Harbor Island had been on our radar for a few years now, but what moved us to book wasn’t an Instagram post or a Pinterest mood board. It was a novel.
Pink Sand Summer by my friend Chassity Evans— her debut, and one of my favorite reads this year— is set against the blush-colored beaches of the Bahamas, and somewhere between chapters I closed the book, looked at my husband and said “we should visit Harbor Island for my birthday”. So Todd opened a browser, and started looking at flights. That’s the highest compliment I know how to give a story: it made me move. If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you do so and then send me your thoughts.
Usually we’re home for my birthday because my oldest step-son’s is the day before mine, but he was spending his birthday week at camp this year, so we were free to celebrate my milestone anywhere and Harbor Island, known for its pink sand, felt like the right place. I was looking forward to slow mornings and somewhere soft enough to match the moment. So we went and I took notes. And because travel posts have a long memory.. unlike Instagram stories and outfit links… I want to give you the honest, useful version of what I found.
(For the more personal side of this trip— what turning 35 actually felt like and the coming-of-age math that caught up with me on that beach— I wrote about it over on my Substack. That letter is worth the read too.)
Harbor Island Bahamas Travel Guide: What to Know Before You Go
Getting There
Harbor Island is not a direct flight situation. We landed on the Island of Eleuthera at a very small airport first, then made our way to Harbor island via water taxi— a short but scenic crossing that’s genuinely part of the experience. Build it into your travel day and don’t fight it. The slower pace starts before you arrive, and think that’s kinda the point.
Where to Stay: The Thing Nobody Tells You
This is the most useful thing I can give you, so pay attention.
We stayed at Pink Sands Resort— an icon on the island since it’s been there since 1951, but very modern, genuinely lovely, and set right on the beach. It’s a beautiful property. One practical note: no blackout curtains, so pack a sleep mask if you’re a light sleeper.
Here’s where it gets interesting though: I had been picturing Coral Sands in my head the entire time we were planning. It’s the pinker, trendier, more aesthetically girly property I’d been seeing all over my feed. I had been using the names interchangeably while planning with my husband and didn’t catch it until we arrived. I wasn’t disappointed with Pink Sands once I got there, but if you’re going specifically for the cotton candy pink aesthetic you’ve seen online, I definitely think Coral Sands is what you’re looking for!
The Dunmore was our favorite property on the island— the most beautiful, the best vibe, the kind of place that makes you want to sit still. We didn’t stay there, but here’s the thing about Harbor Island that changes the math entirely: unlike big resorts in Nassau or Jamaica, the hotels here operate on an open-door policy. At least while we were there during a not so busy season. Guests from other properties freely rotate to other properties for meals and activities. Which means you don’t necessarily have to book The Dunmore to enjoy The Dunmore. Factor that into your budget conversation before you commit to a room.
The Beach
Yes, it’s pink. But not as pink as I thought it would be. Sure, there’s a genuine blush to sand, and if you look closely you’ll see the coral specs within the grains. But while we were there the sargassum that’s plaguing the rest of the region was omnipresent and maybe that took away from the overall beauty. So if you’re going there just for the sand, I can’t confidently say that it’s worth it!
The Vibe
Quiet. very quiet — at least in the off-season. Harbor Island moves slowly and without apology, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you will love it immediately. Visitors ride around on golf carts and make dinner reservations for 6:30pm. Sure, there’s a little night life..Elbow Room and Sammy’s made for fun nights.. but Gusty’s never lived up to the hype I had heard (at least not while we were there). So if you’re someone who needs a little more life in a place to feel fully lit up by it— which, my husband certainly is— the off-season version of this island may leave you wanting more.
I don’t say that as a complaint. I say it as information. The island felt like it had a personality we only got a glimpse of. We were there early June. Every hotel says the week of the 4th and the week of New Years is when things really liven up. And I genuinely believe being on the island at that time would would yield an entirely different experience. And I’d go back specifically to find out, but I’d want to bring our kids.
Where to Eat
We had coffee Cococa’s Coffee Shop and The Landing and then had breakfast at: Arthur’s Bakery (next to a couple of chickens), Coral Sands, and on the patio at The Landing (don’t miss their pancakes).
We had lunch at The Dunmore, at The Sandbar Bar and Grill over on the Spanish Wells while on a day trip, Sip Sip,
And we had dinner at the Ocean View Club, The Landing, and the Rock House Restaurant
(The Landing is pictured above. It’s owned by the first woman to ever be crowned Miss Bahamas and is operated by her children and her children’s children. True Matriarch behavior!)
What to do
We spent one entire day on a boat with Da Salty Pig Adventures swimming with sting rays, pigs, and huge sea turtles, had lunch on the Spanish Wells, and made our way to the iconic island swings.
What to Pack
One thing we loved most about Harbor Island is that everyone dressed up. The men were in linen shirts. And the ladies were in dresses. Easy, but elevated— that’s the entire island’s vibe and certainly their dress code.
Sunglasses are a must on any island!! While we were there photographed a campaign for Peepers sunglasses, so they were all I packed. Not gonna lie, I’m usually a designer sunnies kinda girl. But these are all under $35 and they’re super chic, but your feelings won’t be hurt if they fall into the ocean, get left in your hotel room when you check out…or end up broken by your small child! Worth knowing regardless of where you’re headed this summer!
Is It Worth the Trip?
Yes, but with honest expectations.
Harbor Island is beautiful, easy, and genuinely peaceful. The pink sand feels unique and the open-door hotel policy is a smart traveler’s advantage. But there is something about the slowness of the island that forces a rest that most of us are not getting enough of.
It didn’t take my breath away in the way some places do. But I turned 35 there, on a pink beach, in soft light, next to my husband— and it was exactly right for that. Some trips are lightning and spark us in a way we didn’t know we needed. This trip gave me permission to exhale and for this milestone birthday it was exactly what I needed.
I hope to go back in high season, with the kids, and maybe a few more families, when the island is full and loud and showing its whole self. That trip sounds like the one.
If this post helped you plan your trip, bookmark it — and share it with whoever in your group chat is already looking at flights. And if you want the emotional side of what turning 35 on that beach actually felt like, that letter lives on my Substack.
— MPR
