This Tiny Island Is Going to Be the Bora Bora of the Caribbean

If you haven’t heard of Bimini, you’re not alone. This tiny Bahamian island — the closest to the United States, just 48 miles off the coast of Miami — has long been an under-the-radar spot known mostly to avid fishermen who come for big game like marlin and tuna, or for the bonefishing on the shallow flats between North and South Bimini. One such fisherman is a guy you’ve definitely heard of, Ernest Hemingway, who called Bimini home between 1935 and 1937 (his time here inspired The Old Man and the Sea). Prior to Hemingway’s residency, Bimini was a popular hideaway during Prohibition, given its proximity to America and lack of alcohol restrictions, and was once believed to be home to The Fountain of Youth (Ponce de Leon came here searching for it in 1513).

These days, Bimini has been gaining more traction thanks to the addition of Resorts World Bimini (home to a Hilton, a casino and various bars and restaurants), as well as a port and beach club built to service Virgin Cruises. However, Bimini is about to land on the radars and bucket lists of many more travelers with the reveal of the forthcoming Banyan Tree Bimini.

Best known for their luxurious and serine properties throughout Asia, this will be Banyan Tree’s first location in the Caribbean and likely serve as the majority of travelers’ introduction to the brand (and, by the looks of it, quite the introduction it will be). Situated on an untouched, secluded, 750-acre peninsula, Banyan Tree Bimini has a lot in store, but the overwater bungalows are bound to be the primary draw.

Upon completion, they’ll be the Bahama’s first overwater bungalows and the first in the Caribbean from a luxury hotel brand. This means travelers will no longer have to fly 18 hours to Bora Bora (from NYC), or even further to the Maldives, to experience sleeping in style over turquoise water. As the closest overwater bungalows to the United States, travelers departing cities like New York, Chicago and Dallas will be able to take off and arrive at Banyan Tree Bimini in four hours — and faster when more non-stop flights inevitably result from the island’s rise in popularity. Even more convenient for those who call Miami home, Bimini is just 30-minutes away via commercial or chartered flights or two hours via high-speed ferry. For those seeking a little more adventure, you can also choose to arrive via seaplane or a 25-minute chartered helicopter flight (part of the Banyan Tree Bimini build-out will include a helipad).

It’s more than the overwater bungalows that’ll make Bimini the Bora Bora of the Bahamas, though. Topographically, the two tropical islands share a similarity in that both have a crystal clear, central lagoon; the bungalows of both Bora Bora’s luxe hotels and those of Banyan Tree Bimini are oriented towards it versus towards the open ocean. Adding to the Bora Bora vibe, travelers not coming in via seaplane, helicopter or ferry will arrive at the hotel via a picturesque boat ride. Once landed at Bimini Airport, which is undergoing an $80 million overhaul to increase its capacity and build out an airport boat terminal, guests will shuttle to the airport dock and be whisked across the lagoon directly to the hotel (just like it’s done in Bora Bora).

Once completed, Banyan Tree Bimini is slated to offer 50 hotel rooms (24 beachfront villas and 26 overwater bungalows with plunge pools), several restaurants, an overwater pool built on stilts above the lagoon, an overwater spa and an 18-hole golf course. There will also be 54 Banyan Tree-branded residences, which owners can add to Banyan Tree’s hotel inventory, making them an ideal home base for those traveling with family or friends.

The first residences (currently for sale and starting at $3.5 million if you’re in the market) are set to open in early 2025, with other parts of the property coming online throughout 2026 and 2027. And if the rendering of the resort’s master plan is executed as envisioned, it looks like the future may also hold more remote and secluded overwater bungalows across the lagoon, as well as larger, ocean-facing overwater bungalows along the island’s eastern shore. The only thing that would make this place better would be if it were open now. Alas, we’ll be waiting and ready with a trigger finger the moment they start taking reservations.