Oh, the Caribbean! I have been longing to see the turquoise waters of this part of the world for a very long time. After two weeks of gallivanting across the different islands of the Bahamas, I can assure you that this is the best sea I have ever had the chance to swim in. It tops even the azure waters of the Mediterranean. From afar, you see several vibrant shades of blue but then the water magically turns transparent as you enter into it. You can see fish of different sizes and colors swimming around you. This annoyed me in the beginning until I realized that it was me who was invading their home.
We, my boyfriend and I, stayed in a very remote part of the Bahamas. Not the lively and colorful Nassau but a small island called “Russell Island” off the coast of Eleuthera. If you have the oomph to get all the way over there, you will experience adventures you could have never dreamed of. First, you have to take a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas. Next, you have to take a VERY small jet to Eleuthera followed by a taxi to the port, a boat to Russell Island, and then a golf cart or bicycle to your place of stay. It is quite a mission but it does pay off and is so much more incredible than staying in Nassau which is filled to the brim with tourists and cruise ships.
Russell Island is like a tiny rainforest surrounded by turquoise beaches. When riding our bikes through the main road that goes down the middle of the island, you can see the waves on either side. Every single day, we had the beaches completely to ourselves. We would have the occasional resident walk by every 3-4 hours but it truly felt like we were all alone in paradise. I admit this was quite scary but also exhilarating at the same time. There isn’t much to do on Russell Island, besides swimming in the sea which is all we wanted to do anyway, however, it is very close to mainland North Eleuthera where we spent a day doing everything and anything.
We snorkeled, swam with pigs, explored a cave, went sailing, cliff –jumped into a lagoon, and bathed in natural baths. With the help of a tour guide who showed us where all his favorite spots are, we experienced so much in such a short amount of time. Paying for a guided tour of Eleuthera can be expensive but is worth every penny. In such a secluded island in the middle of the Caribbean, you would need a local to show you where to go. If not, you may end up being stranded alone just like in The Blue Lagoon. There are several different guided tours that are offered and you can even customize them to your liking. But, if you ask me, there are certain things you must definitely have on your list:
- The Glass Window Bridge is a 30-foot slice of land separating the dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean from the turquoise Caribbean Sea.
- The Queen’s Bath refers to natural tidal pools filled with water warmed by the sun.
- Preacher’s Cave is the site where the earliest colonists took refuge and it features a large natural skylight.
- The Sapphire Blue Hole provides you with the perfect sport to cliff jump into sapphire water. You do then have to rock-climb up the cliff to get back to the top.
- Meeks Patch is an island inhabited by really cute pigs. It is not the original pig island of the Bahamas but this means that it isn’t plagued with tourists and that you will get to have some real one-on-one swim time with the piggies.
If you want to take a look at our time spent on Russell Island and Eleuthera, watch here. You may well be convinced to book some plane tickets after!
