Kate's Take

This past year I have thought of Harbour Island often, possibly everyday…I can’t wait to go back. My husband and I traveled to Harbour Island, Bahamas in late February of 2020, just a mere week or two before the COVID-19 global pandemic swept the world. It was our first trip away from our kids in almost four years and we had planned it a year in advance. I’m so grateful we were able to go. Harbour Island is a beautiful place with the friendliest people, loads of roosters, pink sand beaches and golf carts! Let’s just say that life was pretty darn great when we were there. Unfortunately, that post vacation bliss didn’t last long as uncertainty and fear shortly crept into our lives but I’m so thankful for our time there. Similarly to my family in Chicago, Harbour Island has been on lockdown for much of the past year and only within the past couple of months did international travel open back up to the Bahamas. I started writing this post back in early March right after our trip but stopped due to the pandemic. I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that travel can soon become a big part of our lives again, I’ve decided that now is as good a time as any to share my TAKE on a Harbour Island Travel Guide.

COVID Precautions

Harbour Island is taking every COVID-19 precaution as the tiny island doesn’t have the medical infrastructure to withstand a surge so please read up on the current restrictions before you plan your travel. At this time, everyone traveling to The Bahamas must obtain a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR (swab) test taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of arrival. Once in possession of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test, travellers can apply for their required Bahamas Travel Health Visa at travel.gov.bs. Each day while on the island you must complete a daily health questionnaire and if staying longer than 4 nights and 5 days you must take another COVID-19 Antigen test up, every 5 days up until your 14th night.

When to Travel/How to Get There

Barring a global pandemic the busy season starts March 1st and runs through hurricane season. December is popular as well and Mid March is quite busy due to Spring Break so if I would avoid any time on the island it would probably be then. I had quite a few locals tell me that they won’t even get in the water until the mid summer months but anything seems to warm to me after a midwestern winter. We traveled at the end of February just at the cusp of the busy season and temps were in the mid 70s and the pretty blue water was quite refreshing! I would opt to travel at this time of year again although preferably for a longer stint of time. We stayed one night in Miami before arriving at the island and next time, our preference would be to come straight to the island, to reduce our days spent in airports and increase our time spent at the beach.

The most common ways to arrive at Harbour Island are either a ferry from Nassau or flying into Eleuthera (pronounced E-loo-tha-ra). The ferry from Nassau runs daily and is about 2.5 hours in duration. It can be booked via the Bahamas Ferries service. We flew into North Eleuthera airport (ELH), just over an hour’s flight from Miami. Carriers offering direct service to ELH include American Airlines from Miami, Delta Airlines from Atlanta, and Silver Airways from Fort Lauderdale. Candidly, North Eleuthera airport is one of the tiniest airports I’ve ever traveled to…it was both charming and shocking. There are maybe six commercial flights a day but private planes arrive frequently. Regardless, of how you arrive at the ELH you will need to take a short taxi ride to the bay where you will then need to take a ten minute water taxi ride to Harbour Island. There are taxi drivers to greet you upon arrival and help you get to a water taxi or you can arrange for transportation assistance from your place of stay.

Where to Stay

If you’re looking for the Bahamas of cruise ship ports, large resorts, and slide laden pools then you might want to pass on Harbour Island. It’s incredibly laid back, quaint and charming, I’m not sure there is even a building over two stories but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t incredible luxury to be found.

We stayed at The Dunmore and fell in love…hard. The decor, the setting, the staff, and food was all just like a dream. There are cottages and residences available to rent on the property all equally charming and close to the beach just varying in size and views. My only recommendation would be too book far in advance as the property is quaint and popular. I’m not sure anyone could stay at The Dunmore and not immediately want to come back.

Beyond The Dunmore there are a few other hotels/resorts to stay on the island… Valentine’s Resort and Marina, The Other Side (technically across the bay on Eleuthra), The Ocean View Club, Coral Sands Hotel and Pink Sands Beach Resort. Location and amenities are probably the biggest factors when considering accommodations on the island but regardless of where you stay it will be easy to get around as long as you have a golf cart!

If traveling with larger groups of friends or just family members often times renting a house is a more comfortable option, these are some of my favorites on the island: Bahama House, Coral House and Touchstone House. I would willingly stay at any one of these properties but if you’re with young children, Touchstone House is set on some lush grounds perfect for the chiclets to run around an there is even a cottage on the property that can be rented as well if traveling with multiple families.

