A "must-see" stop-off on your fully crewed Bahamas yacht charter is Harbour Island, or 'Briland, as it is known by residents, is situated one mile off the northern coast of Eleuthera (just five minutes away by water taxi) and is just three miles long and a half mile wide. The island's first major settlement of Dunmore Town, originally the capital of The Islands of the Bahamas, was named after the 18th century royal governor of the islands, Lord Dunmore. Harbour Island was actually founded before the United States was even a nation!

Today, Dunmore Town is renowned for its three mile pink sand beach and charming New England-style architecture. Visitors to Harbour Island enjoy strolling through the quaint town's tree lined narrow streets, exploring the settlement onboard a golf cart, bonefishing in the pristine water off the island's coast, and frolicking on the island's sandy coastline. The Plateau and the Arch, both giant coral structures densely populated with marine life, attracts divers from around the world.

At one time Harbour Island was second only to Nassau in terms of prosperity. In the late 1800's Dunmore Town was a noted shipyard and sugar refinement centre, both of which lent itself to a profitable secondary industry - rum.

The island's charming New England architecture, which is reminiscent of the island's Loyalist history, is still very much in existence. The pastel-coloured clap-board homes edged by white picket fences and tropical flowers line the old streets of Dunmore Town. For vacationers, Harbour Island's popularity is founded on its spectacular three-mile powdery pink sand beach, its intimate inns and hotels, and the warm hospitality of its inhabitants.

Eleuthera, first settled in 1648, is perhaps the best known of the Out Islands of The Bahamas. Shaped like a praying mantis, the island is just under five miles wide and 110 miles long. The magnificent glass window bridge to the north of the island affords spectacular views of the deep blue Atlantic on one side and the turquoise Caribbean Sea on the other. Eleuthera attracts those who wish to explore, either by bicycle or car, the land and nature in its undisturbed atmosphere. Visitors may visit the island's scattered settlements, grottos, and hidden caves that combine to create Eleuthera's remote and laid back ambiance.

Despite a coral and limestone surface which may seem forbidding to farmers, Eleuthera is one of the agricultural centres of The Islands of The Bahamas. The hilly farming area in the centre of the island with its rich, red soil is ideal for producing pineapples, tomatoes and a variety of vegetables. In the late 1800's Eleuthera dominated the world's pineapple market with its luscious fruit of rare sweetness.

History reveals that in 1648 British Puritans seeking religious freedom settled in Eleuthera. Taking shelter in a limestone cave, they faced hardship but persevered on the island that they named Eleuthera after the Greek word for "freedom". Led by William Sayle, a former governor of Bermuda, the group called themselves the Eleutheran Adventurers. They gave The Islands of The Bahamas its first written constitution which called for the establishment of a republic. The group eventually divided and later settled Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells.

The enterprising Eleutheran Adventurers were able to survive on the island with the help of their generous Puritan relatives in the newly formed colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia. The New Englanders sent supplies and the Eleutherans thanked them in return with rare and valuable wood - from which the proceeds were used to help build Harvard College.

Today, many visitors are attracted to Eleuthera for its abundance of water-related activities - there are plenty of great fishing holes and dive spots. The Devil's Backbone just north of Spanish Wells is a long stretch of fringe reef that is a vast playground for a variety of reef and deep-sea fish, attracted to the many shipwrecks. The Current Cut, located between Eleuthera and the small island of Current is exciting for experienced divers, where changing tides send a tricky current through a 100-yard wide channel.

Ninety-five miles southeast of Nassau, Cat Island is known as the least inhabited island in The Islands of The Bahamas. The destination caters to those who are looking for total seclusion, miles of beautiful pink and white sand beaches, word class diving, snorkeling and fishing sites and the beauty of the island's 50-miles of rolling hills, rocky cliffs, empty beaches, especially the 8-mile Pink Sand Beach, and cerulean waters.

No one is quite sure how Cat Island acquired its name, however this island has many lives. A pirate and contemporary of Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Arthur Catt was a frequent visitor to the island, which is one explanation of its name. Others say that the island resembles a feline sitting on its haunches when looking at it from above.

For more than four centuries Cat Island was actually called San Salvador and many believed this was where Christopher Columbus first landed in the new world. However, in 1926 a nearby island was redesignated San Salvador (as it is known today) and the name Cat Island was revived.

British Loyalists who were fleeing the newly formed United States settled the island in 1783. They established cotton plantations but when the cotton industry failed and the slaves were freed the people of Cat Island turned to farming peas, corn, potatoes, and later to growing pineapples.

A single road runs the length of the island making it difficult to get lost while exploring. Appropriately called the Main Road, it begins at Arthur's Town in the north and ends at Port Howe in the south. Along the way visitors will spot residents participating in traditional activities such as straw plaiting (weaving) hats and bags.

The historical sites of the island are all accessible from the Main Road. Many beautiful churches dot the picturesque landscape. At Port Howe one can see the ruins of the Deveaux Mansion, a two story whitewashed building formerly used as a cotton plantation and now overrun with wild vegetation. Deveaux Mansion was once the home of Col. Andrew Deveaux of the U.S. Navy and was given to him as a reward for recapturing Nassau from the Spaniards in 1783.

The highest point in The Islands of the Bahamas is found on Cat Island. Mt. Alvernia rises up 206-feet through a thick forest. However this is not its only interesting characteristic. The Hermitage, a small monastery at the summit of this mountain, is to this day still shrouded in mystique. Father Jerome built the Hermitage and the rock staircase leading to it as a final act of religious dedication. An Anglican seminarian turned Catholic priest, Father Jerome was well know for having built cathedrals and convents throughout the islands.

Email, send us a contact form, or call us at 305-600-2555 to arrange a Bahamas yacht charter that includes a visit to Eleuthera, and Harbour Island and it's hospitable locals..!!