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Matthew Town Salt Pans

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Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)

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The Matthew Town Salt Pans on Great Inagua represent one of the world's largest solar salt production facilities and are a vital cornerstone of the Bahamian economy. The operation is managed by the Morton Salt Company, which acquired the site in 1954 and has since implemented continuous technological modernizations. Spanning over 300,000 acres, the facility converts seawater into high-purity salt through natural evaporation, yielding approximately one million tons annually. This industrial process leverages the region's intense tropical sunlight and consistent trade winds to create a highly efficient export commodity. The harvested salt is primarily utilized for winter road de-icing across Eastern North America and for various large-scale applications in the chemical industry. Beyond its industrial output, the area constitutes a unique ecological habitat where tens of thousands of West Indian flamingos coexist in symbiosis with the salt production, feeding on microorganisms that thrive in the brine. Employment provided by the salt works sustains the vast majority of families in Matthew Town, providing critical stability to the social infrastructure of this remote island outpost.

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jan–Mar.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °C252525262728292929282726
Rain mm3522303892704766941357840

📋 Practical info

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What is this place?
The Matthew Town Salt Pans are the salt pans of Great Inagua, a core site of the island economy. They are one of the most important salt production facilities in the Bahamas, shaping the landscape and local employment.
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Visiting
The salt pans are an active industrial site and typically not open to the public. From the road, the vast shallow basins and white salt crusts are visible.
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Where to view it
A good viewpoint is the main road along the salt pans, especially at sunrise or sunset when colors are vivid. A small hill on the edge of town also features an overview.
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Local products
In Matthew Town, locally produced sea salt can be bought from small shops or directly from the producer. The salt is often sold in sacks and is a sought-after souvenir.
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Active season
Salt production is seasonal, concentrated in the dry months from February to May when evaporation is most effective. During the rainy season, production largely ceases.
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Nearby
A visit to the salt pans can be combined with exploring Matthew Town and the Great Inagua National Park. The surrounding beaches and flamingo population are also worth seeing.

Geography

Population
452 (2026)
Coordinates
20.95000, -73.64000

Facts

  • Annual production capacity of approximately 1 million tons of salt
  • The Morton Salt Company took over the operations in 1954
  • The salt extraction area covers more than 300,000 acres of land
  • Second-largest solar salt operation in the Western Hemisphere
  • Coexists with a colony of over 50,000 West Indian flamingos
  • Salt is exported globally for industrial chemical use and road safety

Explore nearby

Notable places around

Matthew TownMatthew Town3 km · SExplore →
Inagua's Salt PansInagua's Salt Pans5 km · NExplore →
Lake RosaLake Rosa8 km · NExplore →
Inagua National ParkInagua National Park16 km · NExplore →
Great InaguaGreat Inagua29 km · NExplore →
Môle Saint-NicolasMôle Saint-Nicolas47 km · NWExplore →
Fort de la PoudrièreFort de la Poudrière51 km · NWExplore →
Plana Cays ForestsPlana Cays Forests53 km · EExplore →

Route planner — Car & Motorhome

Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.

Vehicle
Only stops with (optional):

© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService

Sights in the town Matthew Town Salt Pans (1)

Matthew Town📍 landmark

A settlement on Great Inagua island, serving as an administrative and residential area.

Sights nearby

Frequently asked questions

How large are the Matthew Town salt pans?
They are among the largest solar salt production facilities in the world, operated by Morton Salt.
Can you visit the salt pans?
Official tours of the plant are limited, but the massive white salt mountains are visible from afar.
What birds nest here?
Inagua is famous for its vast colony of over 80,000 West Indian flamingos.
How is the salt harvested?
Through natural evaporation of seawater in vast, shallow basins under the hot sun.
Where is Matthew Town located?
It is the only settlement on Great Inagua Island, at the southernmost tip of the Bahamas.
Matthew Town Salt Pans: where is it located?
Matthew Town Salt Pans is located in Bahamas.
Matthew Town Salt Pans: when is the best time to visit?
The most pleasant time to visit is Jan, Mar.
Matthew Town Salt Pans: why is it worth visiting?
The Matthew Town Salt Pans on Great Inagua represent one of the world's largest solar salt production facilities and are a vital cornerstone of the Bahamian economy.
View on map → The Top 50 Attractions → OpenStreetMap →
North America
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Nearby cities

Matthew Town — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Matthew Town
The only settlement on Great Inagua, known for salt production.
Salina Point — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Salina Point
The southernmost settlement on Acklins Island.
Snug Corner — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Snug Corner
A small settlement on Acklins Island.
Anderson — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Anderson
A small settlement in northern Acklins.
Maisí — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Maisí
The easternmost municipality of Cuba, known for its lighthouse and unique terraced landscape.
Pirate's Well — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Pirate's Well
One of the few settlements on the remote island of Mayaguana.
Boca de Yumurí — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Boca de Yumurí
Boca de Yumurí is a tiny fishing village marking the mouth of the Yumurí River, offering dramatic canyon views and nature tours.
Lovely Bay — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Lovely Bay
A picturesque settlement on the coast of Acklins.
Pestel — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Pestel
A charming port town known for its colonial architecture, limestone cliffs, and the nearby fortress.

Nature

Lake Rosa — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Lake Rosa
A large, shallow, saltwater lake within Inagua National Park, serving as a feeding ground for flamingos.

More places

Inagua's Salt Pans — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Inagua's Salt Pans
Expansive, man-made salt pans that dominate the landscape of Great Inagua and attract flamingos.
Inagua National Park — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Inagua National Park
A vast sanctuary for the world's largest breeding colony of West Indian Flamingos.
Great Inagua — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Great Inagua
The southernmost island of the Bahamas, dominated by a national park and a vast flamingo colony.
Môle Saint-Nicolas — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Môle Saint-Nicolas
Historical site where Columbus first landed in Haiti.
Fort de la Poudrière — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Fort de la Poudrière
Historical gunpowder magazine from the colonial era.
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Plana Cays Forests
Two uninhabited islands with a dry forest that is a habitat for the endangered Bahamian Hutia.
🗺️
Fort Delpesche
A colonial fort in the northwest of Haiti.
Maisí Plateau — Matthew Town Salt Pans (Bahamas)
Maisí Plateau
A high plateau at the far eastern tip of Cuba.