Visiting Eleuthera Bahamas

If you’ve never been to the Bahamas, it’s a truly unforgettable experience. However, there are some things to make note of. Use this post as your guide.

 

Getting to the Bahamas 

The level of difficulty of where you will be going depends on the island. Bimini and Nassau for example are easier to access for than where we went, Eleuthera. In our case, we flew to Miami from Tampa and then to the island. American and Delta both have flights to the island, but you’ll need to take a connector, like American Eagle (see below).

 

 

Once you arrive at the airport, getting through customs and immigration is the next priority. This can take ten minutes as it did for us, or it can take over an hour depending on how many flights and passengers are on the ground.

 

 

From the airport you’ll hop in one of the many cabs that charge anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars per person (cash only) to then take you to the ferry dock that will take you to Harbor Island (the site of the wedding we were attending). The cab ride takes less than ten minutes, especially since they tend to drive 80-90 miles per hour down a dirt road. Upon arriving at the ferry dock, you’ll board on of the many docked vessels for a five-minute boat ride will cost you five dollars per person.

One item of note, while certain places do accept credit cards for an additional fee, it is best to carry cash as that is the easiest way to ensure that your transactions are smooth and simple (they do take American money).

 

Bahamas Fishing 

There are three main types of fishing in the Bahamas: offshore for pelagics like sailfish, tuna, dolphin and wahoo; nearshore on patch reefs for snappers and groupers; flats fishing for bonefish and permit. The offshore fishing is excellent, as is the inshore fishing, the nearshore fishing is incredibly challenging as these spots have been very overfished.

Our target was the gray ghost, bonefish. This year I had finally caught my first bonefish in Islamorada, Florida Keys. It was an unforgettable experience, but I wanted to catch one on fly, an exceptional challenge in the world of angling. I had attempted this in Key West and Biscayne Bay previously but was unsuccessful. Surely in a place known for prolific bonefishing, I would be able to accomplish this feat, right? Unfortunately, it was not to be.

In Sum

When you’re ready to head home, make sure that you get to the airport EARLY. Island time is absolutely a thing, and you don’t want to risk being left behind (customs and immigration can be slow). We arrived at 9:30 for a noon flight and of course, we were delayed until 3:30.

There are worse places to be delayed, however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A final note. The Bahamian people are friendly and welcoming, but you still must always remember that you are in a foreign country. While I never felt un-safe, there were things I kept in mind. Don’t be foolish. Stay in groups, lock the doors when you go out and don’t wander around random streets at night alone. Places like Bimini and Nassau which are tourist havens have a much higher rate of crime than where we were in Eleuthera, but still, good things to keep in mind. Just do those simple things and you’ll be fine.

Take the trip, enjoy the Sands or Kalik (I am a Sands guy), enjoy the beauty and (hopefully) catch a bonefish or two.

Until next time, tight lines!