Bahama Book

Tag: Beaching

  • Ten Bay

    Eleuthera while being a stunning island with beaches unmatched in beauty. Most of the island consists of small villages that don’t offer all that one needs. Most of the villages seem to have been left by time itself and much of the island can be remote.

    The remote nature of Eleuthera almost requires the rental of a vehicle. Ten Bay is one of these remote locations. Ten Bay is located I’d say about 3 miles from the nearest village. It is also one of the few places on the island where a good beach can be found on the west side of the island.

    I suppose if I were to spend less than 4 days in this location I would have no need of a vehicle. I’d arrange for a taxi to take me there, and retrieve me at the end of my stay. On the way to the cottage I’d have em take me by a grocery store and perhaps a Liquor store to gather supplies.

    For a stay of longer that 4 days I think I’d need a car. This would open up many opportunities for exploration. Most of the Best beaches on the island are located on the east side of the island. You will need to ask the locals how to access these beaches. The locals (Eleutherans) are usually friendly and warm, always ready to talk. You will be rewarded finding beaches that for the most part will be deserted except for you and your company.

    There are a variety of restaurants on Eleuthera. Restaurants range from being roadside holes in the wall to more formal type eateries. If you are in the mood to try what the locals like, the bakery in Governor’s Harbour offers a pastry called a Hot Patty. It is a meat filled pasty with it’s origins in Jamaica. It’s a bit spicy but very tasty. In Rock Sound the Liquor Store in the Market place sells them as well. I suggest a Hot Patty or two and a cold High Rock which is a local beer. On Tarpum Bay is a place called Bertha’s Go Go Ribs. They make pretty good ribs that are accompanied with the local Peas-n-rice.

    While there you have to try Conch Salad. Roadside stands scattered around make the salad to order. It is the Bahamian version of Ceviche and very tasty. Just ask the vendor about the benefits of eating conch.

    Getting to Ten Bay you can fly into the Rock Sound airport (RSD) or the Governor’s Harbour airport (GHB). The Rock Sound airport is the closer to Ten Bay. Good shopping is also available at the Rock Sound Market Place.

    Rental Cars are available Click Here.

    Rental Homes Here.

  • Harbour Island

    Another Island stop that is both stunning and an easy place to vacation. There’s lots going on on this small island. Besides boasting one of the most incredible beaches in the world, there are a good number of boutique hotels, and vacation rentals available to meet most budgets. The island also gives itself to great culinary diversity in it’s many restaurants.

    The beach at Harbour Island is quite well liked by the Travel Channel.

    Getting To Harbour Island

    From Nassau the Bahamas Fast Ferries make daily trips to Harbour Island To get there by air, you’d fly into North Eleuthera Airport. Airport code ELH. Tel 242-335-1242.

    The most cost efficient way to fly there is to fly from Miami on the Bahamian airline, Bahamasair. So the plan is to make your way to Miami airport via your preferred travel method and fly Bahamasair to North Eleuthera. In face this is the best method price wise to get to any of the smaller Bahamian islands.

  • Spanish Wells

    Spanish Wells

    Spanish Wells, Bahamas, arial shot.

    Quaint, beautiful, picturesque, just a few terms that come to mind as I consider Spanish Wells. It is a small island just off the northern tip of Eleuthera. Spanish Wells is approximately one square mile with a population just shy of 2000.

    The primary industry of the island is fishing, but there are many other services available on the island basically in support of the fishing.

    There is a cottage tourist industry on the island. Vacation rentals reflecting the spirit of Spanish Wells are available, some just steps from the beautiful beaches of the island. Once you spend a week on Spanish Wells I’d be willing to bet it won’t be your last visit to this jewel of an island.

    Getting To Spanish Wells

    From Nassau the Bahamas Fast Ferries make daily trips to Spanish Wells. To get there by air, you’d fly into North Eleuthera Airport. Airport code ELH. Tel 242-335-1242.

    The most cost efficient way to fly there is to fly from Miami on the Bahamian airline, Bahamasair. So the plan is to make your way to Miami airport via your preferred travel method and fly Bahamasair to North Eleuthera. In face this is the best method price wise to get to any of the smaller Bahamian islands.

    Accommodations and Such

    Click Here for Spanish Wells Listings for vacation rentals, transportation, and activities.

