The island of San Salvador is reputedly the site where Christopher Columbus first made landfall in the New World in 1492. Although four monuments have been erected to commemorate the event, the actual spot where Columbus landed is said to be the big stone cross at Long Bay.
San Salvador is actually the summit of a submerged mountain whose bottom is 15,000 feet at the ocean floor. It is because of this unique geography that San Salvador has the deepest waters in the Bahamas. It is a popular spot for snorkelers, divers, and fishermen looking for large deep sea game fish. There are also many reefs and shipwrecks in San Salvador’s waters.
Inland, San Salvador is a historic district of monuments, ruins, colonial houses, old plantations and Lucayan Indian sites. Noted sights include the white-washed Catholic church in the Cockburn Town and the old kerosene-operated lighthouse.