Inagua is named after a native reptile, the iguana, and it’s actually made up of two islands, rather than one. You may visit Great or Little Inagua. Roughly 1,200 people call Inagua home.

You can boat into the island’s single harbor, Matthew Town, named after a 19^th century Bahamas Governor. The area is also the home of Morton Salt Company, which makes a million tons of sea salt each year. This is also the main industry of Inagua.

The neighboring island of Little Inagua lies five miles off Great Inagua, has no people living on it, and it’s occupied by a Land and Sea Park. The island is home to feral goats and donkeys. Little Inagua is a perfect vacation spot for eco-tourists, who may also enjoy diving the large reef that protects the island from boats. This reef surrounds Little Inagua for nearly a mile outside the land. You can also enjoy the view of flamingos on Inagua, and they are the Bahamas’ national bird.

Almost a million pounds of salt are made from the Inagua Salinas by Morton Salt, which pumps sea water into the island’s interior, where it’s held in dikes. The ponds number 80, and they cover more than 12,000 acres.

As water evaporates in the ponds and dikes, it is turned into a heavy brine. This process includes the night hours, when the salt solidifies. The salt forms a bed of crystals at the ponds’ bottoms, and then any excess water is drained, and the salt is shipped worldwide.

You are sure to enjoy the rugged beauty of the Inagua islands, and their unspoiled beaches.

Photo: Flickr.com