimini to ship whiskey to the US. The first inhabitants were the Lucayans, whose word Bimini means “two islands” or “the twins”. From 1917, Chalk's seaplanes linked Bimini with Miami for generations, and islanders used them to shop in Florida. Mysterious sites such as the much-discussed Bimini Road add to the islands' mystique. Today about 2,400 people live here, in the westernmost district of the Bahamas. Share your own Bimini stories with the community!