Island Information

Eleuthera is a long slender tranquil island in the Bahamas, an independent country once a part of the British Commonwealth. It features an extraordinary number and variety of pristine beaches and a delightful assortment of colorful peaceful villages. If what you know of the Bahamas is mainly bustling Nassau or Freeport with their huge hotels, casinos, and cruise ship crowds - or even the many marinas of The Abacos attracting the yachting scene from Florida - Eleuthera will seem a world away.

Here you can stroll for miles, alone with your thoughts on a resplendent pink sand beach. You may enjoy the pleasures of marvelous snorkeling off of the beach at the doorstep of our villa, world renowned surfing at another nearby magnificent beach, hiding amongst cliffs on other remote beaches, and some of the best bone and sport fishing anywhere.

Evening may find you sipping tropical punch while dining at a quiet restaurant gazing at an unforgettable sunset... or barbecuing fresh fish you just bought on the dock from local fishermen on the deck of the villa overlooking the radiant sea.

Other attractions include dramatic seaside cliffs, caves and caverns to explore, and the Glass Window Bridge famously painted by Winslow Homer where the island is only as wide as the road with the deep green, restless Atlantic on one side and the shallow, placid, turquoise Caribbean on the other stretching towards their infinite horizons.

At the quaint town of Governors Harbour, Eleuthera's capital, you will find colorful gingerbread houses set around the bay. Here there are grocery & liquor stores, restaurants and banks.

Nearer by are the charming smaller villages of Hatchet Bay, James Cistern and Gregory Town with famous pineapple and watermelon farms and fresh grouper, snapper and crawfish available on the docks. Visits to the colorful and very different tiny islands of Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, each about a half-mile ferry ride from Eleuthera, make fascinating day trips.

Eleuthera's tropical climate makes the island pleasant all year round, with the average temperature ranging from 68 to 86 degrees F during the day.

The official currency is the Bahamian dollar (B$) which is on par with the US$ and both are generally accepted.

There are three airports on the island, regularly served by commercial airlines from Miami (MIA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and Nassau (NAS) - so these are the cities you must transfer from. Among these are American, Continental, BahamasAir, and Twin Air. The closest airport to the villa is Governor's Harbor (GHB). North Eleuthera (ELH) is also convenient. Rock Sound, far to the southerly end of the island, is not recommended.

If you are coming from Britain, British Airways flies daily, direct to Nassau from London, and Virgin Airlines also offers Nassau service. London-Miami flights are offered by British Airways, American Airlines & Virgin. Connections to Eleuthera can then be easily made at Nassau or Miami.

You may check the Flights link on our links page for more information.

If you are looking for designer shops, bustling nightlife and fast food chains Eleuthera will disappoint. Ideally suited to visitors who enjoy a good book and lazy days far away from well-developed commercial resorts...

© Jonathan Shaw Klate