There are almost too many locales on offer when it comes to planning a beach getaway. Do you head to Hawaii? Turks and Caicos? Tulum? Depending on what type of sun, sand, and sea experience you prefer, the choices are many. If a slower paced, off-the-beaten path trip is what you’re looking for, the bohemian vibes of Eleuthera (a tiny island nestled in the Bahamas) could be the paradise you’re looking for. For Marina Cortbawi, the New York-based designer behind Merlette—a new label focusing on beautifully crafted cotton pieces that work just as well for city meetings as they do for the beach—it was the ideal option this holiday season.
Just Back From: Eleuthera
Trip Duration: One Week
Flight Plan: Fly direct from New York to Miami or Nassau, then take a direct flight to either Governor’s Harbor or North Eleuthera.
What to Pack: Very little! The best part of Caribbean travel is coming off the plane with a small carry on. This is the place to completely unwind and disconnect, so all you need are a few cotton dresses, sunglasses, sunscreen, bikini, and a good book! There really isn’t anywhere to shop on the island (unless you like to stock up on beans and rice), so make sure you come prepared. Oh, and don't forget the insect repellant!
Courtesy
Merlette Essaouira dress, $420, merlettenyc.com; Clarins Contour Body Treatment Oil, $64, clarinsusa.com; Eres bikini top and briefs, $250 for set, net-a-porter.com; Carrie Forbes sandals, $300, matchesfashion.com; Carolina Santo Domingo bag, $1,230, modaoperandi.com
Where We Stayed: I rented a beach house in Eleuthera via VRBO. An amazing one-bedroom beach cottage with an outdoor shower, it was right on the beach with a deck facing the ocean. Try to rent a house on the Atlantic side of the island, as the beaches are the most beautiful, or stay at the French Leaves Resort. All you could hear were ocean waves, which were so blissful to wake up to every morning and to fall asleep to at night along with a salty breeze. The cottage came with a kayak, BBQ, beach chairs, and snorkel sets. We often snorkeled near the rocks, which were a 15-minute walk down the end of our beach. It had pretty much everything you need for a good beach holiday—a good coffee machine which is most important! —but we still went out to Da Perk for coffee number two. We made eggs in a hole every morning and had breakfast on the balcony as the sun rose. I chose to stay in Eleuthera as I wanted complete relaxation. It has a much more bohemian vibe but also good restaurants and a supermarket if you’re willing to drive 30 minutes or so. It’s so nice to be miles from other people and hotels, and to wake up in a cottage smack bang on the beach and to have the same (if not more beautiful!) pink sand beach all to myself!
Courtesy of Marina Cortbawi
Courtesy of Marina Cortbawi
Where to Eat: Every morning we had espresso at Da Perk Cafe in Governor’s Harbor. It’s the cutest little spot serving very good coffee with a panoramic view of the harbor looking out to Cupid’s Cay. Conch and grouper fish is the local specialty in Eleuthera! I loved the conch as a salad or ceviche style. Most of our stay we cooked delicious fresh meals to eat on the beach. Island Farm was my favorite place on the island to shop for food as they grow everything themselves organically on their farm, which is located behind the store. They have the most amazing fresh fruits and vegetables, which is so hard to find on the island as everything is imported. They have beautiful looking kale, so many varieties of greens herbs and even native plants. They also sell their own homemade Bahamian sauces and salsa and some ready-made foods. I loved an incredible freshly made pesto from home-grown cilantro and I made cold pastas to eat with it on repeat. It was so delicious! They also sell cheese, local coffee and other things you would find in a high-end deli. They bake delicious hot cinnamon rolls and bread twice per week (Tuesday and Friday). This stuff is very rare to find on the island so people come and line up for it before it opens. They also carry some local pineapples (the sweetest pineapples in the world are said to be grown in Eleuthera). And every Friday night there is a fish fry up at Governor’s Harbor, which is amazing!
Courtesy of Marina Cortbawi
Courtesy of Marina CortbawiShopping at Island Farm
Courtesy of Marina CortbawiAt Tippy’s!
Tippy’s: Tippy’s restaurant is at the Pineapple Fields Resort on the most beautiful pink sand beach. It's a pretty hidden spot and challenging to find, but they make the best Bahamian food on the island. Order the grouper tacos and steamed stone crab claws. Conch fritters also is what they are famous for, a typical Bahamian dish.
Any desert with guava is also worth having as there are trees surrounding the property. It’s the cutest weathered wood beach shack with three interlocking outdoor gazebos and a huge wooden deck looking out on the beach with old shutters and piano keyboards hanging from the ceiling. There’s even a sign that tells you how many miles it is to Glastonbury (random!). It’s really an eclectic decor that has an awesome outdoor bar (where I was seated) and a top Austrian Chef Peter Birkwieser owns the entire thing. It’s impossible to find as there are no street signs, so we stopped at a church (there are so many) to ask the locals how to find it. When you get there it’s bustling with people—they're always busy with locals and tourists— and on Friday and Saturday there’s live music.
The Dunmore Hotel in Harbor Island: The Dunmore feels like Palm Beach, Florida meets the Caribbean! It has an old school preppy and upmarket vibe. The restaurant is excellent, but you can also go for drinks and hang by their pool, which is by the ocean. You can also stay in their private bungalows or rent a little hotel cottage. They are beautifully decorated, and the tropical gardens make it feel very private. It’s on the main pink sand beach, so it’s in a very busy area.
Courtesy of Marina Cortbawi
Courtesy of Marina CortbawiView from The Dunmore hotel
French Leave: French Leave is a beautiful, very luxurious little hotel on the Caribbean side. It has private bungalows, a pool, and a fantastic restaurant overlooking the harbor. The restaurant is very modern with Bahamian local seafood and locally grown produce. My favorite dish was the coconut cracked Conch fritters. The chef, Peter Hamm, is also well known on the island. They have an incredible bar, which gets very busy in the evenings and they have live music. The sunset and cocktails—such as the Bahama Mama—are pretty amazing.
What to do: Eleuthera is generally very isolated and I spent the days swimming at Double Bay Beach, which is the most beautiful pink sand beach on the Atlantic side. Go snorkeling in Spanish Wells and visit the Lighthouse Beach at the southern tip of the island. Another beautiful experience is to drive across the Glass Window Bridge, which is where the Atlantic and Caribbean come together for the most beautiful contrast of blue oceans.
You can also take a day trip to Harbor Island and rent a golf buggy and drive around the island! Harbor Island has a very preppy feeling but it’s a little too crowded (at Christmas when we went) and quite touristy. In the center of town everyone drives golf buggies and it’s hard to walk around as the streets are narrow, so it’s best to get one of those. There are lots of restaurants; very cute colorfully painted Bahamian cottages and some local art galleries. India Hicks also has a hotel called The Landing and a cute boutique called Sugar Mill Trading Company. There is also the Pink Sands hotel which is lovely, designed by Barbara Hulanicki. The restaurant at the Coral Sands hotelmakes an amazing French-Bahamian Bouillabaisse.
Courtesy of Marina CortbawiDouble Bay Beach at sunrise
Special Tips: Drive on the left side of the road! The Atlantic side is better than the Caribbean as there is more of a breeze and the waves are bigger. The beaches are not so populated so endless morning beach hikes without seeing a single soul is so special, especially coming from NYC.
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