 Shhhh.
Can you keep a secret? Come a little closer so I can whisper
this in your ear. You know that the Bahamas are close, just
a hop away for a crewed yacht charter. You also know them
and love them as a winter destination, when the cold winds
blow and the snow never seems to end. But did you know that
they are even better in the summer? Yes, it is true. There
is never a bad time to visit the Bahamas, winter is wonderful,
however, summer is absolutely superb. Shhhh. Don’t
tell anyone but your closest friends and family. Keep it
a secret, because if the word leaks out, too many people
will be taking their vacations in the summer time Bahamas,
and you won’t have it all to yourself anymore.
With year-round sunshine, lush tropical
landscapes, unsullied waters and exquisite sand beaches,
the Islands of the Bahamas are virtually perfect for a yacht
charter vacation. The archipelago begins 55 miles off the
Florida coast and contains more than 700 islands, scattered
over 100,000 square miles of the Atlantic. If you are craving
peace, tranquility, perfect waters for snorkeling and diving,
life at a slower pace, then the Out Islands are the place
to go. And Out Island aficionados will agree: Eleuthera
and her close neighbors, Spanish Wells and Harbor Island,
are the very best of the best. Eleuthera, which lies at
its nearest point some 30 miles northeast of Nassau, is
one of the most beautiful islands in the Bahamas.
From north to south, it is approximately
90 miles long and is rarely more than 2-3 miles wide, except
at the extreme northern and southern ends. Its unusually
long, thin shape guarantees plenty of shoreline and beautiful
beaches. Not only is its shape unusual, so is the elevation.
 With
hills up to 100 feet high, its elevation is higher than
that of any other island in the Bahamas, and indeed, higher
than the highest point in nearby Florida. The human history
follows the pattern of most islands in the Bahamas, with
the first people to inhabit Eleuthera being the Arawaks.
A peace-loving people that fished and farmed, they were
displaced by the warlike Caribs. In the 1400’s, the
Spaniard appeared in the area, led by Christopher Columbus.
The Spaniards decimated the local population either by killing
the residents or exporting them for slavery.
Very few survived and Eleuthera became
very desolate, except for a few pockets of survivors, and
remained so for almost 200 years. William Sayle is given
credit for naming the island Eleuthera, a variation of the
Greek word for freedom. He had been governor of Bermuda,
but had fallen into disfavor with the Crown of England.
Desiring to leave Bermuda, but loving the islands, he decided
to settle in Eleuthera since the Bahamas were the closest
islands to Bermuda. He returned to London in 1654 and petitioned
Parliament to settle Eleuthera. The prospective settlers
were promised 300 acres of land for coming to Eleuthera.
They were to become known as the Eleutheran
Adventurers. Preacher’s Cave, on Eleuthera, is a subterranean
cave in which the Eleutheran Adventurers took refuge and
held religious services upon their arrival. Preacher’s
Cave is like a chapel in the wilderness, and the magnificent
Cave at Hatchet Bay is like a vaulted cathedral. It is more
than a mile long, with stalagmites and stalactites, a cool,
dark sanctuary. There are several small villages on Eleuthera,
many of which are fun to visit. The town of Rock Sound is
one of Eleuthera’s largest settlement and even boasts
a small airstrip. The small bakery in town sells great,
not-to-be-missed coconut tarts.
 Approximately
one mile east of Rock Sound is the famous “ocean hole”.
Although a considerable distance from either coast, this
completely landlocked tidal lake is rumored to be bottomless.
It is salt water and the fish find their way into it via
subterranean tunnels from the sea. North of Rock Sound lies
Tarpum Bay, one of Eleuthera’s loveliest settlements,
with hilly roads flanked by weather-beaten homes with colored
shutters and goats roaming the streets. The town is the
site of a small artists’ colony. Snorkelers and divers
will want to spend some time at Gaulding’s Cay beach,
just north of Tarpum Bay.
A short swim by the tiny offshore island
will reveal a concentration of sun anemones so spectacular
that it appears that someone has laid out a carpet of bright
colors. Gaulding’s Cay also has a nice long shelling
stretch for beachcombers.
Further north is Governor’s Harbour,
which is worth a look, but since there is a Club Med in
the area, probably not somewhere you will want to stay very
long if you are looking for peace and quiet. Instead, Alice
Town, by Hatchet Bay, is tranquil alternative. The Cave
at Hatchet Bay, which we talked about earlier, is nearby,
waiting to be explored. There is also a beach on the Atlantic
side about 3 miles north of Hatchet Bay that is famous for
its surf, just waiting for the surfers in the group! Just
off the northeast coast of Eleuthera lies tiny Harbour Island.
It is often called the Nantucket of the Caribbean and is
perhaps the prettiest of the Out Islands.
It boasts 3 miles of powdery sand beach
tinted pink by finely crushed shells, as well as its pastel-colored
houses set among white picket fences, narrow lanes bordered
by stone walls, quaint shops and tropical flowers. Dunmore
Town, the village on Harbour Island, was name for Governor
Lord Dunmore, whose summer home in the 18th century commanded
a view from the highest point of town. The Loyalist Cottage
on Bay Street dates back to the 1790’s, and many of
the town’s houses and inns were built in the 1800’s
when Dunmore Town was a prosperous harbor and shipbuilding
center.
 Spanish
Wells is off the northern tip of Eleuthera, just slightly
to the west. The Spaniards used this as a safe harbor during
the 17th Century while they transferred their riches from
the New World to the Old. During the 1800’s, the local
population became known for their practice of wrecking ships
by luring them with lights that appeared to be beacons from
lighthouses...but were actually lanterns tied to donkeys.
Today, Spanish Wells is home to about 35 commercial fishing
vessels, with the Spiny Lobster being their main catch.
These vessels leave Spanish Wells and
stay on the fishing grounds for 4-6 weeks at a time during
lobster season, which runs from August 1 through March 30th.
The small village is certainly worth a look around, especially
the Spanish Wells Museum.
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