8 Best Sights in Eleuthera and Harbour Island, Bahamas

The horseshoe-shape Ben Bay Beach is mostly accessed via boats, but it is one of the top beaches for swimming in Eleuthera. The turquoise waters are clear and almost always calm, with rosy pink sand along its shores. The beach is somewhat hard to find, so don't expect to ever encounter crowds of people here. Take advantage of the seclusion and nap under the palm trees, or go snorkeling along the rocky areas of the cove. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; swimming.

At a narrow point of the island a few miles north of Gregory Town, a slender concrete bridge links two sea-battered bluffs that separate the island's Central and North Districts. Sailors going south in the waters between New Providence and Eleuthera supposedly named this area the Glass Window because they could see through the natural limestone arch to the Atlantic on the other side. Stop to watch the northeasterly deep-azure Atlantic swirl together under the bridge with the southwesterly turquoise Bight of Eleuthera, producing a brilliant aquamarine froth. Artist Winslow Homer found the site stunning and painted Glass Window in 1885. The original stone arch, created by Mother Nature, was destroyed by a combination of storms in the 1940s. Subsequent concrete bridges were destroyed by hurricanes in 1992 and 1999. Drive carefully because there is frequent maintenance work going on.

This natural sinkhole located at the northern tip of Eleuthera is a popular spot for divers in the know. The water is an unbelievably bright turquoise but clear enough that you can see straight to the bottom. Though the hole doesn't look deep, it's about 30 feet. Note that because this is a natural attraction, Sapphire Blue Hole is surrounded by rocks, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. There's no ladder to climb out of the water (only a rope), so this isn't recommended for young children or those who aren't physically fit.

Snorkelers and divers will want to spend time at this beach, three miles north of Gregory Town. You'll most likely have the long stretch of white sand and shallow aqua water all to yourself, and it's great for shelling. At low tide, you can walk or swim to Gaulding's Cay, a tiny rock island with a few casuarina trees. There's great snorkeling around the island; you'll see a concentration of sea anemones so spectacular it dazzled even Jacques Cousteau's biologists. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; sunset.

At the island's northern tip, this cave is where the Eleutheran Adventurers (the island's founders) took refuge and held services when their ship wrecked in 1648. Note the original stone altar inside the cave, built by Captain William Sayle in the 1600s. Across from the cave is a long succession of deserted pink-sand beaches.

This is Gregory Town's claim to fame and one of the few beaches in The Bahamas known for surfing. Serious surfers have gathered here since the 1960s for decent waves from December to April. If you don't have a jeep, you can walk the ¾ mile to this Atlantic-side beach—take a right onto the paved road past the Hatchet Bay silos, just south of Gregory Town. Look for a young crowd sitting around bonfires at night. Amenities: water sports. Best for: surfing.

Steps from historical Preacher's Cave, this beach offers a long expanse of powdery white sand. The area is remote, so you're likely to have the beach to yourself. There are plenty of palmetto trees to relax underneath for a quiet afternoon. Just offshore is Devil's Backbone, where the Eleutheran Adventurers shipwrecked and sought shelter in the cave. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; walking.

Much like natural hot tubs or "moon pools" (as the locals call them), the Queen's Baths are a warm collection of tidal pools that were formed from the erosion of nearby rocks. The clear, dark-blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which fill the pools, are warmed by the Bahamian sun, providing a warm and calming alternative to a crowded and sometimes chilly beach. The best time to visit the pools is during low and medium tides, so be sure to check before going to take a dip. Wear hard-bottom shoes to avoid slipping on rocks.