TOUR ELEUTHERA ISLAND

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For a map of Eleuthera, click here>> Eleuthera

 

Miles of glistening pink and white sand beaches, serene colonial villages, and the rolling acres of pineapple plantations make Eleuthera an island of the most casual sophistication. The cool laziness of Eleuthera life and dusty-yet-drenched colors of the island give it the feel of a giant illusion; it seems to have a kind of unbounded air of calm and grace. With its two companions, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, Eleuthera has long been a favored destination among smart travelers seeking a bit of quiet charm.

 

Documented Bahamian history begins with the words, "Baja Mar," the name the Spanish bestowed on the islands. This term is misleading, however; it means "shallow sea," but the islands are really mountain plateaus that emerged from the Atlantic hundreds of thousands of years ago. As they grew, they hosted countless generations of coral, which today comprise the islands' limestone base.

 

Eleuthera started, as most islands do, as a coral reef. It gradually assumed a very unusual shape, long and thin, with much shoreline. It is also unusual in that it is relatively hilly, reaching an elevation of 100 feet, much more than most of the Bahamian islands, and Florida. This fact gives it a scenic advantage, unshared by the other Family Islands, or Out Islands.

 

The next phase of Bahamian history involves the Eleutheran Adventurers, English settlers who left Bermuda in 1647 searching for religious freedom. They formed the first British colony on the island and are credited with naming the island "Eleuthera" which means freedom in Greek.

 

The soil was very rocky, and not easily cultivated, and the group continued to endure hardship. An interesting sidelight is that Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts heard of their plight and sent supplies. In gratitude, the settlers bequeathed 7 tons of Braziletto timber to the then-young Harvard college. In 1958, Harvard University presented to Governor's Harbor a plaque made of Braziletto wood in commemoration of that contribution, which still stands today in the Public Library.

 

Today, Eleuthera's economy consists mostly of fishing, boating and tourism. It is used mainly by Canadian, Italian, German and American tourists as a vacation spot, and, for some, a temporary winter home. It is not nearly as developed as Grand Bahamas (Freeport), or New Providence (Nassau).

 

In Eleuthera you will find a world of sunshine and brilliant colors, pink sand beaches, and aquamarine and azure water, where time stands still and life is leisurely. Where peace is a reality and not an illusion.