My wife and I have lived in Eleuthera for over 9 years and we still love it. It didn’t take long for us to realize that the moderate subtropical climate from the Bahamas would be perfect for us. Yes, we stay here every winter and sometimes even in the summer because we own a house and cabin in Central Eleuthera.
But before I tell you how special this island is… Well, did you know that it is only an hour by plane from Florida, that is, Miami or Fort Lauderdale? No, you didn’t?…
Well, that’s a good reason to tell you the most important fact about Eleuthera right now: this long, narrow island is the best place to Total relaxation… A paradise of peace and tranquillity. Particularly for couples, families, divers and fishermen. Why?…
The most beautiful pink sand beaches
The number of spectacular and deserted beaches is truly impressive. So you get both…the beauty of the beaches and the beauty of the underwater world if you are a scuba diver.
Y outgoing rental places because many foreigners, mainly from the US, are renting their houses or guest houses. Just put the two search words eleuthera and rent into Google and you will find a wide variety of houses for rent.
Hotels? It’s hard to believe, but on the entire island there are only three hotels directly on the water. The one in the north near Gregory Town is the newly renovated Eleuthera Cove.
There are only two hotels directly on the water in the Central Eleuthera area, namely…the charming Italian Resort cocodimama with 12 rooms. It is on the left side of Eleuthera near the GHB airport. And the other hotel with 8 rooms – unique town – It’s on the right hand side at North Palmetto Point. This is the Atlantic side with all the fine pink sand beaches.
The unusual shape of Eleuthera and its friendly people
Eleuthera is 100 miles long and between a quarter and 4 miles wide. Its population is only about 9’000. And Eleutherans, the native English speakers, are very friendly. let me give you An example…
When we first arrived at Governor’s Harbor Airport, we were taken to Governor’s Harbor Settlement, 9 miles south of GHB Airport. And what did we see… A nearly straight path through gently rolling hills that looked like a roller coaster and… bushes, bushes, nothing but bushes on either side.
As we entered the small town of Governor’s Harbour, all the locals greeted us. *You must be a very well-known person*, I told him. *Oh no, that’s how people are here* she told me. And that’s the way it is today when we’re driving into town.
What can you expect?
crystal clear turquoise waters, Stunning pink sand beaches and pure air. Little traffic which by the way is traffic on the left as in England. After all, the Bahamas were a British colony. That’s why children still greet him with a friendly *Good afternoon, sir*.
What else can you expect? there are some grocery stores with a pretty good selection but nothing to compare to the US Well maybe with this one exception… in Rock Sound – South-Eleuthera – is the largest grocery store on the island with a good selection of fruits and vegetables.
Most regular visitors to Eleuthera bring frozen meat. However, please do not pack vegetables and fruits, because the customs will confiscate them. Visitors also bring their prescription medications because there are there are no pharmacies on the island.
Restaurants?… You will find all kinds of restaurants but of course not as many as in really touristy places. Bahamian, Italian or Chinese cuisine… yes, they are all there.
Eleuthera is developing at a faster rate now
Since The New York Times published articles on Eleuthera in the winter of 2005/2006, a couple of five star resorts started to go up. They are still under construction – summer 2007 – but will start working in 2008. The most important is cotton bay in South Eleuthera.
However, this does not bother us winter residents, because they are small resorts. Nothing to do with mass tourism. Trust me that is the essence of Eleuthera, peace and quiet and a private home to really enjoy your privacy.