Historic Harbour Island, which lies a short distance off the northeast coast of Eleuthera, has long been regarded as one of the world’s foremost resort destinations because of its breathtakingly beautiful pink sand beaches and calm turquoise water. The island’s beach was featured in The Travel Channel’s “World’s Best Beaches” segment in March 2005. Named “Best Sand Beach,” Harbour Island was one of 10 beaches worldwide to be included in this program.

Dunmore Town, the Island’s center, is a mixture of pastel colored cottages, white picket fences and a number of small hotels and restaurants. The quiet streets are most easily travelled by one of the many golf carts available for hire on the island, or strolled at a leisurely pace to view the sights and greet the native “Brilanders,” as they call themselves. Visit the shops, boutiques and art galleries that dot the island, or stop by the straw market for local crafts and a taste of island-grown produce.

The island is accessible by air from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Nassau, with daily direct flights to North Eleuthera Airport. Water taxis leave continuously for Dunmore Town, a 10-minute trip across the harbour. Bahamas Fast Ferries go directly from Nassau to Harbour Island also.

Harbour Island is famous the world over for for its pale pink sand beaches. The sand here is always cool, so you can freely walk the three miles of uncrowded beach with bare feet. Outlying reefs provide large areas of relatively calm and shallow waters that are ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving or just relaxing in the surf. Local dive shops offer dive instruction and certification.

Harbour Island is also a spectacular fishing destination, with both deep-sea and flats fishing.

Take a stroll through the quaint town of Harbour Island and admire the gingerbread trim on the brightly painted houses, buy a fresh-picked Bahamian pineapple from a local vendor, visit a gallery, or stop in for Sunday worship at one of the island’s churches.