Abstract
Basic facts on traveling to Eleuthera Island, its infrastructure, environment and points-of-interest.
The Bahamas
Eleuthera
One of a number of “Out Islands Out Islands” or “Family Islands” located in the north central chain of over 700 islands that make up the Bahamas. According to the Bahama’s Government, Eleuthera is the longest island in the Bahamas[1].
Eleuthera’s topography is primarily limestone hills and calcium carbonate sand rocks. Elevations top out at approximately 100 feet. Eleuthera has a substantial number of caves, cliffs, sinkholes and salt ponds. Island vegetation is primarily a low scrub while the cliffs are typically barren. There is some agriculture on the Island, most notably pineapples.
Eleuthera is known for being a quiet and peaceful island littered with miles of beautiful sandy beaches and coral reefs. The east side of the island is referred to as the Atlantic side and the west side is referred to as the Exuma Sound or Bahama Banks. The larger beaches can easily be located and identified on this satellite map of Eleuthera .
The Bahamian people inhabiting Eleuthera Island are quite friendly numbering more than 10,000. The more popular occupations are fishing, farming and construction. Many Eleutherans depend on tourism in some format or another. Approximately 60% of the Bahama’s GDP comes from tourism, 15% from financial services and 10% from agriculture [2] .
Infrastructure
Eleuthera is a fairly underdeveloped island. There are some smaller Eleuthera hotels and resorts along with a number of Eleuthera vacation rentals, villas and homes . Quite a few foreigners own homes on Eleuthera, a number of which rent their homes when they’re not otherwise inhabiting them. There are no casinos or other amusement attractions. There is some shopping, small souvenir shops, but nothing major, and there are no fast food stops.
Cupid’s Cay
The currency is Bahamian dollars which are exchanged 1:1 with the American dollar which is accepted there. While some restaurants and stores accept some credit cards and traveler’s checks, they typically apply an additional processing fee leaving cash as the primary form of payment. There are a handful of banks on the island, such as ScotiaBank and Royal Bank of Canada which will process ATM cards.
Food, gas and merchandise can be quite expensive on Eleuthera since most provisions are brought in by boat. Utilities are expensive as well. Electricity is provided by Bahamas Electric Company, also known as BEC, which is soon to be privatized [3] . Power is generated using expensive turbine diesel generators. Water is also expensive and provided primarily by reverse osmosis plants and cisterns. Telephone service is provided by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company , also known as Batelco, which is also being privatized. Cellular telephone service is provided by Batelco and is being switched over from the old format of TDMA to the newer GSM technology. Internet service is provided by Batelco as DSL service and via cable by Cable Bahamas , also known as Coral Wave .
Traveling To Eleuthera
Bannerman Light House
Traveling to Eleuthera is accomplished by plane or boat, of course. There are three Eleuthera airports , one in North Eleuthera (ELH), one in Central Eleuthera not far from Governor’s Harbour (GHB), and in South Eleuthera near Rock Sound (RSD). These airports are primarily serviced by smaller airlines and charter services flying in primarily from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Nassau. There is a ferry service called Bahamas Ferries which provides regular service from Nassau to Spanish Wells, just off the northwest coast of North Eleuthera, and to centrally located Governor’s Harbour.
U.S. citizens are required to present a passport for entry. The U.S. State Department has a page dedicated to traveling to the Bahamas and includes current information on travel restrictions, safety and any other warnings deemed appropriate.
Traveling Around Eleuthera
Traveling around Eleuthera generally requires an automobile which can be rented. Car rental companies, many times individuals, are supposed to be licensed by the government. Rental agreements are mostly informal and the age of a vehicle often times is more than 10 years old. Gasoline is usually double U.S. prices.
There is one primary road that runs throughout Eleuthera called Queen’s Highway. It is a winding, hilly two lane road in reasonable condition that sometimes gets damaged in various low lying locations due to the harsh environment. Care must be taken when navigating these roads, particularly for the first time. The speed limit is 45 MPH. The side roads range from reasonable to moonscape; some “four wheel only.” In a number of cases, the roads are left to homeowners to maintain, and as a result, remain as ungraded loose rock and / or sand. It is advisable to be prepared with sufficient water supply and such in the event one gets stuck when venturing to some of the more hard-to-reach destinations such as Bannerman Light House and Light House Beach. Regardless of the difficulties reaching these places, these are some of the most beautiful attractions on Eleuthera — that many more are within easy reach.
Weather
Average maximum temperature on Eleuthera ranges from 76° to 90° and average minimum from 65° to 79°. General weather conditions on Eleuthera are quite pleasant from November through June. From June until end of November is considered hurricane season, albeit many people continue to vacation and visit Eleuthera during this time. Purchasing travel insurance during these periods is a worthy consideration, particularly from August through November which is also considered the rainy season when rainfall averages 4 to 5 inches per month.
Points of Interest
The Glass Window Bridge
Eleuthera’s attractions start with many miles of magnificent pink-white beaches and a tranquil “back-to-nature” feel. Popular activities on Eleuthera include snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, surfing and sightseeing. One of the most popular points-of-interest is the Glass Window Bridge, sometimes referred to as the “
Narrowest Place on Earth“, where one can see the magnificent visual of dark blue waves of the Atlantic crashing into the cliffs on the left and the calm turquoise waters of the Exuma sound on the right. The Glass Window Bridge is just south of Upper Bogue and north of Gregory Town.
In central Eleuthera is the capitol settlement for Eleuthera known as Governor’s Harbour where the first seat of the Bahamas government was established. There are a number of historical sites to be seen there such as Haynes Library and Cupid’s Cay.
Ocean Hole
A popular destination in southern Eleuthera is the large water-filled sinkhole, known as a Cenotes, located in Rock Sound. Often referred to as Ocean Hole, you can feed the fish and go swimming. Some say the hole is bottomless, but divers have debunked that myth and say the hole is approximately 90 feet deep.
Harbour Island
A day trip to neighboring Harbour Island is a worthy consideration. A ten minute water taxi ride off the northeast coast of Eleuthera, Harbour Island is famous for its calcium carbonate pink sand beaches , restaurants and its quaint town called Dunmore. Harbour Island is a small island, 3.5 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, and a very popular destination for Hollywood types and elite.
Touring Harbour Island is relatviely easy. Golf carts are the preferred method of transportation and rentals are usually easy to get with perhaps a few exceptions during peak season such as Spring break. It’s easy to find your way around when equipped with a simple map you can get from the local tourism center.
Whether you’re on Eleuthera or Harbour Island, it’s fairly easy to find out where the features and services are by simply asking around. In most cases, many of the people of Eleuthera are more than happy to recommend a store, restaurant or provide directions to the next nearest beach.
On The Web
Eleuthera – General guide, interactive maps, news, reviews, weather, photos and virtual reality pictures.
Eleuthera on Facebook – Friends and photos of Eleuthera.
Eleuthera on Twitter – News and updates for Eleuthera.
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