At its closest point Eleuthera lies only thirty miles northeast of Nassau, and less than thirty miles east of the northern Exuma Cays. The island spans about a hundred miles from north to south, ending in a Y-shape formed by Powell Point, Rock Sound, and Bannerman Town. While long, the island is also skinny, with an average width of less than two miles.

The terrain is a combination of tall white-faced cliffs, coral sand beaches, forests, green hills and pristine valleys dotted with lakes. All of this is surrounded by aquamarine seas, with the deeper blue of the Atlantic Ocean pouring in over the windward reef.

The story of the Eleutherian Adventurers is well known throughout The Bahamas. Led by Captain William Sayle, a former governor of Bermuda, seventy souls seeking religious freedom set out in search of a new homeland. They originally landed in 1648 near Governor’s Harbour, then discord within the group caused Sayle and some of his followers to leave and sail north. Their boat eventually ran aground on the dangerous northern reefs, but the party struggled ashore at a location that came to be known as Preacher’s Cave. Some of the group found their way to what is now Spanish Wells. Life was harsh, with starvation a constant threat.

These settlers named the island Eleuthera, from the Greek word for freedom, and continued their determined battle to survive. Sayle, realizing his new homeland needed help, sailed off to the Colonies to look for support.

Though most of the original settlers returned to England by 1650, Sayles mission was ultimately a success. Eleuthera became known as the “Birthplace of The Bahamas” and was probably the first true democracy in the western hemisphere.

Loyalists arrived with their slaves after the Revolutionary War. They built colonial-style homes and based their economy on agriculture and shipbuilding. As with the Abaconians, salvaging wrecked ships off the reefs became an important part of their livelihood.

Growing pineapples proved to be big business for a long period of time, with many tons shipped to the United States and England. Though the pineapple business is not what it was, it is still important to Eleuthera’s economy today. Tomatoes, citrus fruits, corn and other crops are also routinely shipped to the markets in Nassau.

Spanish Wells, the settlement on St. George’s Cay off northwestern Eleuthera, was made famous by the Spanish Conquistadors, who stopped here to load up with fresh water for the final leg of their journey back across the Atlantic Ocean. Residents of the settlement are expert seamen, and accomplished farmers, working crops on the mainland of Eleuthera. Today, harvesting crawfish and servicing the many visiting boaters adds to the community’s prosperity.

Harbour Island, or Briland as it’s called by residents, is just off the northeastern coast of Eleuthera. The island is only three miles long and half a mile wide, yet it has played an important role in Eleuthera’s development. By the late 1800s, Dunmore Town, its main settlement, had grown into a renowned shipyard and sugar processing site. The sugar business gave rise to the rum business, which made the island especially popular during prohibition in the United States.

The Pinks Sands Hotel and the Dunmore Beach Club created a long-standing resort atmosphere for refined elegance and quiet charm, yet for years you had to be “in the know” to realize this was an option on Harbour Island. Through modern renovations and promotional efforts, both resorts are now more well-known, though the pampered feeling given to guests hasn’t changed at all, nor has the vivid pink sand beach.

The current population of Eleuthera is a little more than 10,000. Without as many sailing and resort options as Abaco, Eleuthera is more quiet and unassuming. Development on the island is geared more toward private residential communities than toward resorts. Harbour Island and Club Med, which is located near Governor’s Harbour, are exceptions, but they still fit in with the overall remote feeling of the island.

Like most Out Island Bahamians, the people here are extremely self-sufficient, welcoming and accommodating. Nothing seems too difficult if you ask politely. No problem, Mon. Excellent seafood can be readily found in many local restaurants. So can some of the best Johnny Cake anywhere, but the special treat on Eleuthera is pie, the best coconut and pineapple pies in the world.

Taxi service on the island is very good, or you can choose to rent a car. We highly recommend renting a car and doing some exploring on your own. To reach some of the best beaches you’ll need 4-wheel drive. If you’re really ambitious you can cover the island from top to bottom in about three and a half hours. Miles of pink and white sand beaches are mixed with rugged cliffs on the windward side of the island. Calm bays and bonefish flats are sprinkled in the lee. Pleasant colonial villages with brightly painted houses overlook pineapple plantations and white-capped waves crashing over the outer reef.

Think of the Old South, of the graceful illusion created in “Gone With The Wind” before the war, and you’ll have a feel for Eleuthera, something that is subtly different from any other of the Bahamian islands.

Diving and snorkeling are top activities throughout Eleuthera, but surfing is also a big draw. We often encounter surfers in the North Eleuthera Airport when we’re on our way to or from Harbour Island. We have received consistent reports of good surf between Glass Window and James Point, with Surfer’s Beach being best overall.

Biking and hiking are especially popular on Eleuthera, with beautiful rolling terrain surrounding good roads and trails. If you want privacy, you’ll find plenty of remote beaches, many with pink sand, where you can swim and picnic in idyllic conditions.

American Eagle flies daily from Miami to Governor’s Harbour. Bahamasair flies daily from Miami and Nassau to North Eleuthera, Governor’s Harbour, and Rock Sound. Continental Express/Gulfstream flies daily from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale to North Eleuthera. US Airways Express flies daily from Ft. Lauderdale to North Eleuthera and Governor’s Harbour. Be sure to check with your resort or hotel for the nearest airport, as this will save you time and taxi fare.

