Exotic Getaway to Eleuthra, Bahamas
Escape to Eleuthera
The island of Eleuthera, located in the Bahama chain, is a long thing island known for it’s pink sand and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Below is a map of the islands that make up the Bahamas to give you a better visualization of where it’s located. Below that is a map of the island of Eleuthera with some of the main towns and local sites.
How To Get There
Eleuthera was surprisingly easy to get to, with only one stop in Miami. From Miami it was a straight shot to North Eleuthera airport, only a 45 minute - 1 hour plane ride from Miami. Now don’t expect a huge robust airport to greet you when you arrive to Northern Eleuthera; it is quite small and simple but apparently gets the job done.
On this family trip to the islands, we decided to do something completely different and have a more “local” experience and opted to stay in a house on the island. The owner of the house let us use their car and it was waiting for us at the airport parking lot. We climbed into the (non-air conditioned) suburban and started the hour-ish drive down the island to our rental home in Tarpum Bay. The views along the drive were absolutely spectacular - I’ve never known water to be so turquoise and sand to look so enticing.
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Stop #1: You have to stop at the Glass Window Bridge - a bridge that overpasses both the Caribbean sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Pull off (far) on the side to avoid other cars and park the car. Wear some good shoes and climb up top the rocks to look over the breathtaking views - one side is the exotic waters of the Caribbean and one side is the rough cold water of the Atlantic.
Stop #2: We wanted to find a spot to eat lunch before we got to our house and pulled off at this place in James Cistern that ended up being our favorite place to eat the entire trip! LeoRose Sunset Bar & Grill. We arrived on BBQ day and it did not disappoint, wow! It was absolutely delicious with absolutely dazzling views of the beach…oh wait, that’s because we were on the beach! We all had our first Bahama Mamma of the trip and toasted to our Bahamian getaway.
Stop #3: Tarpum Bay. The house we rented was in Tarpum Bay and what a charming and welcoming place. There were about two restaurants in the town and a small little convenience store where you could buy a few items, but the best part of the town was how private it was. We barely ran into anyone at the beach, essentially having a private beach in our own backyard. A five-minute drive brought you to the fishing village where every day men would bring their boats in with fresh catch and the little bar on the beach was always lively and happy.
Views from our house
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Adventure #1: Off roading Razor adventure + historical tour. We found a local company that had ATV/Razors that brought us to historical spots on the island. The two guides were local residents who were born and raised on the island which made it feel very authentic and private. The carts were fun, loud and got down and dirty - just what the boys loved! We stopped at an old destructed church, a missionary home, a few historical landmarks, and of course we had to stop at some private and presteen beaches. When we stopped at one of these beaches, they showed us some of the local plants and herbs that they use to sustain off the island as well as teach us palm weaving … and even made our own bookmarks (with a little help). We finished our day off with a snorkeling adventure and it was gorgeous! It was most of the family’s first time snorkeling and will be an experience we never forget.
Tips: bring sunglasses or goggles because the dirt kicks up on these razors. Bring plenty fo water to drink and rinse off your face. Wear clothes and a bathing suit you don’t mind to get absolutely filthy!
Adventure #2: Lighthouse Beach. Think of the most gorgeous beaches you’ve seen in magazines and on Pinterest and viola - here you go. Lighthouse Beach is considered one of the most gorgeous beaches in the Bahamas, if not the world. Why? Because it is one of the most untouched and unspoiled beaches in the world. We took some dirt pothole filled backroads to get to the area known of Lighthouse Beach. We had the entire beach to ourselves, we couldn’t believe it! It’s moments like these you can’t get when you’re on an all-inclusive resort.
Tips: Bring snacks, food, water etc. because there’s nothing on the way.
Make sure your car has 4-wheel drive or off-roading capabilities as the road is dotted with craters of potholes. The last mile and a half are extremely rough and bumpy. Don’t stop at the sign, keep going past it and park in the clearing or else you’ll have quite a walk. Spend as much time here as possible and savor the moments. GO BEFORE DISNEY DESTROYS IT … sadly it’s true; Disney has bought this part of the island from the people of the Bahamas and it won’t be a private oasis for long.
Adventure #3: Governor Habour. We spent a little time driving around the town of Governor Harbour and was delighted by the colorful buildings, and some pretty mesmerizing views. We also had a fantastic meal here at the Buccaneer Club. I linked their Facebook page here. They had live music, great food, and a full bar complete with Bahama Mamas and other “tropical” drinks.
Adventure #4: Harbour Island. We spent an entire day out on Harbour Island which was radically different than the rest of Eleuthera. There’s no other way to describe Habour Island other than where the wealthy come to play and stay. While we found little spots along the island to be mostly private to ourselves, Harbour Island is where there are some luxury small hotels, yacht clubs and high-end boutiques. Don’t get me wrong; it was stunning and gorgeous and we had a lovely time, but after five days of wearing no makeup, hair in a messy bun, and living in a salty swim suit, it was an adjustment to come back to “civilization”. It was over an hour and a half drive from our rental house in Tarpum Bay to get to the tip of the island, where you have to board a boat (cash only) to the island. There are several boats that will take you over throughout the day but make sure you check with the drivers on the last time to return in the evening.
Once on Harbour Island you will really need to rent a golf cart in order to explore the island. Men are right there on the docks to rent you a golf cart for the day (again, cash only). We zipped along the island with our golf carts and stopped at a few local shops, stopped at Tingum Village at Ma Ruby’s because supposedly they had the best burger in Eleuthera (and the boys were dying for some beef).
We stopped down at the beach to see the soft pink sand which was very pretty even though it was overcast and starting to rain when we got there. So what else do you do on an island when the storms roll in? Drink of course! So we stopped at Sip Sips, a local hotel restaurant and bar for some island drinks. The drinks were good, I’ll give it that, but definitely far more expensive than on the main island of Eleuthera.
Habour Island has tons of cute little shops and things to see, so take your time to enjoy it and soak it up before heading back to the main island!
I hope you make some incredible memories at this gorgeous island! Stay tuned for my next Bahamas guide… Exuma! Leave a comment below with any questions or if you want more specific directions to any of these locations!
