Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2020 | Page 22

North West Bahamas
Eleuthera
The beaches are heavenly on
this fishing and farming island of
about 11,000 residents, and the
mythical nature of the pink sand
that line its shores is a constant
source of fascination. About 50
miles east of Nassau, Eleuthera is
110 miles long and just 2 miles
wide, but there are enough things
to keep you engaged during
your visit. Enjoy the secluded
beaches, explore the caves, visit
the lighthouse and try some water
sports.
North West Bahamas
Lazy Days in Eleuthera
S
eeking a secluded
getaway for our
family summer
vacation, I booked
tickets from Miami and the
four of us road tripped from
our home in the mountains
of North Carolina down the
Florida coast. A short hop of
a flight delivered us to the
tourist bustle of Nassau and
we taxied to the ferry docks to
board for the trip to Eleuthera.
The luxurious, air conditioned
fast ferry from Nassau to
Eleuthera has a tiny bar and
lunch counter so we enjoyed
snacks and icy Kalik beers
on the three hour trip across
azure water before landing in
Current on the north section
of the 100 mile long strip of
island. Right off of the ferry
dock, we splashed into the sea
from a tiny ring of beach next
to the little shop that greets
visitors from the ferry.
Known as one of the “family
islands”, Eleuthera is ranked
as the “Best Secret Island on
Earth” by Travel and Leisure
but retains its sleepy out island
feel with friendly people,
local owned guesthouses and
virtually vacant beaches. The
island has the benefit of two
completely different coastlines
with the crashing Atlantic on
the northeast and the still,
clear Caribbean Sea on its
southwest. At Glass Window
Bridge, the narrowest place
on earth, you can stand in the
middle of the road and see
both bodies of water, distinctly
different within a few feet of
each other. The astronaut John
Glenn declared Eleuthera one
of the most beautiful sites on
earth from outer space.
Puritans from Bermuda
seeking religious freedom
founded Eleuthera in 1648
and the little island of Harbour
Island just off the coast is
still populated by white
descendants who live in tiny
by Shelley Townley
cottages and drive golf carts
through the narrow streets.
Tourist infrastructure on
Eleuthera is significantly less
than on the more visited
islands of Paradise and Grand
Bahama and in order to pick
up our rental car (keep left!) we
had to stop into a tiny bar to
get the keys to a 1970’s clunker
that barely ran and had no
radio, but we didn’t mind as we
zoomed alongside spectacular
white sand beaches on the
Queen’s Highway, Eleuthera’s
one main road.
We stopped by Governor’s
Harbour, the main settlement
on Eleuthera and visited
a little grocery where we
bought some staples and local
produce from a friendly old
gentleman before heading to
our vacation rental cottage in
Ten Bay Beach. The islanders
make a living through farming
and fishing and fresh fish and
pineapples are readily available