Travel Blogger Visits Eleuthera Outdoor Center
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I’m sitting at the kitchen table of my host Sharon French here in Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera, Bahamas. The windows and doors are open, it’s December 2nd and the breeze is filled with the sweet smell of rich earth and salty sea air. I’m wrapping up my trip here on Eleuthera. The thought of going home is bittersweet, I miss the people I spend so much time with back in the States but there’s something special about Eleuthera that has allowed me to feel right at home since the moment I landed.
When I first met Sharon we clicked instantly. She is one of the owners of Jupiter Outdoor Center, a client of mine. I work as a brand strategist and content creator for eco conscious businesses and when Sharon invited me to come experience Eleuthera as a guest I couldn’t say yes fast enough! I am an avid free diver and underwater photographer, and despite being new to the spearfishing community was excited to land some bugs (aka lobster) while exploring the crystal clear blue waters of Eleuthera.
Here’s a day by day recap of all the adventures Sharon and Lewis of Eleuthera Outdoor Center took me on, and some of the unplanned surprises along the way.
The Day Before I Took Off
I booked my tickets through orbitz.com roughly 3 weeks before flying out. Within 24 hours of booking Sharon and I decided I would probably benefit from coming a few days early and I was able to change my departing flights with ease and no extra cost! When it came time to start packing for Eleuthera I was sure to bring the following items and recommend you do too! I’ve also added the items that I wish I would have brought along.
Winter In Eleuthera Packing List
Basics:
Dropps Laundry Detergent pods
Large bottle of shampoo
Large bottle of conditioner
Plenty of Contact Solution (if that’s part of your life haha)
A face moisturizer
Light Moroccan oil
Reef Safe Sunscreen
A reusable razor with extra blades
A journal and pen
Moon Bahamas Travel Guide
Headlamp
Flashlight
Surge Protector
Liter Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Spill Proof Coffee/Tea Thermos
Hemlock Hat Co. Straw Hat
Eyewear Retainer (to wear them around your neck/ not lose them)
Sandals that can get wet that you can also hike in and will stay on your feet underwater (for tide pools)
Long pants that are tight around your ankles (but not yoga pants, no see ums can bite through these)
Long sleeve shirt/ sweatshirt
Plenty of charging accessories/ cords because even the cheap ones are extra expensive on the island.
Large Gallon Ziplocks to store seashells and sea glass.
Nail Clippers
Tweezers
Cortisone Cream
Rain jacket
Zero waste eating supplies (they use a lot of styrofoam and single use plastics here)
Sunglasses and case
Unlocked Phone to use with a Bahamian SIM card
Diving / Spearing:
A dive buddy
Free dive bag
Long free dive fins
Short fins for shallow reef diving
Dive socks / boots
2/3mm full length wetsuit
Dive gloves designed for lobstering
Mask and snorkel
Rash guards long sleeve and short sleeve
Yoga pants for days when you don’t need a suit but want protection from the reef
A couple pairs of bottoms and tops comfortable to swim/ be active in
Mesh bags for lobster tails and sea shells
Dive knife with straps
Beach cover up
Pole spear or two
Weight belt
GoPro with wrist strap (bring your laptop and an external hard drive as well)
Plastic bags for wet items when you travel home
Food: Being on an Out Island makes food more expensive and it only comes in once a week on the mailboat..so if there are specific things you like I suggest adding them to your luggage. If you have kids just drop an email to Sharon and she can give you lots of great tips..
Almond milk
Nuts and seeds
Granola bars
Instant Oatmeal
Raw Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)
Spices and seasonings
Lentils
Vegetable Broth
Peanut Butter
Tea and coffee (filters or tea bags as well)
Day 1
My first flight left out of Ft. Lauderdale FLL around 1:00pm and my second out of Nassau NAU at 4:00pm. I landed in Rock Sound Airport RSD about 20 minutes later. The airport here is not like most, you walk straight off the plane out into the parking lot and wait for bags to be brought to you on a trolley. If you don’t have a Bahamian number, I highly recommend communicating with whomever will be picking you up through WhatsApp and letting them know exactly when you are exiting the Nassau airport as you may or may not have working wifi when you land. Sharon from Eleuthera Outdoor Center picked me up and got me settled in for the night, it was dark by 6:00pm. The best thing about staying with Sharon is the access she has to the locally caught seafood, like stone crab claws. My first night here we ate the biggest stone crab claws I’ve ever seen in my life, fresh lobster, collards from her garden, and steamed quinoa. It was delicious.
Day 2
We woke up at 5:45am and found ourselves on a beach at winding bay by 6:15am. The sun was just beginning to peek out from a low ceiling of clouds, water was gently lapping against the shoreline as Sharon was getting our paddleboard into the water. We wore wetsuits because the water was a little chilly, but if you aren’t used to diving in 80*F water you may have had thicker skin than us. We paddled out about one mile, and within several minutes of being in the water a juvenile green sea turtle came cruising around the corner of a huge reef then stopped right in front of Sharon to check her out. He was so curious! A few seconds later he took a turn and swam right underneath me! It’s without a doubt the best footage I’ve got of a turtle so close to me! After our morning dive I sat down on the front porch overlooking the Sharon’s lush tropical garden and worked. Two conference calls in I decided to make lunch, (a delish bowl of quinoa, sautéed chard, smoked mackerel, lobster, and black beans) and finished off the day by 4:30pm.
