Governor's Harbour
Central, both coastsThe main settlement, with French Leave Beach and the Friday fish fry.
Island guide
Things to do in Eleuthera
A long, thin island of pink sand beaches and quiet settlements: the Glass Window Bridge, Queen's Baths, surf at Gregory Town, plus Harbour Island's Pink Sands Beach and golf carts, and the fishing town of Spanish Wells.
180 km
Long, and narrow
1648
First settled
Pink sand and two oceans
Eleuthera is about 180 kilometres long and, in places, only a few hundred metres wide, with the deep blue Atlantic on one side and the calm, pale water of the Exuma Sound and the Bight on the other. It was settled in 1648 by the Eleutheran Adventurers, Puritans from Bermuda, and its name comes from the Greek word for freedom.
The island is the Out Island for a longer, slower stay. Settlements such as Governor's Harbour, Gregory Town and Rock Sound have guesthouses, small restaurants and colonial wooden houses, and the beaches, from French Leave to Lighthouse Beach in the far south, are often empty. At the Glass Window Bridge, the two sides of the island meet across a narrow strip of rock.
Off the north coast, Harbour Island is small and famous: Pink Sands Beach runs for about five kilometres, Dunmore Town has pastel houses and good restaurants, and golf carts replace cars. Spanish Wells, a tidy fishing town nearby, supplies much of the country's lobster. Give Eleuthera and Harbour Island five days to a week, with a hire car on the main island.
Where to base yourself
Governor's Harbour in the middle for both sides of the island, Gregory Town in the north for surf and the Glass Window, or Harbour Island for Pink Sands Beach.
Gregory Town
Surf, the northNear Surfer's Beach, the Glass Window Bridge and the Queen's Baths.
Harbour Island
Pink sand, restaurantsDunmore Town and Pink Sands Beach, a short water taxi away.
Rock Sound and the south
Quiet, Lighthouse BeachThe Ocean Hole and the beaches of the far south.
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Eleuthera
Drive to the Glass Window Bridge, where the dark blue Atlantic and the pale water of the Bight meet a few metres apart, and swim in the Queen's Baths nearby, natural rock pools filled by Atlantic waves. Visit Preacher's Cave, where the first settlers sheltered after a shipwreck, and surf at Surfer's Beach near Gregory Town.
Spend lazy days on French Leave Beach near Governor's Harbour, and drive to the far south for Lighthouse Beach, one of the most beautiful in the Bahamas, and the Ocean Hole, a saltwater lake in Rock Sound.
Take the water taxi from North Eleuthera to Harbour Island for Pink Sands Beach and the pastel streets of Dunmore Town, and the ferry to Spanish Wells for a quiet fishing town and nearby snorkelling. The Pineapple Festival in Gregory Town in June celebrates the island's farming history.
Free things
And what it costs nothing to do
All beaches in the Bahamas are public, so every beach on Eleuthera and Harbour Island is free, including Pink Sands Beach. The Glass Window Bridge, the Queen's Baths, Preacher's Cave and the Ocean Hole cost nothing.
Walking Dunmore Town on Harbour Island and the settlements of the main island is free.
The Haynes Library in Governor's Harbour, in a 19th-century building, is free to visit.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking
Conch salad, cracked conch and fried fish are sold at stands and small restaurants across the island. Spanish Wells lobster is some of the best in the country, in season from August to March, and Eleuthera's sweet pineapples are celebrated every June.
Harbour Island has the best restaurants in the area, and some of the most expensive; the conch stands along the harbour are much cheaper.
Restaurant meals carry 10 per cent VAT, and a service charge is often added. Many visitors self-cater from the island's grocery shops.
Nightlife
Going out
Nightlife is quiet. Governor's Harbour has a weekly fish fry on Friday nights, and a few bars stay open late.
Harbour Island has bars with music, especially at weekends in season.
Most evenings are about sunsets, dinner and stars.
Getting around
Getting around
Eleuthera has three airports: North Eleuthera, for Harbour Island and Spanish Wells; Governor's Harbour, in the middle; and Rock Sound, in the south. Fast ferries run from Nassau to Harbour Island, Spanish Wells and Governor's Harbour in around two to three hours, and mail boats are slower and cheaper.
A hire car is essential on the main island, as there is almost no public transport and distances are long. Driving is on the left.
Water taxis cross from the North Eleuthera dock to Harbour Island in a few minutes, and golf carts are the way to get around once there.
Costs
What Eleuthera costs
Eleuthera is one of the better-value Out Islands, with guesthouses and cottages from around €85 to €155 a night. Harbour Island is far more expensive.
Car hire is the main daily cost, along with fuel. Restaurant mains cost €22 to €40 plus VAT and service, while conch stands and self-catering are much cheaper.
The Bahamian dollar is fixed to the US dollar, and both are used.
Safety
Safety and scams
Eleuthera and Harbour Island are very safe, and crime against visitors is rare.
The Atlantic side has strong waves and currents, so swim on the calmer Bight side unless you know the beach. At the Queen's Baths and Glass Window Bridge, big waves can break over the rocks without warning, so keep back in rough seas.
Roads are narrow and unlit at night. Hurricane season runs from June to November. In an emergency, call 911 or 919.
Worth the trip
Islands off the north coast and the far south.
Harbour Island
Pink Sands Beach and Dunmore Town.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Pineapples, homecomings and Junkanoo.
June
Eleuthera Pineapple Festival
Gregory Town
Music, food and pineapples, celebrating the island's farms.
Every Friday
Friday fish fry
Governor's Harbour
Local food and music.
26 December and 1 January
Junkanoo
Settlements across the island
Smaller parades, full of energy.
When to go
December to April is the dry season, with calm seas and the busiest prices. May and June are warm and quieter, with the Pineapple Festival in June. Hurricane season runs from June to November.
Jan
Dry, peak season
Feb
Dry and comfortable
Mar
Spring break crowds
Apr
Warm water, dry
May
Warming, quieter
Jun
Hurricane season opens
Jul
Hot, regatta season
Aug
Hot, rising hurricane risk
Sep
Peak hurricane risk, some places close
Oct
Still risky
Nov
Good value
Dec
Dry season, Junkanoo
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs, rounded. Warm all year.
What your trip will cost
Per night, for one person, based on Eleuthera prices.
Treat these as a guide. Harbour Island costs much more.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Eleuthera questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Harbour Island part of Eleuthera?
It is a separate small island just off North Eleuthera, a few minutes away by water taxi.
How do I get from Nassau to Eleuthera?
By fast ferry in around two to three hours, by mail boat, or by plane to one of the three airports.
Is the sand on Harbour Island really pink?
Yes. Tiny pink shells and coral give Pink Sands Beach its colour, strongest at the water's edge.
Do I need a car on Eleuthera?
Yes. The island is long, and there is almost no public transport.
Is Eleuthera cheaper than Harbour Island?
Yes, much cheaper. Many people stay on Eleuthera and visit Harbour Island for the day.
What is the Glass Window Bridge?
A bridge over a narrow gap in the island, where the Atlantic and the calm Bight are only metres apart.
When is the best time to visit Eleuthera?
December to April for the weather, or June for the Pineapple Festival.
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