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Last week, we wrapped up one of our best family vacations EVER in Harbour Island, Bahamas. I called my mom as we were getting off the airplane to tell her that Harbour Island just might be my new favorite travel destination of all time… right up there with the Amalfi Coast in Italy! For starters, everything about Harbour Island is insanely gorgeous… the turquoise water, glamorously decorated hotels, pastel beach shops and restaurants, the pink sand beaches, the list goes on and on. But even more than that, it was this feeling I had when I was there! Like I was *home,* like a deep breathe of Harbour Island’s ocean air was all I had been waiting for my whole life. We felt super relaxed the entire time. I think it helped that both girls are a little older now and it is getting a little easier to travel with them. Watching them play together in the sand and run around our little grassy yard will always be some of my favorite memories from the trip. So without further ado, here is my travel guide!

Venus Bermuda Bikini Top // Venus Classic Hipster Mid- Rise Bottom // Venus Mesh Wrap Skirt // straw hat

on me: Montce Hayden Bikini Top // Montce Lulu Bikini Bottom, also sold here // Amazon cover-up // Amazon sunglasses // on Chris: Fair Harbor swim trunks // white t-shirt // on Kennedy: The Beaufort Bonnet Company Long bay Bathing Suit // Native Waterproof Slip- On Sneakers // on Collins: The Beaufort Bonnet Company Long bay Bathing Suit

on me: Echo Supersoft Gauze Bra Top // Echo Supersoft Gauze Tova Skirt // TKEES Foundations Matte Flip Flop // Amazon sunglasses // Lizzie Fortunato Glacier Bay Necklace // on Kennedy: Rufflebutts x Roshambo Heart Sunglasses // The Beaufort Bonnet Company Ruehling Ruffle Dress // Native Waterproof Slip- On Sneakers // Amazon hair bows

on me: Marea The House Dress, similar mini version here // TKEES Foundations Matte Flip Flops // Raffia Meyers Studs flowers earrings // local Bahamas handbag, similar here // on Chris: blue and white gingham shirt // khaki shorts // on Kennedy: blue dress // pink bow // Native Waterproof Slip- On Sneakers // on Collins: The Beaufort Bonnet Company Sydney Scallop Set // bow headband // The Beaufort Bonnet Company L’Amour Dottie Mary Janes

on me: Montce Powder Blue Hayden Bikini Top // Montce Powder Blue Added Coverage High Rise Bikini Bottom on Chris: Fair Harbor swim trunks // on Kennedy: Minnow Girls Slate Floral Rashguard One Piece

on me: Montce Cupid Hayden Bikini Top // Montce Cupid Tamarindo Ruffle Bikini Bottom // Amazon sunglasses // Tuckernuck Raffia Double Flower Shannon Earrings // on Kennedy: Montce Cupid Mini Cabana Bikini Set // Rufflebutts x Roshambo Heart Sunglasses

Amazon black maxi dress // straw hat // TKEES Foundations Matte Flip Flops

How to Get There

I’m not going to lie, getting to Harbour Island can be a bit *long,* but it is not very complicated. Just keep in mind that if you’re traveling with kids, it will likely be a long day for them! We flew from Charlotte to Miami, and then from Miami to the Eleuthera airport. (Of course, I found out afterwards that Charlotte actually does offer a direct flight to Eleuthera… but only on certain days! So if you are in North Carolina, it might be worth it to plan your trip around the direct flights to make your travel day as easy as possible.)

Once you land at the North Eleuthera Airport, you will grab a taxi (for $5 per person) and tell the driver that you are going to Harbour Island – they will take you to the water taxi dock. Once out of the van, one of several dock workers will grab your bags and load them on a boat. Follow their instructions and tip anyone who helps you along your way. The water taxi is $10 per person and takes just five minutes to get over to Harbour Island. The water taxi will drop you off at the Government Dock in the center of Dunmore Town. You can grab any taxi from there – just tell them where you’re going or your chosen golf cart rental location (yes, you will likely want to rent a golf cart while you’re staying there!).