Where to Eat

The food on the island was delicious each meal perhaps more enjoyable than the last. As we stayed at The Dunmore we ate most meals at The Dunmore Club which is open to the public for lunch and dinner. The Dunmore Tacos are a favorite for lunch and if you make a Saturday evening reservation you’ll be entertained by local musicians. Honestly, everything we ate was spectacular and the decor and setting of the quaint clubhouse made for memorable meals. The most popular restaurant on the island is the Sip Sip famous for their lobster quesadilla, carrot cake and some seriously good fresh watermelon cocktails. All are delicious! The Sip Sip is only open for lunch and doesn’t take reservations so if you’re a party of 4 or more get there at opening or be prepared to wait…the view and the food will be worth it. The Rock House and The Landing are both located on the bay side of the island and are both highly recommended. We ate at the Rock House for dinner and to be honest, wished we had stayed at the hotel or tried The Landing. Don’t get me wrong the food was great..I mean I will take any excuse to eat stone crab but the ambience was somewhat lacking for us. It might be great during the day when you can look over the bay but it was quite windy and dark when we were there so the windows were closed. As for The Landing it’s housed in an old colonial building (always a bonus for me) and oozes some serious charm. Dinner or brunch at The Landing will definitely be on our list for our next visit. The Ricotta Hotcakes might just be the most loved brunch item on the island. One of my most unexpected food finds on the island was fresh arugula. Almost all of the island restaurants serve a version of an arugula salad with fresh arugula grown on the island. The salads are delicious and the leaves are larger and less peppery than what you might find in the States.

If you’re looking solely for cocktails an light bites or a night on the town perhaps try The Elbow Room, Romora Bay for a sunset cocktail and for late night fun, Daddy D’s Nightclub.

What to Do

Relaxing on the Pink Sands Beach with a book and a Goombay Smash or a Kalik might have been our favorite activity but there are a few other much loved options. We took a half day charter on with Captain T on The Sandy Rooster and fed sea turtles, explored the bay and some smaller exterior islands where we found some beautiful sea glass and shells. Depending on the weather and more specifically the wind in the bay there are also a few sailboats you can charter and once anchored can enjoy a picnic lunch. Riding horses on the beach, deep sea fishing, swimming with pigs, paddle boarding and kayaking are also very popular activities on the island. If you prefer curated services and/or activities Conch and Coconut is a fabulous one-stop-shop resource for your vacation. Depending on where you’re staying on the island tennis and/or paddle ball may also be available to you and as always exploring the island via golf cart is a must! For golf cart rentals, book through your accommodations or directly via Major’s Rentals.

Where to Shop

Despite the island’s size and laid-back nature there are a few shops worthy of your time, that is, if you dare spend time away from the beach. The Sugar Mill owned by India Hicks is right in the harbor and stocks a curated collection of clothes for men and women. If you forgot to pack an eclectic dress, are looking for unique earrings, a straw clutch or need a colorful scarf to add to your ensemble The Blue Rooster is the place for you. The Dunmore Shop is located in the entry portico to the Dunmore and stocks Maryisa swimwear, Lake Pajamas, resort wear and a handful of Dunmore branded items. Now if taking home a handmade straw tote is more your style then stop by A and A Hidden Treasures. There are a number of different bag styles and sizes and Alice (the owner) can even add a customized monogram or logo. I may or may not have come home with a few!

What to Pack

The island is fairly casual so swimsuits, cover ups, flip flops, a beach bag, and a straw hat should be at the top of your list. You can certainly get away with wearing these items for breakfast and lunch on the island - the more colorful the better! Dinner attire is when guests on the island step up their game. Think dresses, colorful tops, sandals, big earrings and some arm candy. For men jackets aren’t necessarily required but some do wear them…otherwise bright button downs and pants in light fabrics are the norm. Here are some examples of items that would fit in perfectly on the island… Striped Shirt Dress / Eyelet Dress / Embroidered Tunic Dress / Scalloped Swimsuit / Beach Cover Up / Sandals / Raffia Tango Earrings / Tortoise Disc Earrings / Panama Hat / Sunnies / Colorful Bracelets/ Straw Bag

Most importantly bring your passport because traveling to the Bahamas is considered to be international travel. If traveling from the States there is no need to secure Bahamian dollars though as U.S. Dollars are considered to be the equivalent and are widely accepted.

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