Freedom. That’s what “eleuthera” means in Greek. And to the English pilgrims who built a chapel in what is now known as Preacher’s Cave, the Eleuthera Islands offered the freedom to start a new life, unhindered by religious persecution.
For the traveler, Eleuthera means freedom of a different sort. Freedom from the rat race and crappy weather. Freedom to sunbathe on powdery pink sand and gorge on pineapple pizza (an island favorite). The Eleuthera Island consists of North Eleuthera and South Eleuthera. North Eleuthera includes the islets of Harbor Island and Spanish Wells. Harbor Island is the site of Dunmore Town, a quaint, friendly village which happens to be the Bahamas’ oldest settlement. Divers gravitate to Harbor Island for the coral reefs and shipwrecks that dwell in the surrounding waters, waiting to be explored. Deep-sea anglers come here for the bountiful fishing opportunities. Inland, on South Eleuthera, the Ocean Hole is a saltwater lake whose depths defy measure. Is it bottomless? Only the colorful fish that flit about, begging for food, know for sure. Eleuthera has hosted royalty (notably, Princess Diana and Prince Charles) and yet maintains an atmosphere most conducive to the sublime act of ‘chilling out’.
