The Fountain of Youth

When you think of Ponce de Leon and The Fountain of Youth, most people automatically think of Florida.

However few people are aware of the role that the island of Bimini played in the Spanish Explorer's search.

In preparing for his search for the Fountain of Youth, Ponce de Leon cited references from Arawak and/or Taino Indians. They spoke of a land they referred to as Beimeni or Beniny as the place where the "Fountain" could be found. Scholars debate whether the Indians were referring to what is now Bimini in The Bahamas, or, a different island in the Gulf of Honduras. Needless to say, Juan Ponce de Leon ended up in Florida and never found the magical spring. Leading others to believe even more strongly that he had missed the true location of the "Fountain" on South Bimini. Just 50 miles away.

The area referred to as "The Fountain of Youth" on the island of South Bimini is very easy to locate and visit. It sits just a few yards off the main road leading to the South Bimini Airport and is now very well marked. If you are starting out from North Bimini, just take the Water Taxi over to South Bimini. Then, take any bus heading out to the airport and ask the driver to drop you off at the Fountain of Youth site. When you are done, just wait for the next bus heading back from the airport to the Water Taxi dock. There is no fee to explore the site.

The "Fountain" or "Well" itself is a very small inland "Blue Hole" or "Sink Hole". It extends straight down into the fresh water cell of the island. It is believed that the hole's ability to produce fresh water with no obvious freshwater source is what made the Indians believe that the well was magical.

A great half day excursion on South Bimini is to combine a trip to the Fountain of Youth with a visit to the Bimini Sands Nature Trail. Enjoy a fantastic lunch of native fish or conch at the Bimini Beach Club and make a day of it.

For further details and pricing information for all Guided Tours and Activities, please contact Wild Dolphin Adventures / Bimini Undersea at 242–347–3089 or email tours@WildDolphins.com