Where to Stay

A HOUSE: We found a beautiful rental house on VRBO called Sea Star. We absolutely LOVED this house, as it really felt like a home away from home. It was beautifully decorated and very spacious (the main house has two bedrooms and the guest cottage has two bedrooms). The outdoor area offered both shade and sun, and I still reminisce on the mornings that we spent sipping our coffee on the patio while the kids ran around the grassy yard. One major benefit of the house is that it’s located right across the street from a beach access – and the beach is probably the prettiest you’ve ever seen in your life! With clear, turquoise water, gentle waves and PINK sand, it is perfect for kiddos and literally only ten steps away at all times. The house even comes with a dedicated umbrella that is already set up on the beach for you! If we decided to come back to Harbour Island again, we would most definitely book this same house.

THE DUNMORE: If staying at a hotel is more your speed, then you will absolutely love The Dunmore. It is without a doubt the most luxurious hotel on the island – you might have even already seen a picture of the beach access with its famous blue and white striped pool house. The Dunmore is impeccably decorated – think vintage rattan, pink conch shell and 1960s resort glam! They offer both hotel cottages and residences on property, as well as a fabulous restaurant, bar and pool.

Where to Eat

COCOA COFFEE HOUSE: Cocoa Coffee House has the best coffee on the island! Located in a super cute yellow house right next to Valentine’s Marina, we found ourselves going back day after day for their vanilla lattes. They also offer a lot of healthy breakfast options, from breakfast sandwiches, to smoothies and açaí bowls.

ARTHUR’S BAKERY: Arthur’s Bakery is a bit of an iconic spot in Harbour Island – you’ll know you’re there when you spot the famous pineapple fence! We loved this place for the warm and friendly atmosphere – the minute you step inside, there are several couches beckoning you to sit down and get cozy. Known for their fabulous baked goods, Kennedy can attest to their cinnamon rolls and I personally enjoyed the banana pancakes. We thought Cocoa’s coffee was better, but Arthur’s coffee wasn’t bad!

SWEET SPOT CAFE: We were searching for a lunch spot one day and happened to stumble upon Sweet Spot Cafe. We were pleasantly surprised by the range of healthy items offered by Sweet Spot, including cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and sandwiches. We got some fresh fruit and pancakes here that the kids loved!

THE DUNMORE: Nearly everyone I talked to before our trip told us that we had to dine at The Dunmore! We made reservations for dinner at the Clubhouse one night – it was decorated beautifully and reminded me a lot of Palm Beach inside. The drinks were fun and the food was delicious (I had the burrata salad and Cajun Spiced Chicken). Our only gripe was that they have a STRICT dress code and would not let us in the Clubhouse because Chris did not have on pants! They ended up setting up a table for us by the pool, which was fine, but the whole experience was a little unsettling! (By the way, Chris did not even bring a single pair of pants with us to the Bahamas. Lesson learned for next time!)

SUNSETS AT ROMORA BAY: This ended up being our favorite restaurant of all and we ended up coming here several times during our stay!! It’s pretty casual and not stuffy at all – located right on the water, it’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset with a Goombay Smash in hand. Every single meal we had was *chefs kiss,* from the grouper with mango salsa on top, to the fish tacos, to the jalapeño burger and hot truffle fries. Highly recommend!

THE LANDING: The Landing is another restaurant that came highly recommended to us. It is a super romantic restaurant located right on the water with candles on every table and a beautiful view of the boats bobbing in the harbor. I ordered a glass of white wine and it was one of the best I’ve ever had – it came served in a chilled wine glass! Everything we had for dinner was wonderful, and we wish we could have made it back to try their breakfast menu – which also looked amazing.

