TEXAS RANGER: Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Eleuthera May 20

“Around the corner” from Spanish Wells, geographically, is an area often referred to as “The Hamptons of the Bahamas”…Harbour Island, and its settlement, Dunmore Town. One of the larger cities in the Bahamas in years past, it has long been an up-scale retreat for the very wealthy. Access is generally via a narrow and crooked passage through the reef known as Devil’s Backbone, and boaters are strongly advised to employ a local pilot should they venture there aboard their own vessels. We elected to ride over and back aboard the fast ferry from Nassau, which stops in Spanish Wells on its way to Harbour Island, and returns late in the day via the same route. The ferry ride itself was a fun excursion, like a large airliner with about fifteen seats across in each row. We were entertained en-route by Sanford & Son re-runs!
Arrival on the large, concrete government dock puts one in the center of town, and we hiked up and down the hills to see the town. Up the spine of the island and across to the east lies the Atlantic coast, completely reef-encrusted, but with famous pink sand beaches. Indeed, though difficult to appreciate in photos, there is a pink hue to the sand, much of it being comprised of coral. The attached photo of mangrove roots gives understanding to why boaters seek out mangrove swamps in which to tie their boats during tropical storms and hurricanes. Such root structure exits both above- and below-ground, and the thick branches and leaves provide an almost absolute windbreak. The Piggly-Wiggly was quite colorful, and as is obvious in the photo, the truck-load of groceries delivered on the cargo ship was merely dropped on the front porch to be sorted, cataloged, and moved inside by the staff. Not only were the homes colorful, but the churches as well. Would you like us to contact some of these folks for service on your church decorating committee?