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Lat.: N24 07’ 30” Long.: W 74 31’ 00” Size: 63 Sq. mls	Island Crest

SAN SALVADOR
Island Information

San Salvador is also called the land of lakes and Columbus’ Isle. It is about 12 miles long and five miles wide. Its original name was Guanahani. Later it was called Watling’s Island after George Watling, a noted buccaneer.

Until recently, San Salvador was considered one of the least important islands of The Bahamas. However, with the quincentennial celebrations in 1992, San Salvador attracted much attention as it has been for years identified as the first landfall of Christopher Columbus in the New World. He landed at San Salvador on October 12, 1492, and was greeted by the friendly Lucayan Arawaks.

San Salvador has a rich history: the depopulation of its indigenous population by the Spaniards; the use of its inlets by pirates and buccaneers; the coming of the Loyalists and their slaves; the coming of the Americans during the Second World War and its aftermath; and more recently, the advent of the tourist industry.

The San Salvador Museum located in the capital of Cockburn Town, in the ancient 19th century jailhouse and Commissioner’s Office, includes artefacts and replicas highlighting Columbus, the Lucayans, the plantation period and 19th century life on San Salvador.

On the outskirts of Cockburn Town is the Heloise Monument, placed there by the yawl Heloise while on an around-the-world cruise in 1951 and is one of four monuments honouring the landfall of Columbus. Another monument is located at Long Bay. A white cross called the Columbus monument was erected in 1956 by Ruth Durlacher Wolper, an artist and writer, and stands next to the Mexican Olympic monument, erected in 1968 to commemorate the landfall of Columbus and the holding of the Olympic Games in the New World (Mexico) that year.

Information courtesy of Bahamas Information Services, Department of Archives and Local Government.

For more information visit the Website of the Ministry of Tourism