I met some very special locals that evening, and came home to settle in for the night. The island is completely silent, totally dark, and sleepy by 7:45pm. It’s the kind of schedule that promotes self care and ease in every way.
Day 3
The next day we headed North to check out some beaches, sites, and settlements. Eleuthera is just over 100 miles long and has one main road, we left Tarpum Bay and hit our first destination Glass Window Bridge right as tide was reaching its lowest (a very important detail to pay attention to here on the island in order to get the best experience at many of the natural attractions). Here I was able to visit the Emerald Pools thanks to Sharon and Lewis knowing exactly how to get me to them safely. I enjoyed a chilly dip into the emerald pools while overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and got the most amazing view from the very top of the rocks overlooking the “window” beneath the bridge itself where you can see both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean sea meeting. The contrast of the cobalt blue to the crystal clear turquoise water is mind blowing.
Next on the list was Queen Anne’s Bath, another tide sensitive location. We arrived with the perfect amount of time to explore the cave like rock face surrounding the baths and of course left time to swim. Sharon and Lewis knew that if we arrived at the right time that the water in the tide pools will have been warmed by the sun, really making them feel like a bath! Now in the winter time it’s not exactly bathwater, but it was warm enough to get in with just a swimsuit on and be comfortable.
After Queen Anne’s we stopped into Da Corner Cafe in Gregory Town. This was where I tried my first whole snapper, and boy was it delicious, it was a fair price considering the amount of food we were given and as you can imagine, delicious. Sharon told me about a gift shop a stone's throw away from Da Corner called Island Made Gift Shop which was well worth stopping into! I’m not a big fan of trinkets, but I love their products and the fact that everything in the shop is made on the island. I purchased a book called “we, sea” which is a collection of photos and short poems written by children from the south end of Eleuthera, a detailed map of the island as well as a long sleeve Eleuthera shirt, and a sterling silver ring with Eleuthera’s coordinates engraved on the outside of the band. They also have a beautiful selection of Larimar jewelry pieces for my gemstone enthusiasts out there.
Next we went South to Hatchet Bay cave, Sharon told me that it leads all the way to the ocean but we explored just the entrance and admired the variety of cave formations this discrete location has to offer. There is a sign on the right side of the road heading south marking the cave but you definitely need to know exactly where to turn right at in order to find the actual cave opening. It’s situated down into the ground surrounded by 4ft tall grasses… I was extra grateful to have Sharon and Lewis with me on the experience because without help I never would have found it, let alone drove a rental car through the field to get there.
We made sure to stop in at 10 Bay Beach to get a taste of sunset too, but didn’t stay too long as Sharon wanted me to tour the Sky Cove Estate. The pictures will do it far better justice than my words ever could, talk about a magical escape… it even had its own private cove!
We went home and showered up, munched on some Papayas from Sharon’s garden and rested for a while before heading out to the ever famous Friday Fish Fry in Governors Harbour. Lewis took me there to give me the full local experience, whole snapper, rice and peas, and fresh pickled beets included. Oh, and Kalik of course. Driving at night on the island is terrifying, even for a seasoned South bound I95 driver during peak rush hour like myself. I was so grateful to have Lewis there to ensure my safe return that night.
Day 4
I spent most of Saturday enjoying Sharon’s company at the house as we gardened. It’s exceptionally peaceful here, no noise pollution, or light pollution, and the air feels clean and fresh. It’s truly hard to feel uncomfortable on the island if a tropical winter is your style.
Day 5
Sunday morning we took paddle boards out on the water and had a blast. We saw juvenile sea turtles that will spend the first several years of their life there! Once we made it out to the main reef we were snorkeling the biggest reef head I’ve ever seen. Sharon made sure I felt felt comfortable and was there to help with anything I needed on the island, it made all the difference in my time spent on Eleuthera!
Day 6
My final day spent with Eleuthera Outdoor Center was spent spearfishing. Sharon took me out to a reef she knows like the back of her hand (like most reefs in Eleuthera) and we went searching for lobster (the locals call them bugs!). I just recently started spearfishing off the east coast of Florida and was nervous to be in a new location. Sharon made me feel completely confident in the water, providing instruction when necessary and letting me explore and try things out for myself too. It was the most empowering way to experience spearfishing for lobster in the Bahamas I could have ever asked for. We teamed up and within a short period of time bagged 5 beautifully sized lobsters. Sharon taught me so much about working with the currents that were present too which was super helpful, without her I wouldn’t have made it more than 50ft off shore because I wouldn’t have known how to strategically swim with the current rather than fight it.
Tonight is my last night in Eleuthera and I have to say, my time spent here was unlike anything I could have imagined, it was better than my wildest dreams! Sharon and Lewis at Eleuthera Outdoor Center made this trip adventurous yet easy, safe yet exhilarating, and pushed the boundaries of what I imagined possible to experience here on the island. I plan on returning to Eleuthera in the spring of 2020 and hope to try out some deep sea fishing with one of their charter captains, visit the Exumas to swim with the pigs and visit Iguana Island, and spend a full day or two exploring Lighthouse Beach and Schooners Cay!
EOC has designed world class tours for guests on vacation on Eleuthera, Bahamas. The have proved themselves to be professional, reliable, and are committed to clearly communicating with their guests ensuring their time on Eleuthera is well spent and unique.