The family island of Eleuthera, in the Bahamas, is almost sixty miles east of New Providence Island (Nassau). This skinny paradise – only two miles wide at its widest point – is over 100 miles long and one of the larger islands in the Bahamas chain of islands. This means that it has well over 200 miles of shoreline and a large portion of that shoreline is beach. However, finding all the beaches of Eleuthera can be quite a challenge.
A small number of beaches can only be visited by boat. Many beaches lay at the end of a rocky dirt road. There are, of course, a few beaches that can be seen and reached from the Queen’s Highway and a handful that are easily reached from a hotel or restaurant.
The most widely known, and perhaps the most photographed, beach in Eleuthera is Pink Sand Beach on Harbour Island. That beach features estates of celebrities, a few exclusive resorts and a few lucky homeowners. A short walk from the water taxi dock, to the other side of this narrow island, will bring you to this beach. It’s easy to find many sandy paths leading to this amazing beach.
The main island of Eleuthera has several beaches just a beautiful as Harbour Island’s Pink Sand Beach, with the added bonus that you’re likely to get the beach all to yourselves. You may even get a lot of privacy on the better known beaches. Lighthouse Beach, found at the southern tip of Eleuthera, easily rivals Pink Sand Beach. The sand and sea just seem to go on for ever and ever. And, while you’re there, you can walk right around the southern tip while you’re in the water!
From Lighthouse Beach it’s not very far to Princess Cay. That name probably sounds familiar to a lot of people, and it should. It’s a port of call for Princess Cruise Lines. Just outside the gated area for the cruise ship passengers you’ll find a small village of local merchants that’s definitely worth the visit.
Be sure to visit Cape Eleuthera as well while you’re at the southern end of Eleuthera. It’s on the other part of the “whale tail” that forms the southern end of this amazing island. You’ll want to be sure to spend some time at the two man-made beaches at Cape Eleuthera Resort. Be sure to make a stop at Cape Eleuthera Institute on your way to the resort. It’s an environmental research facility and a wonderful experience to visit. Also visit the Island School that offers a unique experience for the adventurous students.
A few Eleuthera beaches are visible from the Queen’s Highway and include: Tarpum Bay Beach, Alabaster Beach (just south of Governor’s Harbour airport, James Cistern Beach, Rainbow Bay Beach and the beaches in the settlement of Current. Beaches that are easily accessible from the main road include Savannah Sound Beach and French Leave Beach (aka Club Med Beach).
However, many of the best beaches remain hidden unless you have exact instructions on how to locate them. Surfers Beach, Ben Bay, Jacks Bay and more are some of these hidden, yet fabulous, beaches. Luckily there is a terrific guide book that gives directions to almost all of the beaches. This guide book is aptly named The Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera. It not only supplies easy-to-follow directions, it also gives GPS co-ordinates and assessments for each beach.
