walking streets - harbour island, bahamas

bermuda, bahama, come on pretty mama...i guess i should say from the get go my husband hates that old beach boys song, hates it! which made singing it over and over again before, and during, our stay on harbour island in the bahamas last summer so much more fun. i'm sorry but it just never got old! trying to experience a new place once a year, we headed down to the bahamas and right into a huge storm. we got completely and absolutely soaked on the small ferry that transports you from the airport to this tiny island. i thought "here we go" and "should have known better" with it being hurricane season and all but it was at the very beginning of the season and guess what? the heavens opened up and mother nature cooperated for the entire duration of our stay save for a quick outburst here and there which turned out to be really fun.

harbour island is not anywhere near what i was expecting, but then again, i'm not sure i knew what to expect from a place that's 3 miles long and a half mile wide. beyond knowing it was small, i didn't have a lot of info except having heard about the "pink sands" of their beaches. and i'm happy to report back that they are just that, pink! bumped up against the ice blue of the caribbean sea makes the whole scene look like an enormous water color painting. gorgeous. make that gorgeous and charming. and laid back. this place is really laid back. how can it not be when the only real form of transportation is via golf cart? make that fantastically laid back and hip. how those two words coexist so effortlessly in this place is beyond me but they do, and they do it well.

this tiny speck on the map is an amazing little gem! so my pick for a walking street is more like a walking town because dunmore town is so tiny!

here are my picks for favorites there:

stay:
coral sands hotel or pink sands resort. we stayed at coral sands only because it was available where the other wasn't but ate next door at pink sands a couple of times and loved them both. same beautiful beach! there are other really great hotels here but if you love the beach like i do make sure you are staying on or very close to pink sands beach. it's worth it.

eat:
you must try sip sip! it's got an amazing vibe, incredible view and awesome food. lobster quesadilla, anyone? yes please! locals, vacationers and yachting crews all mix nicely here.
the rock house for dessert. words could never do them justice.
cocoa coffee house. my husband's nickname for me is coco so we had to try it. great coffee and it's just a really comfortable place to hang out when you need your fix.

shop:
i adored the tiny hole in the wall of a shop that's at the entrance to sip sip. really cool inexpensive mix of jewelry, beach bags, pareos, etc.
princess street art gallery...i went a little nuts here, completely my style!
india hicks boutique at the sugar mill trading co. very culled down and organized. mostly women's clothing but you can find fun stuff for everyone.

do:
swim. probably the most beautiful water i've ever seen. ever.
walk. this beach is perfect for walking. it's long and incredibly clean, plus it's fun to look at the fantastic homes and all the different architecture. with owners such as elle macpherson and diane von furstanberg, you never know who you might run into!
jet ski. we did this two days in a row and had a blast.
enjoy and relax. really easy to do that here!

xo,
gaye