Things to do in Spanish Wells, from someone born here
The beach, the pigs, the sandbar, fishing, golf carts, Russell Island, and where to eat.
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.
What Spanish Wells is
About 1,500 people live here, most of them descended from the Eleutheran Adventurers who arrived in 1648 and from loyalists who came after. It has been a fishing town the whole time and it still is: the boats in the harbour go out for lobster and the money in town comes from the sea. The houses are painted, the streets are clean, everyone drives a golf cart, and there is one beach, one grocery and a handful of places to eat. Nobody is selling you anything on the street. I grew up here, and it is a good place to grow up.
The beach
The beach runs along the north shore of the settlement, a short cart ride or a walk from anywhere. Calm, shallow, sand that stays cool, and a few shade trees. Locals are there on weekends.
On the water
The reason to stay in Spanish Wells is how close everything is. From the harbour, the sandbar and the stingrays are minutes away, the pigs are on a cay you can nearly see from the dock, the starfish flats are on the way, and the bonefish flats and the reef are a short run. Every trip on this site runs from here with the shortest ride of any base on the island. A family can do the swing, the rays and the starfish in a morning and be back for lunch.
Russell Island
Across the bridge. Farms, a few beaches, rental houses and sunsets over the banks. Worth the cart ride in the evening. More on Russell Island.
Eating
The Shipyard at the east end of the harbour, Wreckers at the Yacht Haven marina, Budda’s Snack Shack for lunch, and the bakery first thing in the morning. Lobster in season (August to March) is the thing to order; it was probably caught by someone you passed on the street. Conch salad from wherever it is being made. If you fished with us, most of these will cook your fish.
Getting here and around
North Eleuthera airport, taxi ten minutes to Gene’s Bay, water taxi ten minutes to the dock. The fast ferry from Nassau stops here on set days; check the current schedule with Bahamas Ferries. Rent a golf cart for your stay; there are no car rentals on the island and you do not need one.
Questions people ask
Where is Spanish Wells?
On St. George’s Cay, just off the north tip of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, about a ten minute water taxi from the mainland at Gene’s Bay and about fifty miles from Nassau.
Is Spanish Wells worth visiting?
If you want a quiet, real Bahamian fishing town with a good beach and the best water access on Eleuthera, yes. If you want nightlife and resorts, stay on Harbour Island and come for the day.
Are there swimming pigs in Spanish Wells?
Yes, on a small cay a few minutes from the harbour. They are separate from the Exuma pigs.
How do you get around Spanish Wells?
Golf cart. The whole island and Russell Island are cart roads.
What is Spanish Wells known for?
Lobster. It is the lobster fishing capital of the Bahamas, and the harbour is full of the boats that prove it.
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Let’s get you on the water.
Tell me your dates, who is coming and where you are staying. I will reply within a few hours with a plan and a price.
