Living in Freeport

Ideal Location

Flights from South Florida to Freeport, Grand Bahama, take just 27 minutes.

Just 80 miles from Florida, the location for WAUSM’s state-of-the-art preclerkship campus was specifically chosen to allow easy access to and from the United States and Canada.

This proximity provides US and Canadian students with the ability to quickly and easily return home during breaks, long weekends, and special events while pursuing their medical degree in a safe, contemporary location – something no other Caribbean medical school can offer.

Port Lucaya Marketplace in Freeport, Grand Bahama - a short walk from Western Atlantic University School of Medicine's (WAUSM) campus

Freeport

The main city on the island of Grand Bahama, Freeport has a population of less than 50,000 and offers a small-town atmosphere with various canal-oriented communities that offers the perfect environment for Caribbean medical school students. From east to west, the island measures approximately 96 miles, and is rimmed with cities, villages, and cays that offer reminders of the many different people and cultures that have called the island home. With the development of Freeport/Lucaya in the 1950s, and because of the island’s close proximity to Florida’s east coast, it is now one of the most visited of all the Bahamian islands. Freeport is home to an international airport, in addition to modern grocery stores, hospitals/clinics, and other essential services.

Grand Bahama International Airport

Getting to Grand Bahama Island from the US and Canada is as quick as it is convenient. Several airlines offer daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama Island, including American Airlines, Bahamasair, Silver Airways, and Sunwing Airlines. Sunwing Airlines also offers two nonstop routes between Canada and Freeport.

Dining

From coffee shops, to seafood restaurants, to Bahamian beach bars, Freeport offers everything from traditional to Caribbean fair, and everything in between. Highlights include Bootleggers Coffee Company in Lucayan Village; a maze of casual restaurants offering live music on the weekends at Port Lucaya; and Banana Bay, a quintessential Bahaman beach bar.

Things To Do

The nature and wildlife on Grand Bahama is some of the best and most diverse in the world, with landmarks including the Lucayan National Park, Gold Beach, Garden of the Groves, and the Lucayan cavern system.

Grand Bahama Island has established its footprint in the global ecosystem as the Silicon Island of the Caribbean

Silicon Island

Grand Bahama Island has established its footprint in the global ecosystem as the Silicon Island of the Caribbean, and is fast becoming known as a gateway for innovation and technology. Home to the Grand Bahama Technology Summit, Grand Bahama Island’s world-class infrastructure and other investor-friendly amenities have made it an ideal home for innovators; high-growth, high impact start-ups; and businesses that are expanding both at home and abroad.

BAHAMAS

QUICK FACTS

Economy

The Bahamas economy is driven primarily by the tourism, financial services, and fishing industries.

Island Size

Grand Bahama Island is 530 square miles, 96 miles long from east to west, and 17 miles across at its widest point.

Traffic

Automobiles drive on the left side of the road.

Time Zone

Grand Bahama Island is in the Eastern Standard Time zone (EST). Daylight Savings Time (DST) is observed in the summer months from March to November, when the time is shifted forward by one hour to Eastern Daylight-savings Time (EDT). It shifts back by one hour after the summer months, and returns to EST.

Climate

Amazing weather – constant sea breezes relieve any excess heat or humidity. Due to warm Gulf Stream currents and balmy trade winds, Grand Bahama Island has sub-tropical weather, which is generally pleasant all year long. There are two seasons:

Summer: May – September, temperatures from 80-85°F

Winter: October – April with temperatures from 70-75°F The rainy season spans from May through October.

Currency

US and Bahamian dollars are accepted interchangeably throughout the islands with the Bahamian dollar matching the US dollar 1:1.