Eleuthera and Harbour Island

The Island of Eleuthera also know as Harbor Island is located in the Bahamas and features pink sandy beaches.

Preacher’s Cave, Harvard College, Braselitto Wood, Religious Freedom, Pink Sands and Briland. At Preacher’s Cave on Eleuthera’s south coast, so the legend goes, a band of hardy colonists fleeing from religious intolerance in Bermuda, came ashore and lived in the cave. These were the Eleutheran Adventurers led by one-time Bermudian governor, William Sayles. Thus began the fist English Settlement in The Islands Of The Bahamas during the Cromwellian era. View our pictures in our online gallery.

So Eleuthera embodies the soul of modern day Bahamas.

Fishing is one of the main activities that people do in Eleuthera. Visit our fishing page to read more. Diving is also popular sport as well.

The first Adventurers shipped Braselitto to Boston to say thank you for the help they received. The proceeds from the sale of the precious wood went to purchase the land for Harvard College, which eventually became Harvard University.

From Spanish Wells, fishing center of The Islands Of The Bahamas to Harbour Island, Briland to the cognoscenti, home to a blessed few, to Genteel Rock Sound with its wide array of diversions designed for the leisurely passage of time, one is never far from the spirit of freedom. Freedom from stress, anxiety and haste. Freedom to rediscover and enjoy.

No visit to Eleuthera would be complete without a visit to The Glass Window Bridge. Here nature in one of its more awe-inspiring displays, has giant waves smashing themselves against the rocky headlands with spray arching hundreds of feet into the air, while a mere hundred feet away on the gentle western coast, gin clear water, running from a pale pastel teal to aquamarine, rests as still as a pond.

Each settlement has a building or buildings, dating back to the colonial era.

Briland is a blend of the old and the new. Cars, golf carts and pickups have replaced the clip clop of horse-drawn carts, but not the charm of the narrow streets that twist and turn through and around the century old settlement that is Briland. To be in Briland, to be part of a way of life that is magical in charm and peace. Whatever one longs for, from barefoot days on pink powder-soft beaches, and leisurely rounds on manicured greens, to the effervescent abandon of a Club Med. Eleuthera allows you the freedom to be you at your pace.

Enjoy your visit.

Exploring Eleuthera & Harbour Island
Visitors need to devote a minimum of two day to explore the changing sceneries of Eleuthera’s 110 miles. A convenient point of departure would be any of the island’s three major locations: North Eleuthera or Harbor Island; Central Eleuthera at Governor’s Harbor or South Eleuthera at Rock Sound. The Queen’s Highway, which runs the length of the island, take the visitor past quaint, sleepy villages, rolling pineapple fields, dramatic cliffs, prehistoric caves and an inland ocean hole.

Governor’s Harbor
The capital of Eleuthera and one of the oldest settlements in The Bahamas, Governor’s Harbor sits atop a high ridge that gently slopes toward a sheltered harbor. Faded Victorian houses near the harbor recall the town’s Loyalist heritage. Cupid’s Cay, said to be the original settlement of Governor’s Harbor, lies across the harbor. Governor’s Harbor is home to several hotels, popular restaurants and a festive fish fry every Friday evening.

North of Governor’s Harbor
JAMES CISTERN- a small, tranquil settlement that boasts a unique species of four-headed coconut tree.

THE CLIFFS- two-miles north of James Cistern. The rugged beauty of these sheer cliffs mark a dramatic change in scenery.

HATCHET BAY- nestled on a deepwater harbor. Remains of a once thriving cattle plantation established in the 1950’s can still be seen.

THE CAVE- 1½ miles outside Hatchet Bay. A mile-long cave with magnificent stalagmites and stalactites.

GREGORY TOWN- renowned for the one of the Bahamas’ best surfing beaches and succulent Eleuthera pineapple. The island’s biggest festivity, the Pineapple Festival is held here annually during the first week of June.

GLASS WINDOW BRIDGE- located between Gregory Town and Upper Bogue. Described by some as the eight wonders of the world. The narrow ridge that divides the island almost in two, separates the raging Atlantic on one side, from the still calm waters of the Gulf on the other side.

UPPER AND LOWER BOGUE- serene, farming villages where most of the island’s citrus is grown.

THE CURRENT- a small fishing village, and one of Eleuthera’s earliest settlements. Across the bay from Current village lies Current Island, which is only accessible by boat. Current Island is famed for producing some of the Bahamas’ finest straw craft.

THE BLUFF- a small farming community with citrus groves.

PREACHER’S CAVE- 6 miles north of the Bluff, where the founders of Eleuthera, the Eleutheran Adventurers, took refuge after bring shipwrecked in 1648.

Harbor Island
A ten-minute ferry ride from Three Island Dock in North Eleuthera in Harbor Island. Picturesque, historic houses along the shore greet visitors to one of the most popular resort islands in the Bahamas. Harbor Island is famed for its 3-mile long pink sand beach but offers much more: water based pursuits, such as bone fishing, windsurfing, jet ski, deep-sea fishing and boating as well as tennis and horseback riding.

This three-mile long island can be explored by horse & carriage, bike or golf cart. Harbor Island's nightlife is vibrant and accommodations range from cozy, family run guesthouses to elegant resorts.

South Of Governor's Harbor
PALMETTO POINT- the two sections of this settlement are often referred to as North and South Palmetto Point. A must see in Palmetto Point is Walter's Native Art & Gifts, which showcases unique painting on driftwood by local artist Walter Bethel.

SAVANNAH SOUND- a once thriving community, its seventy-five year old schoolhouse is where some of the foremost Bahamian educators received early instruction. South of Savannah Sound is Windermere Island, whose posh resort, now closed, was a favorite getaway of royalty.

TARPUM BAY- a serene village with pastel colored cottages, and home to two art galleries. McMillan-Hughes Art Gallery housed in a limestone medieval castle showcases oils, acrylics and steel sculptures by Lord McMillan-Hughes. On display are paintings of island scenes by artist Mal Flanders.

ROCK SOUND- the hub of South Eleuthera, boasts the island's only golf course, the Trent Jones, designed Cotton Bay Golf Course not to be missed is Ocean Hole, a large inland ocean hole 100 fathoms deep, where tame tropical fish come to be fed by visitors. A stop at Almond's Gift shop leaves the visitor with a memorable appreciation of the island's indigenous craft.

South Of Rock Island
The Queen's Highway passes through the tranquil villages of GREEN CASTLE, DEEP CREEK, WEMYSS' BIGHT, JOHN MILLARS, WATERFORD AND BANNERMAN TOWN.