Food, lodging and the Milky Way
This blend of sleepy towns, natural areas and wind-swept beaches was perfect for my family, but if you are looking for dayto-night pampering, this might not be your spot. In fact, “Eleuthera. It's Not for Everyone” is the informal slogan of the island.
In Governor's Harbour, walk into the main store — which is also the gas station and a combination hardware-and-general store — and its shelves might be empty of certain fruits, vegetables and ice cream until the ferry from Nassau arrives on Tuesdays and Fridays to restock the town. (Because much is shipped in, food prices can be high.)
But there are other options, including the Island Farm, which grows many of its own vegetables, and Bacchus, a gourmet market and small restaurant on a hillside estate. The tiny Governor's Harbour Bakery sells johnnycake cornbread and raisin and coconut breads piping hot out of the oven every day (you need to reserve your johnnycake in advance) and there's also a well-stocked supermarket farther south in Rock Sound.
As for eating out, the Friday night fish fry in Governor's Harbour is where visitors and residents mingle over Kalik beer, rum babbas, snapper fish, barbecue chicken and conch fritters, sold by individual vendors. Stay to enjoy the scene when the music starts later in the night or head to an island beach bar, such as Tippy's, with conch fritters, chowder and classic island drinks and live music, right at the edge of the ocean.
Our favorite meals were at Buccaneer Club, which serves classic seafood and island fare (favorite include cracked conch for $30 or mahimahi dinners with peas and rice for $40, and a bowl of conch chowder for $15) on the hillside above Governor's Harbour, and has its own ice cream shop next door.
Most visitors to the island rent houses, and there are a good number to choose from, particularly around Governor's Harbour. Hotel options include French Leave Resort, which has a collection of luxury cottages and a restaurant that offers one of the best spots to watch the sunset, and the Cove, in Gregory Town. Rental cars are pricey and generally well-worn. But you will need one, as exploring the island is a vital part of the trip.
The highlight of our evenings involved nothing that was for sale. We simply looked up and took in the stars: When the skies were clear, the expanse above us opened into an unreal show, with the seemingly endless reach of the Milky Way galaxy, an unimaginable distance away, plainly visible to the bare eyes.
It was a reminder of why we seek out places like this. The natural world is so much bigger than us — and an island like Eleuthera puts it all in perspective. The hardest part was just admitting that, at week's end, we had to pack up and go back home.