Eleuthera

A long, slender Out Island of the Bahamas with Harbour Island's pink sands, the Glass Window Bridge between blue and turquoise waters, and the Queen's Baths, far from the cruise-ship crowds.

Eleuthera lies about 80 km east of Nassau, the Bahamian capital. The island is long and thin, roughly 180 km from north to south and only a few dozen metres wide at its narrowest, with the deep-blue Atlantic on its east side and calm, turquoise shallows to the west. In 1648 English Puritans known as the Eleutheran Adventurers landed here and founded the first settlement in the Bahamas; the island's name comes from the Greek word for "freedom".

The island divides into three sections. North Eleuthera and its offshore cays include Harbour Island, famous for its pink sand beach and the colonial-style town of Dunmore Town, the fishing island of Spanish Wells, Preacher's Cave and the Blue Hole. The central section, from Gregory Town to Governor's Harbour, has the Glass Window Bridge, where only a rock bridge separates the Atlantic from the Caribbean side, the Queen's Baths, Hatchet Bay Cave, Surfer's Beach and the Victorian old streets of Governor's Harbour. In the south, Rock Sound has its bottomless Ocean Hole, and at the island's southern tip Lighthouse Beach pairs pink sand with cliffs, reached by dirt road in a 4WD.

The best season is November to May, when it's dry with little rain; Jun–Nov is hurricane season, with the highest risk Aug–Oct. Getting there: fly from Nassau or Florida to one of three airports — North Eleuthera (for Harbour Island and Spanish Wells), Governor's Harbour or Rock Sound — or take a fast ferry from Nassau to Harbour Island or Spanish Wells (about 2–3 hours). There's almost no public transport, so rent a car (driving is on the left); on Harbour Island people get around by rented golf cart. Because the island is so long, it's best to split your stay between the north and the centre/south, spending 4–7 days in total. Note: prices are high, shops and gas stations keep short hours, so carry plenty of cash; the Atlantic side has big waves and rip currents, so check conditions before going in.

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