The Retreat
Established: 1977
Size (acres): 11
Location: New Providence
The Retreat Garden National Park is an oasis of rare and exotic palms and native coppice in the heart of residential Nassau, New Providence. The garden is home to the administrative Headquarters of The Bahamas National Trust.
Acquired in 1985, The Retreat Garden contains one of the largest private collections of palms in the world. It is known internationally for having some of the most spectacular and rare palms - over one hundred and seventy-six species! These palms flourish amidst an excellent collection of native trees and hardwoods, including horseflesh, madeira, gum elemi, logwood, and tamarind.
The gravel marked trails wind through the garden, allowing visitors to have close contact with nature. They can see a Cuban Petticoat Palm, with its fluffy appearance, or see a Zombie Palm, with its spiny trunk. The visitor can walk under a vine-covered path or look into a hand hued plantation well. The Retreat is a haven for birdlife. Many native fruit bearing trees provide home and habitat for native species and neotropical migratory birds alike.
The Retreat was once the private home of Arthur and Margaret Langlois, whose greatest wish was that the garden they created and loved would live on after them. The couple donated half of the property value to the Trust in the early 1980s. Sir Jack Hayward, a long-time friend and generous benefactor of the Trust, purchased the remainder as a gift.
A busy hub of activity, The Retreat has daily traffic of tourists, garden enthusiasts as well as students, teachers, and researchers. A variety of programmes and services are offered by the BNT Education Office for schoolchildren as well as adults. The Retreat Committee assists in the upkeep of the grounds and in organizing two fundraising events for the Garden - the Art & Wine Festival, held in late October, and the Christmas Jollification held in mid November.
Contacting The Retreat
The Retreat Garden
Bahamas National Trust Headquarters
Village Road
P. O. Box N-4105
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: 242-393-1317
Fax: 242-393-4978