Winding Bay is the perfect get-a-way kind of place. There are few beach goers besides the local bird population. It’s one of those kinds of places that causes the rest of the world to melt into insignificance.
A car is a must when staying in Winding Bay. I’d be willing to bet that when you make your reservations you can get the best info on who to rent a car from. If you’re in the mood to explore, I’d try to get an SUV type vehicle if possible.
The Beach
Is on the east side of the island of Eleuthera. It is a pretty deep cove that is protected from the surf by a barrier reef at it’s entrance. Even on days when the Atlantic is raging the waters of this cove remain relatively still. Toward the southern end of the beach is the remnants of an old canal that went through to a pretty large lagoon. The lagoon is easily reachable by kayak which are supplied by most of the rental homes on the beach.
Places To Stay
There are several rental homes on the beach. Many of them are designed for multiple couples to stay with all rooms being master suites. Click here
Shopping and Restaurants
This gorgeous beach is a little on the remote side, but not too far from Tarpum Bay and Rock Sound. Both villages offer pretty decent grocery shopping and a few local restaurants.
On Front Street in Tarpum Bay there is a young lady making a local delicacy called “Conch Salad.” Which is said by the locals to have many healthy benefits. It is very tasty! Be sure to let the young lady know of your preference for heat (the spicy kind), and she will make the Conch Salad to your preference.
Berthas Go Go Ribs is another stop you’ll need to make if you enjoy barbecue. The rids are smoked over a local hardwood and are served with Bahamian side dishes. Berthas is located on the hill entering Tarpum Bay from the south or Winding Bay direction.
In Rock Sound Sammy’s place is a local staple. Located in the center of the village it draws a lot of local foot traffic. It’s also one of the places folks from the north of Eleuthera will stop to eat if they are “down south” for business.
Things to do
The noonday sun here in the Bahamas can be a bit brutal, so midday makes a good time to get off the beach to do something else.
In Rock Sound there are two Blue Holes. The one called Ocean Hole, located dead center of Rock Sound is the local swimming hole. It is also a fun place to take some stale bread to feed to the fish in the Blue Hole. The fish are so used to being fed in this way that they gather round the steps as soon as your feet hit the steps. They feed quite aggressively and is fun to watch. It is not permitted to fish in Ocean Hole. The other Blue Hole is located on the southern end of Rock Sound. It is called Boiling Hole by the locals, probably due to the bubbles constantly breaking the surface of the water. The tidal flow in and out of this Blue Hole are not sufficient to keep the water from stagnating, which is probably the cause of the bubbling water.
Winding Bay is tailor made for fly fishermen. While your travel companions are busy with the beach, grab your fly rod and go for a walk. There are Bones that run the bay and offer good opportunities for a cast. There are also predatory fish such a Jack that have the habit of forcing bait fish toward the beach while feeding on them. Back toward the lagoon mentioned earlier, there is a kind of back water place where a pretty large shoal of Bonefish run. There are some monsters in that group. Fishing from the kayak around the reef at the entrance of the cove is also exciting. Pulling a rattle bait behind the Kayak will get you some strikes from the predatory fish around that reef.
Doing nothing is also another good option. It is not at all hard to just relax and accept the beauty of this idyllic cove.
Getting to Winding Bay
The best way to get here is by air. The Airport code at Rock Sound is RSD. The most efficient way to get here is to book through the Bahamasair booking system. Here