Arriving and departing visitors will want to carry plenty of small bills for taxi and water ferry services. After landing at North Eleuthera or Governor’s Harbour, it is common to spend $25 to $50 reaching your accommodations. These transfers are often taxi, water ferry, then another taxi, which is the way you reach Harbour Island.

We recommend soft luggage that is at least water-resistant. You should also have a rain jacket handy for bad weather and ferry crossings. If the weather is calm, have insect repellent ready to apply while you’re waiting for your luggage.

On Harbour Island, The Pink Sands Hotel, Coral Sands Hotel, Dunmore Beach Club, and Romora Bay Club all provide accommodations and guest amenities that range from nice to luxurious.

With brightly painted houses and white picket fences, Dunmore Town is not only one of the oldest settlements in The Bahamas, but one of the most charming. The concrete government wharf is the center of activity, as it is the ferry landing and the mailboat dock. This is also where we meet our bonefishing guides each morning. Legendary “Bonefish Joe,” Joe Cleare, is the dean of guides. Stanley Johnson, Vincent Cleare, Stuart Cleare, Patrick Roberts, and Vincent Flucker round out the guiding team we use most often.

Some of the best fishing is just northwest across the harbor, on wide-open white sand flats where the incoming tide tempts tailing fish on a consistent basis. As the tide moves in the fish cruise the many mangrove shorelines and creeks with darker bottoms of sand, coral and grass. One particular creek winds through the mainland for miles, with a current like a river during a spring tide. You can also fish the outside cays like Jacob Island, Man Island, and many smaller ones, all of which have bays and bars of white sand that make spotting bonefish unusually easy.

While we consider the bonefishing good here, Harbour Island is the ultimate Bahamian location for pampered beach vacationing in luxury accommodations. The three-mile pink sand beach facing the Atlantic Ocean is protected by a reef that makes swimming fun for all ages. If you like body surfing or boogie boarding, the reef break is just right. Several of the hotels, including the Pink Sands, have lighted tennis courts. The food on the island is out of this world.

Anglers and non-anglers can take equal pleasure in pursuing their own type of relaxation. You can walk anywhere on the island, though many visitors rent golf carts. If you get lost, just ask for directions. You’ll find the people here will go out of their way to help you.

For boaters, Harbour Island is a port of entry. Valentine’s Resort & Marina is located a couple hundred yards south of the government wharf. Full services are available including two restaurants, a bar, pool, guest accommodations, and a certified dive center. Thirty-nine slips can accommodate boats up to 160 feet. Since this is a popular spot, we suggest you call ahead for reservations. Along with the Romora Bay Club poolside bar, this is the best place on the island to watch the sunset.

The Romora Bay Club offers an excellent dive service with a PADI-trained staff that specializes in instruction and specially arranged trips to meet individual needs.

Accomodation
Pink Sands Hotel - Harbour Island
This is Kim’s favorite hotel in The Bahamas, and one of her favorites in the world. This Chris Blackwell resort features twenty-six rooms in eighteen cottage-style buildings. Large deluxe air-conditioned rooms and suites include wet bars, refrigerator, toaster, coffeemaker, CD player, Italian-tiled bathrooms, and private terraces. The open-air lobby is bright and comfortable and includes a long hardwood bar, pool table, and cocktail area. A gorgeous living room/library features satellite TV and board games. The outdoor dining area is casual and elegant, and the food is simply superb.

You’ll need to be on a diet either before or after this trip, and maybe both. A beachside restaurant serves great lunches, or you can order lunch down on the beach. And the pink sand beach? Yep, it’s pink and magnificent. If you don’t want to swim in the ocean try the freshwater pool, next to three lighted tennis courts. To top if off the hotel can arrange for legendary bonefish guides, or offshore fishing. Diving and snorkeling excursions are also available. The on-site general managers, Jacques and Pam Brouchier, are extremely helpful, and will do everything possible to make your trip memorable. Jacques is a fellow fly fisher who will enjoy trading fish stories with you in the bar.

Season: Mid-October through July (Low season rates available in October, early November, and in the summer).
Suitable For: Anglers and non-anglers, or anyone who wants a luxurious beach vacation.
What’s Included: Complete packages include accommodation, Bahamian taxes, breakfast and dinner.
Not Included: Air fare to/from North Eleuthera airport, taxi/boat transfers, guided fishing and other optional activities.
Pricing: On application.
Contact: Reservations and information - 800.688.7678 or 242.333.2030. Fax - 242.333.2060.
Email: outpost800@aol.com.
Internet: www.islandoutpost.com .

For more great information on fly fishing The Bahamas see:
Mini guide to fly fishing The Bahamas - Andros Island Mini guide to fly fishing The Bahamas - Abaco Mini guide to fly fishing The Bahamas - Long Island

Stephen and Kim Vletas co-founded the famous Westbank Anglers in 1986 in Jackson, Wyoming and have since also opened stores in Dallas and Charlotte. They believe the only way to write successful travel books is to visit and study each location personally, so, for six to eight weeks every year they travel to The Bahamas to gain the intimate knowledge of fisheries, guides, and all the important details of island life that abound in their books. Check out their website at www.bahamasflyfishingguide.com .