Harbour Island Travel Guide

Harbour Island is really truly paradise! Every building is a beautiful happy color, the sand on the beach is pink, the water is crystal clear, the seafood is to die for, and the shopping is amazing. Last year, my mom and I took a little mother daughter trip to Miami and had an absolute blast. Miami is so easy to get to from Charleston so it was the perfect destination. My sister, Sarah, was living abroad during my Spring Break last year so she missed the trip. This year, when I was booking my flights to Charleston for my break, my sister asked if we could do another mother daughter trip so she could come! My mom and I obviously said yes and my sister began busying herself with planning (she’s a travel agent!). Sarah looked into a couple destinations but settled on Harbour Island and I’m so thrilled she did because we had the absolute best trip! I hope you followed along on Instagram because I posted to my Instagram story non-stop… everything was just too picturesque! Below, I’m sharing my full Harbour Island Travel Guide complete with where to stay, eat, shop, and play. Stay tuned on here for more of our Harbour Island trip including some tropical outfits!

Harbour Island Travel Guide

Get My Harbour Island Wardrobe:

Where to Stay on Harbour Island:

The Dunmore – this hotel is a stripe and rattan lover’s dream! All the umbrellas, cushions, towels, and more are covered in either tangerine and white stripes or turquoise and white stripes. The Dunmore is located right on Pink Sands Beach and is made up of different cottages that were all designed by Amanda Lindroth so it is perfect for a family trip or a couples’ trip. The hotel has so many special touches too like swing chairs hanging from trees all over the property. It also has a delicious restaurant and The Dunmore Deli so you can grab easy food to bring to the beach.

The Landing – this hotel was designed my India Hicks so it has a very breezy tropical ethereal vibe to it. It is located on the harbor side of the island so it has beautiful views of all the docked boats. Even though the hotel isn’t on the beach, it is just a short 5-minute walk from the beach and it has a whole section of lawn chairs and tables on Pink Sands Beach for its guests. The hotel also has a great bar and (many argue) the best hotel restaurant on the island. I absolutely loved my meal here!

Coral House – my girlfriend Chassity and her husband own this amazing rental home on the island. Chassity has an impeccable eye for interior design so she has turned it into a gorgeous tropical inspired space. The house also has a pool, poolside bar, harbor views, and great porch so it’s literally perfect.

Bahama House – this hotel has some of the best tropical décor and design I’ve ever seen. It is a very private hotel of 11 luxury suites and is only accessible to hotel guests so non-guests unfortunately can’t enjoy it but it is definitely worth looking into for staying at! Other than the décor, I also can’t get enough of the gorgeous pool and tiki bar. It is situated in what looks like a lush tropical garden!

Pink Sands: this hotel has everything you’re looking for from adorable cottages to stay in to a pool to tennis courts to kayaks and paddle boards. It is situated right on the beach and the perfect place to stay with your whole family.

Ocean View: an amazing boutique hotel that boasts gorgeous ocean views of the Pink Sands Beach and eclectic bursts of color in every room. It also has the cutest little island style bar. The hotel is modest though and mainly just has the restaurant and the hotel rooms. It isn’t the place to stay if you are looking for more amenities like a pool.

Other accommodations on Harbour Island: Coral Sands, Rock House, Valentines Resort, Romora Bay, The Other Side (actually on North Eleuthera, which is a 7-minute boat ride away from Harbour Island), Ocean Tally (also on North Eleuthera)

Where to Eat on Harbour Island:

Sip Sip – I guarantee you will love this restaurant! It is situated right above Pink Sands Beach so it has the most breathtaking ocean views. They serve up stiff island drinks (they are known for their ‘Sky Juice’ but I also love their piña coladas) and delicious seafood. The Sip Sip menu staple is their lobster quesadillas, which are huge and full of more lobster than you’d ever get in the US. You can also get drinks here to go to bring down to the beach!

The Landing Restaurant – the yummiest restaurant where everything is packed with island flavor. I had roasted chicken curry that was served over a bed of coconut milk rice and I just about died because it was so good! The patio here is beautiful too!

The Dunmore Restaurant – everything here tastes so fresh and local; I still can’t believe it! There are so many delicious seafood options that you won’t be able to pick. Plus, their coconut sorbet was the best coconut dessert I’ve ever had!

Rock House – This restaurant is located on the second floor so it has gorgeous ocean views to accompany your delicious food. Once again, everything is amazing local seafood that will have you dying over the island flavors. The key lime pie here is an absolute must for dessert!

Queen Conch – yum! I love this waterfront restaurant! They are known for their conch salad but I also think the conch fritters are not to be missed!

