Damon and I just got home from our super relaxing vaca in the Bahamas. We went to Eleuthera island which is 150 miles south of Florida. We opted to drive to the Miami airport and take the hour flight to Governour’s Habour airport which is located in the central portion of the island. Eleuthera was named by the Eleutheran Adventurers in the 1600’s. It is derived from the Greek word “Eleutheria” which means Freedom. We stayed for 7 days and did what we call winging it. Basically, we knew it was the shoulder season so we didn’t make any reservations. We rented a car and were free to travel to any part of the island and stay as long as we wanted to. Below is the recap.
Eleuthera is one of the largest islands in the Bahamas - 110 miles.
Since all of my vacations are now centered around surfing, Gregory Town was our primary location. For the first 4 nights we stayed in a cute little (and I do mean little) cottage rental that overlooked the Gregory Town cove. It was called Morgan’s Bonefish Harbour.
Note the large size of the insects also staying with us - bug spray didn't really work on these bad boys.
The Queen's Highway is pretty much the only road.
In the 60’s and 70’s a huge effort was made to raise cattle for meat, so dozens of silos were constructed. Farm implements for growing feed were imported, land was sectioned off and hundreds of cattle were brought to the island. Fast forward to last week and we didn’t see a single cow. There were tons of abandoned silos and rusty machinery dotting the Queens Highway.
Damon had fun driving on the left side of the road. It was surprisingly similar to how he drives at home.
The pink sand beaches of Harbour Island.
The Preacher's Cave in North Eleuthera.
In 1647 a group that called themselves the “Eleutherian Adventurers” left Bermuda to find a place where they could practice religious freedom. They encountered a storm and the ship they were sailing ran onto rocks which was later called the Devil’s Back Bone, north of Spanish Wells. The Adventurers lead by William Sayles found their way to shore and took refuge in what was later called Preacher’s Cave. A religious service was held in Preacher’s Cave every year for the next 100 years on the anniversary of the day that God lead the adventurers to the safety in what they believed to be the promise land.
The famous Surfer's Beach.
This was truly Damon’s paradise. He was able to surf, snorkel and spear fish every day. Mmmmm, fresh fish….tasty.
Another historic site.
The view from Tippys.
After stopping several times for directions we finally found the most delicious restaurant with killer views of the Atlantic. It was hidden in Rockledge, the swanky part of Govern’s Harbour. If you go ask for Elliot, it was yummy.
The sights of Gregory Town.
Dead center in the heart of Gregory Town.
Elvina's was the only bar in town.
Every Tuesday and Friday is open mic night. Anyone is welcome to jam with the band, so of course Damon didn’t hesitate to jump on stage. Talk about a small world, we met several people from Central Florida. Most of which were surfer dudes that have been coming to the island for decades. The guy wailing on the sunburst is George, he is from Winter Park.
We were the only ones on the beach. It was the definition of vacation.
Despite a few cloudy moments this is how I will remember Eleuthra. For anyone looking to get away I highly recommend it. For more information on the Bahamas visit www.bahamas.com.
