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Bikini season is here and you and your girls have probably been filling your closets with summer-worthy outfits and daydreaming about these happy days. This summer, make a point to take a relaxing, girls-only getaway that you won’t forget.

If you’re seeking a more sophisticated vacation, free from the rowdy college crowds, then Grand Bahama Island is just the place for you. Only 70 miles off the coast of Florida and less than three hours by plane from New York, Grand Bahama Island is an obvious choice for a vacation. Plan ahead and save up money and before you know it, you’ll be breaking out your sunglasses and heading to paradise.

Spa & Fitness:
Satisfy your inner diva by getting pampered at The Senses Spa and Fitness Center located at the Westin Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya Resort. The two-hour Basic Senses treatment includes a Heavenly Hydro Bath, a Renewed Scents Massage, a mini facial and basic manicure for $175. If you’re in need of a more affordable option, try the Sense of Drifting on the Ocean Breeze Massage. For $60 you can experience 30 minutes of uninterrupted bliss as you are massaged beachside.

Westin’s spa offers a bevy of other options that will have you feeling like princesses, including facials, nail care, hair treatments and personal training. You can even take a Bootylicious fitness class in which you and the girls will get a good laugh after mimicking Beyonce’s dance moves.

Shopping:
If you’re looking to shop till you drop, visit the International Bazaar, a multinational-themed complex that includes shops and restaurants. Stop by The Perfume Factory where you can each create, bottle and name your own signature fragrances. The beauty of The Islands Of The Bahamas is sure to inspire olfactory creativity. Housed in a replica of an 18th-century mansion, The Perfume Factory also offers a free tour that will take you behind the scenes of a working fragrance production operation.

The Port Lucaya Marketplace & Marina is another shopping destination that features nightly live entertainment and The Bahamas Arts & Crafts Straw Market sells locally made jewelry, paintings and colorful handicrafts constructed from wood and straw.

Outdoor Activities:
If it’s adventure that you seek, swim with the dolphins at the Underwater Explorers’ Society (UNEXSO). UNEXSO’s Dolphin Experience Lagoon allows you to interact with trained dolphins in a natural environment. You can go jet skiing, snorkeling or windsurfing at a resort beach or take a rugged Safari Jeep Tour, hosted by Grand Bahama Nature Tours Ltd. The two-hour tour includes a convoy of open-top jeeps, kayaking, cave exploration and a simple lunch on Gold Rock Beach, the island’s premier beach.

Gold Rock Beach is only one of many secluded beaches on Grand Bahama Island that you and the girls can escape to. Fortune Beach, Paradise Cove Beach and Mather Town Beach are all remote spots. Whip out the beach towels, slather on some sunscreen and bask in the sun while indulging in juicy chick lit and gossipy magazines.

Dining:
Everyone knows that vacationing and food go hand-in-hand. Boasting several dining options ranging from traditional island fare to Greek, Grand Bahama Island does not disappoint in the culinary department. Before you leave, be sure to try conch, a mollusk that has a mild, sweet clam-like flavor. Considered by many to be the national food of The Bahamas, conch is used in many different dishes including conch fritters, conch chowder, conch steak, conch salad and even stir-fried conch, which you can order at the Westin’s China Beach restaurant.

If you really want a taste of The Bahamas, go to the eatery at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) where they hold Fish Fry Fridays every Friday from 4-9 p.m. Indulge in fried fish, conch, potato bread, macaroni ‘n cheese, and traditional Bahamian desserts.

Nightlife:
Start your evenings off by making a stop at Port Lucaya Marketplace & Marina to enjoy the live musical performances. Be sure to witness the vibrant Junkanoo dancers parading through the streets. Bedecked in costumes made from cardboard covered in tiny shreds of colorful crepe paper, Junkanoo dancers groove to the sound of cowbells. The music is so infectious that before you know it, you’ll be swaying your hips and stamping your feet to the beat. You and the girls will definitely be in the dancing mood after the Junkanoo display so check out Club Tropicana and Club Amnesia, two of Grand Bahama Island’s most popular nightspots. Before you retire each night, make a point to find a spot on the beach where you and your best girlfriends can watch the pearly glow of the moon on the ocean and reminisce about the day’s events.

Photos of The Perfume Factory & Bahamas Beach courtesy of Kristina Maury