Runaway Hill Restaurant – this restaurant is great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so you can’t have a bad meal here! The menu is all caribbean style food so you’ll feel like a local. (check food)

Ocean Tally – you have to take a boat to Ocean Tally so it’s a great spot to dine if you’re staying on Harbour Island for a week. It is delicious tropical seafood so you’ll be happy to made the (short) journey. Note: it’s only open for lunch.

Acquapazza – If you want to mix up your dining experiences on Harbour Island then go to this delicious Italian restaurant. Everything on the menu is good + they will cook any fish you catch while fishing so you can really have “the catch of the day.” P.S. it’s BYOB too!

Dunmore Deli – a quick an easy spot to grab sandwiches when you want to spend the entire day on the beach.

Arthur’s Bakery – a local bakery that is a great stop for breakfast. You’ll be obsessed with their sticky buns.

Harry O’s – an Oceanside seafood grill is amazing food and a very unassuming vibe (it’s a good causal inexpensive dinning option). Our boat captain turned us on to this spot.

Cocoa Coffee House – go here for your morning coffee run. They have everything else you need too like breakfast sandwiches and smoothies. Locals call this the Starbucks of the island because they serve Starbucks coffee but everything else is their own.

Bahamas Coffee Roaster – a more local spot to grab coffee and a quick breakfast. There is a nice little patio to sit and enjoy your morning beverage.

Sunsets at Romora Bay – this restaurant is a fusion of Bahamian, European, and American food. Go here on Sunday nights for live music.

Beyond the Reef – a fun casual bar at night where a lot of locals go. Our boat captain turned us on to this spot!

Where to Shop on Harbour Island:

Blue Rooster Boutique – this is my favorite shop on the island. It is full with beautifully selected beachy clothes, straw bags, colorful jewelry, and sunhats. I walked out of Blue Rooster with a whole shopping bag full of goodies that I proceeded to wear on my trip. You’ll never find more bright, tropical sundresses in your life!

Dake’s – if I had a home on Harbour Island, I would most certainly shop at Dake’s Shop for some of my décor. This is a great home store that sells beautiful throw blankets, trays, and other décor pieces as well as cute island clothes and bags.

Miss Mae’s – a gorgeous clothing store full of beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces. This store carries the most beautiful scarves I’ve ever seen!

Shine – this store is a must for seaside chic jewelry and trinkets. You’ll want to walk out with a wrist full of bangles and fun pineapple accents for your home.

India Hicks Sugar Mill – Yes, India Hicks curated this island store so you can capture her essential vibe. She sells everything from her coffee table books to pineapple flavored lip balms to different clothing lines.

A&A Straw Lady – this island local quite literally has a roadside straw stand full of different straw items she’s created. Think lots of straw bags, hats, placemats, and more!

Princess Street Gallery – if you like taking home a momentum from your travels then pop into this art gallery. The gallery owner sells art from lots of local artists that covers everything from paintings to photographs to sketches. Every piece has an island flair so you’ll love it! I got the most gorgeous little painting to bring home titled “Tropical Arrangement” that is a bright piece depicting palm leaves and local flowers.

What to Do on Harbour Island:

Pink Sands Beach – Pink Sands Beach is the main beach on Harbour Island. It gets its name because, you guessed it, the sand is pink! Other than being pink, the sand is the softest, finest sand I’ve ever felt and it leads up to the clearest most turquoise ocean water I’ve ever seen! It’s truly Heaven on earth! You can spend all day lounging on the beach and playing in the ocean with a piña colada in hand.

Rent a Boat – We rented a boat for a day through Lil Shan’s Watersports and couldn’t have had a better experience! They do snorkel trips, scuba diving trips, fishing trips, and boating trips so you can be out on the water. We loved seeing all the beautiful houses and beaches that line Harbour Island as well as the surrounding islands. Our boat captain took us to an island with no people living on it so our footprints were the only ones on the beach (truly magical!).

Rent a Golf Cart – The island is small and easily walkable but the best (and most fun) way to get around is by golf cart. Your hotel or Airbnb can help you rent a cart or you can do it yourself through Dunmore Rentals.

Shop – Harbour Island is full of very well curated clothing, jewelry, and home stores. In fact, I was so pleasantly surprised at how great (and non-touristy) the shopping was! See above for all my shopping recommendations.

How to Get to Harbour Island:

It takes a few steps to get to Harbour Island but it is easier than it sounds. First, you fly through either Miami or Fort Lauderdale to the island of North Eleuthera, which is in the Bahamas. Once you land on North Eleuthera, you take a 5-minute cab to the dock. From the dock, you take a 5-minute water taxi to Harbour Island. There are always cabs waiting outside of the airport and always water taxis waiting at the dock so it is super easy.

Thanks for the best girls’ trip mom and Sarah! Love you!