  • Must Have Items for Eleuthera

    While Eleuthera is incredibly beautiful and it’s people friendly, make no mistake it is also an adventure! Eleuthera is very rural as are most of it’s beaches. There are no amenities on most beaches, so you will need to provide them yourself.

    The first thing that I would suggest is having a cell phone with you while exploring the beaches more off the beaten track. The Island has pretty good cell coverage since it is so narrow. Bringing your everyday cell phone may prove not be the best idea because of roaming charges that can be extremely high. In stead go to amazon.com and look for a cheep Unlocked GSM cell phone. Be sure it is “Unlocked.” Once on the island of Eleuthera there are BTC offices in most of the settlements. You can go into one of these offices to purchase a SIM card that you’ll insert into the GSM phone you bought and you’ll have local coverage. You can expect to spend around $15 for a phone.

    Again the island is rural so there are lots of mosquitos and sand flies (no see ums). You will need to prepare for dealing with them. During the day the bugs are not that prevalent, but as the sun begins to set they come our with ferocity! My favorite device for keeping them at bay is the Thermocell Mosquito Repellent also available on Amazon. We would start this device up when we are outside and put it under the table we are sitting around, or upwind if the breeze is blowing a bit.

    I’d also take a camping hammock or two with me as the beaches have stands of trees that will support the hammocks offering for great relaxation in the shade of the trees. Don’t get the type that has the boards to spread the hammock out. They are really hard to pack.

    A swimmers towel is a great addition to the travel kit. The swimmers towel dries quickly and ads tremendous convenience over traditional towels that get wet and stay wet for a long time. The swimmers towel is also small and easy to carry. Before the swimmers towel was available we would use synthetic chamois, still an option in my mind.

    There are many other things that you can use on the beach. I’ll leave those things to your imaginations, but in my mind the items that I have listed above are not generally considered for travel. They will make your trip to an island like Eleuthera much easier. Have a great adventure!

  • Blue Lagoon Island

    Blue Lagoon Island

    Explore_The_Island_header1

    Is one of my favorite places to take visiting friends. Nassau can seem like a lot of hustle and bustle, yet a short boat ride away all the world melts away to the beauty of Bahamian waters and beaches.

    Boat Ride

    Blue Lagoon Island operates a ferry from Paradise Island to the island. To be able to take advantage of a full day on the island the boat leaves Paradise Island at 8:30 a.m. A short ride through Nassau’s historical harbour and about a mile outside the harbour is the beautiful Blue Lagoon Island (Salt Cay).

    Activities

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    Besides the beautiful beaches other activities include:

    • Snorkeling
    • Ocean Kayacing
    • Water Bikes
    • Paddle Boards
    • Volley Ball
    • Ping Pong

    There are hammocks and picnic tables located under a canopy of palm trees. The island is set up for total enjoyment.

    Lunch

    There is a grilled lunch provided. As you can see all bases are covered. The menu includes both American and Bahamian cuisine for your enjoyment. The menu includes hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled chicken, veggie burgers, peas n rice and more.

    Who Is This Activity For

    The people that I have taken to Blue Lagoon Island are a divers bunch ranging from those who can’t stand being with out some activity going to those who would rather curl up in a corner with a book. Of all of them not one has had a bad day on Blue lagoon Island. There is enough to keep the busy person busy, and hammocks enough to satisfy the person who’d rather sit. Kids I can tell you have a blast. The Lagoon is so calm and tranquil that they become quickly comfortable with the water.

    You can visit the official web site here

  • Airlifts from eight US cities to boost tourism | The Tribune

    GRAND Bahama is anticipating continued growth in visitor arrivals over the second quarter of 2015, with airlifts starting from eight US cities on May 21 and continuing to October 26.

    Source: Airlifts from eight US cities to boost Grand Bahama tourism | The Tribune

    One of the great challenges for visitors to the Bahamas has always been available flights to the Bahama Islands. This has been the cause of two challenges for potential vacationers.

    The first challenge is the cost of flying in to the Bahamian islands has been kept high. Making it more attractive to vacation in other locations.

    The second challenge has been the limited number of available seats, at times it is almost impossible to get a seat, much less an affordable seats. The added number of aircraft coming in to Freeport should have a great effect on cost effective travel to the Bahamas both raising the number of available seats and lowering cost of travel to the Bahamas at the same time.

    Grand Bahama has so much to offer visitors, from casino gambling, to power white sand beaches, great scuba diving, golf… The list goes on and on.

    The second challenge has as