The Bahamas’ most easterly island, San Salvador was called Watlings Island after John Watling – a pirate who based his operations there in the 1680s. The government changed the island’s name to San Salvador in 1925 based on research that concluded that it was the site of Christopher Columbus’ first landfall in the Americas, although the original island of Columbus’ landfall is still disputed almost 100 years later.

The Dixon Hill Lighthouse in San Salvador was constructed in 1887. This 400,000 candle beacon is one of the last hand-operated lighthouses in the world and has kept mariners safe for over 130 years.