 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Eleuthera Island Information for all the fun things to do and see on your Eleuthera Bahamas Vacation
Eleuthera, a slender wisp of an island, about 100 miles long, yet barley a bowshot wide at it’s narrowest point, “Glass Window Bridge”. The name Eleuthera comes from a Greek word meaning “Freedom” and is one of the better-known islands of the Bahamas.
There are many beaches on Eleuthera to choose from, most of them deserted. Eleuthera is particularly renowned for superb snorkeling and fishing. Eleuthera’s tropical climate makes the island pleasant all year round, ranging from 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sea temperature is never below 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Credit cards are not widely accepted.
The official currency is the Bahamian dollar (B$), which is par with the US$. The US$ is accepted.
The Glass Window Bridge is where Eleuthera is the narrowest. There you will be amazed by the deep blue of the Atlantic ocean side, and the beautiful calm turquoise of Caribbean sea the other. The quaint town of Governors Harbour is Eleuthera’s capital, with colorful gingerbread houses set around the bay, The Town features Grocery and Liquor Stores -and Banks. A visit to Club Med beach is a must. Harbor Island is a five minute water taxi ride from north Eleuthera (about $4 each way). Known for it’s long pink sand beach and luxury resorts a retreat for the rich and famous.
Hire a golf cart (about $40 per day) and explore this small island three miles long by half mile wide.
110 miles long with a population of just 8000, Eleuthera is an island of rolling green hills, sleepy villages, and 60 miles of deserted beaches. To visit Eleuthera is to step back to a time when life was simpler. The island community is a small town where the residents know one another. Young and old hitchhike everywhere, and no one bothers to lock a door. Famed for their friendliness to visitors, Eleutherans will stop to wave at you as you drive through their villages.
There are no shopping centers on Eleuthera, no crowds, and no traffic. The guidebooks are fond of noting that Eleuthera has not a single traffic light, but that isn’t surprising when you consider that most of it has only one paved road. The Queen’s Highway, as it’s called, is a two-lane country road on which you can drive for miles without seeing another car. Needless to say, there is little need for a map, and on an island less than a mile wide for long stretches, you’re never far from the beach.
“Surfer's Beach is for wave riders, but there are also beaches for snorkelers, swimmers and shell collectors. Best of all, you can have one all to yourself .Around mid afternoon on New Year's Eve, when nearly all the island's rooms were booked, not a single soul could be spotted on Ten Bay Beach, six miles south of Governor's Harbour, despite a brilliant sunshine and near perfect temperatures.” New York Times, February 19, 2006.
It’s obvious that the reporter who penned these lines was seeing Eleuthera for the first time. Regular visitors are surprised to find anyone on their favorite beach. With sixty miles of beaches and a few dozen hotel rooms, Eleuthera is a paradise for beach lovers who enjoy privacy and unspoiled natural beauty.
Beyond the beaches, Eleuthera is surrounded by coral reefs that offer exceptional diving and snorkeling. Buttonwood Beach has a shipwreck, and there is even a sunken train wreck off the north coast of the island. The Devil’s Backbone, another popular dive, is a large coral formation notorious for wrecking ships. The Current Cut, a narrow channel with currents that regularly reach 10 knots, has been rated one of the ten best dives in the world.
Eleuthera is famous for bonefishing, and deep-sea fishing, reef fishing, and spear-fishing are also popular. The Caribbean side of the island is usually free of heavy surf, providing excellent conditions for sailing, windsurfing, and kayaking. Trails through the fields and woods are perfect for jogging, hiking, and mountain-biking. You won’t find them on a map or in a guidebook, so ask a local resident or watch for trails on the side of the road. The Atlantic side of the island offers many excellent beaches for surfing, with Surfer’s Beach being just the most famous. For golfers, Eleuthera has the only Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course in the Bahamas, once ranked among the best in the world. Although currently a bit worn at the edges, it is still a very enjoyable course with an oceanfront hole.
Eleuthera offers varied and unique sightseeing. The Hatchet Bay Cave extends for a mile underground. At The Cliffs, giant ocean swells crash into a limestone precipice. The Rock Sound Ocean Hole, said to be bottomless, is an inland salt lake connected by subterranean passages to the sea. Feed the tame saltwater fish miles from the ocean. The Glass Window Bridge, painted by Winslow Homer, is the narrowest point on the island, where the calm turquoise waters of the Caribbean almost touch the turbulent deep blue of the Atlantic. The cavernous Preacher’s Cave provided shelter for the first European settlers of Eleuthera, and served as their first church. The Queen’s Baths are a collection of small pools carved out of the soft rock by wave action. At low tide, the Queen—or anyone fortunate enough to be on Eleuthera—can bathe amongst the little fishes. These sites are all in their pristine state. Don’t expect to find a guide booth--or even a paved road.
Each of Eleuthera’s score of picturesque villages deserves a visit. Gregory Town, home of the annual Pineapple Festival, has a popular gift shop featuring local handicrafts. Spanish Wells is an island fishing village off the north coast of Eleuthera with lovely nineteenth century cottages in pastel colors. Governor’s Harbour, fifteen minutes south of Buttonwood Reserve, features an historic waterfront, colonial homes, and the recently restored Haynes Library. Governors Harbour also hosts the Friday night fish fry, a waterfront street party that brings out locals and visitors alike. Harbour Island, a five-minute water-taxi ride from Eleuthera, offers five-star hotels, shopping, and celebrity sightings. No private cars are permitted on the streets, so plan on renting a golf cart.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
BACK TO TOP
