Things to do in Eleuthera, from someone who grew up here
Beaches, the Glass Window Bridge, Harbour Island, the sandbar swing, snorkeling, fishing, where to eat and how to get around.
By Captain Shaw Underwood · Updated September 2026
Read what guests say about their day on the water, and leave a note of your own after yours.
Top ten, in short
- Put the swing up on a sandbar at low tide.
- Stand in the water with wild stingrays.
- Catch a bonefish on the flats near Spanish Wells.
- Walk Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island.
- See the Atlantic and the Bight at once from the Glass Window Bridge.
- Soak in the Queen’s Baths at low tide.
- Snorkel a reef or a wreck on the north side.
- Drive to Lighthouse Beach and have it to yourself.
- Eat conch salad at a roadside stand.
- Take the water taxi to Spanish Wells and see a working Bahamian fishing town.
On the water (this is what I do)
I am a fishing guide, so I will start with my end of the island. The north end of Eleuthera, around Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, has some of the clearest shallow water in the Bahamas and it is mostly empty. The sandbar swing is the photo everyone takes home: at low tide a bar comes up out of the water and we put a swing on it. There is a spot where southern stingrays come to the boat and you stand with them in knee-deep water. The grass flats are full of orange cushion starfish that kids can hold and put back. The Spanish Wells pigs live on Pig Island, minutes from the harbour. And the flats hold bonefish that are not pressured by a lodge fleet, averaging four to six pounds. The reef is a few minutes out and is the easiest fishing on the island. All of that is on the excursions, bonefishing and reef pages, and we pick up at Spanish Wells and Gene’s Bay, and on Harbour Island for reef and boat days.
Beaches
Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island is three miles of the pink sand you have seen in the photos, and it is real; the color comes from crushed shell. Go early or late. Lighthouse Beach at the very south tip is the opposite: an hour of rough road from anywhere, no facilities, and often nobody there. French Leave Beach in Governor’s Harbour is the easy one, a short walk from town. Surfer’s Beach near Gregory Town has the island’s only real surf in winter. Ten Bay Beach south of Palmetto Point is the calm, shallow one for small kids. The beach at Spanish Wells on the north side of the settlement is where locals go, and it is a good one.
Landmarks
The Glass Window Bridge is the place where Eleuthera narrows to the width of a road, with the dark blue Atlantic on one side and the pale Bight on the other. Stand well back from the edge on a big swell day. The Queen’s Baths are tidal pools in the rock a few minutes south of the bridge; go at low tide and wear shoes. Preacher’s Cave at the north end is where the Eleutheran Adventurers sheltered in 1648, and the beach beside it is beautiful. Hatchet Bay Cave is a real cave with a real flashlight requirement. The Ocean Hole in Rock Sound is a deep inland blue hole with fish in it. The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve outside Governor’s Harbour is the best walk on the island.
Towns
Spanish Wells is a working fishing settlement on its own cay, reached by water taxi, and it looks like nowhere else in the Bahamas: tidy houses, a harbour full of lobster boats, and a beach you walk to. Harbour Island’s Dunmore Town is the pretty one, with loyalist cottages, golf carts and restaurants. Governor’s Harbour is the capital, with a Friday night fish fry that is the social event of the week. Gregory Town is small and has the pineapple festival in June. Tarpum Bay is a quiet fishing village with a painter’s light.
Eating
Conch salad from a stand is the thing to eat; ask anyone where it is being made that day. On Harbour Island, Sip Sip, the Landing, Queen Conch and Ma Ruby’s. In Spanish Wells, Wreckers, The Shipyard and the bakery in the morning. In Governor’s Harbour, Tippy’s on the beach, and the Friday fish fry. If you fished with us, several of these will cook your catch.
Getting around
On the Eleuthera mainland you need a rental car; the island is long and there is one road. On Harbour Island and Spanish Wells you need a golf cart. Water taxis connect the mainland to both islands in about ten minutes. Full details in the getting here guide.
When to come
December through April is the dry, breezy, busy season. May, June and early July are warm, calm and quieter, and the water is at its best. Late August through October is hurricane season and many places close. The month-by-month picture, with fishing, is in the best time to fish guide.
Sample itineraries
Three days from Harbour Island: day one Pink Sands and Dunmore Town; day two a full day on the water with us (sandbar, stingrays, snorkeling, an hour on the reef); day three the water taxi to the mainland, the Glass Window Bridge, the Queen’s Baths and lunch in Gregory Town.
Seven days from Spanish Wells: add a bonefishing day, a reef day, the drive south to Lighthouse Beach, the Friday fish fry in Governor’s Harbour, and a lazy day on the Spanish Wells beach.
Questions people ask
What is Eleuthera known for?
Pink sand beaches, the Glass Window Bridge, empty beaches, pineapples, and some of the clearest shallow water in the Bahamas around the north end.
How many days do you need in Eleuthera?
Four to seven. Three lets you see one end properly; a week lets you do the water, the beaches and the drive south.
Is Eleuthera good for families?
Yes, especially the north end, where the water is shallow and calm and the sandbar, stingrays, starfish and pigs are all close.
Can you swim with pigs in Eleuthera?
Yes. The Spanish Wells pigs live on a cay a few minutes from the harbour. They are not the Exuma pigs, and you do not need a flight.
Do you need a car in Eleuthera?
On the mainland, yes. On Harbour Island and Spanish Wells you use a golf cart.
Is Eleuthera better than Exuma?
Different. Exuma is the pigs and the cays by boat; Eleuthera is beaches, a real island to drive, and, at the north end, the same clear water with a fraction of the boats.
Where is the best snorkeling in Eleuthera?
The reefs and wrecks on the north side, along the Devil’s Backbone, and the drift through Current Cut for strong swimmers. Reached by boat from Spanish Wells or Harbour Island.
What is the best beach in Eleuthera?
Pink Sands for the color, Lighthouse Beach for solitude, Ten Bay for small kids, French Leave for convenience.
Is Eleuthera safe?
Yes. Eleuthera and Spanish Wells are among the quietest, safest parts of the Bahamas. These are small fishing and farming communities where people leave golf carts unlocked. Use normal sense at night, respect the ocean on the Atlantic side, and you will have no trouble.
How do you pronounce Eleuthera?
El-OO-thera, with the stress on the second syllable. It comes from the Greek word for freedom. Locals just say “Lutra”.
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