HARBOUR ISLAND:

Just three miles long by half a mile wide, Harbour Island and its town Dunmore Town, are situated a mile off the coast of North Eleuthera and are accessible by water taxi ($4.00/person each way), was once the original capital of the Bahamas. The population of over 1,500 'Brilanders' is mainly made up of farmers, fishermen, resort and service workers, all with their unique Bahamian accent and warm personality.
Harbour Island's famous three-mile pink sand beach and beautiful little New England-style settlement of Dunmore Town, with its sugary pink gingerbread houses and small white fences, have become a magnet for the rich and famous from all over the world.
Some of the island's hotels are set in these old antique houses so quaint and comfortable, while Chris Blackwell, of Island Records fame, has lovingly restored the Pink Sands Hotel on the famous beach of the same name and added it to his Island Outpost Group of boutique properties. The Coral Sands Hotel sits next-door overlooking the same fabled pink sand beach. Other hotels include Romora Bay and Runaway Hill, The Dunmore Beach Club, The Rock House, The Landing and The Bahama House Inn.

WHAT TO DO:

Harbour Island offers a wide range of activities for the vacationer such as:

• Swimming: on the island's "North side" actually east on the world famous Pink Sand beach, location for a variety of fashion shoots and promotional clips.
• Diving: A variety of shipwrecks lie along a barrier reef called "The Devil's Backbone". Perhaps the most unusual shipwreck is the remains of a steam locomotive, lying in 15 feet of water in the middle of The Devil's Backbone. The train was the main cargo of a wooden barge, which sank during a storm in 1865, bound for Havana, Cuba. Another popular dive is in the "Current Cut". An extremely fast drift dive, this dive offers divers of all experience levels a thrilling rush. There are two dive companies on Harbour Island happy to recommend and show you to the best dive sites.
• Fishing: The island offers fantastic fishing of all types: deep sea, bottom, shark fishing and particularly bonefishing. Guides can be arranged by your local hotel or at the Public Dock.
• Tennis: A few of the hotels have tennis courts for your enjoyment.
• Dining: Try the Harbour Lounge, Sip Sip or The Blue Bar for the best view a meal can buy, leave your card at Angela's Starfish restaurant, make dinner reservations at Runaway Hill, Valentines Bar & Grill and Romora Bay, or just swing by for some fresh conch salad at Queen Conch by the fish dock.
• Dancing: At the local night-clubs, where you can also play a game of 'pool'. E.g. Vic-Hums with the 'World's Largest Coconut', Seagrapes & Gusty's.
• Take a day trip by boat to: Spanish Wells: Northwest of Eleuthera and Harbour Island is St. George's Cay and Spanish Wells, the "quiet corner of The Bahamas".
  While the Eleutherian Adventurers were the first settlers on the cay, it was the Spanish who first put it on the map, using it as a watering hole before attempting to make the big crossing back to their homeland, loaded down with riches from the New World. The 'well' from its name comes from a well sunk by the Spanish to provide their ships with a final load of drinkable water for the long last leg of their journey.
  The main industry is fishing, mainly lobster and crawfish and for a glimpse into the island's past, the Spanish Wells Museum is a must, & if you are there at the right time, don't miss their Christmas lights display!