MALCOLM 51: This was our second favorite restaurant! We had the BEST dinner at Malcolm 51 – everyone was in such a good mood, they were playing amazing music, the atmosphere was just so fun and perfect. I ordered a Goombay Smash and it was one of the best drinks I’ve EVER had! The waiter brought over a new sushi roll for everyone at our table to try and it was so good that several people changed their orders to sushi. I had the Pan Seared Grouper with Avocado Lime Crema and toasted coconut on top – I finished my entire dish in under five minutes it was THAT good. And then for dessert, we had a Sticky Toffee Cake that was to die for.

What to Do

GO TO THE BEACH: Harbour Island is most renowned for its beautiful Pink Sand Beach, stretching for three miles along its Atlantic Ocean side. The water is a beautiful turquoise color and the waves are very gentle, perfect if you have babies or toddlers in tow. But the sand…. oh, the sand! It truly is a pink color that is hard to capture in photos but very clearly pink when you see it in person! The color comes from coral insects that live in the reefs… when they die, the waves crush them and mix them in with sand and bits of coral. The sand is super soft and fine, like powder, and perfect for beach walking, if that’s what you like to do!

SHOP: I was surprised to find that Harbour Island had quite a few boutiques nestled in amongst the businesses and beach bars. If you don’t go anywhere else, please go to A and A Hidden Treasures and go early in your trip! You will want to pick out a beautiful handmade straw bag and have your name or initials added to it for you to pick up later in the week. We loved talking with the mother and daughter duo that own the shop, you can ask them and they’ll tell you the history of basket weaving on the island! We also loved The Blue Rooster and The Sugar Mill (owned by the one and only India Hicks!).

TYMAN CHARTERS: The highlight of our week was definitely going out on the boat with Tyman Charters! It’s a family-run business and you can either opt for a half-day or full-day excursion. We were able to feed the sea turtles, swim with the stingrays, and swing in swings in the middle of the ocean! Kennedy was scared of the sea turtles but LOVED the swings – and even the stingrays. Our guides Breanna and her husband were incredible and so knowledgeable about marine life and the islands of the Bahamas, we learned a lot of history and just had a great time with them in general. (And despite the comments on my Instagram post, no starfish were harmed on our excursion!!! We had to follow strict rules so that we didn’t bring any harm to the sea life or animals!)

ENJOY A GOOMBAY SMASH: The Goombay Smash is the signature drink of Harbour Island and it is FREAKING AMAZING, y’all. It almost tastes like a piña colada, but not quite (it’s better!) – it’s a tropical treat for your taste buds. I thoroughly enjoyed taste-testing the Goombay Smashes around the island – I think I ordered one almost every night at dinner, but the best one I had was at Malcolm 51! If you’re visiting Harbour Island, you have to try one and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

NOTHING: I am laughing because I think that this is the first time I’ve written “do nothing” on a travel guide – but Harbour Island is seriously the perfect place to RELAX and do nothing at all. It is honestly hard for me to truly relax sometimes, but there is something about Harbour Island that just feels so peaceful, you really want to find a warm spot in the sun and do nothing at all. You can do lots of things on Harbour Island – take the golf cart out for a joy ride, rent paddle boards on the beach, smoothie runs, card games, beach walks, etc, – but there is something so wonderful about doing nothing at all here on this island that feels like home.

What to Pack

While Harbour Island is a tropical island and you’ll want to pack lots of swimsuits and cover-ups, you’ll also want to pack some nice clothes, too! During the day, I saw lots of people in athletic gear and swimsuits, but I was surprised to find that most everyone dressed up really nice at night for dinners on the island. Women wore sundresses and nice sandals or wedges, while men wore crisp pants and button-ups or blazers. Everyone looked like they were out of a magazine! It is a truly fashionable place.

You can find links to every single outfit I wore on our trip here!

Additional tips

Just a few random tips for you!

• You will most definitely want to rent a golf cart during your stay on the island – it is the main mode of transportation and will allow you to get everywhere you need to go, and quickly! (We rented two pink golf carts from Conch and Coconut and had a great experience.)
• Food is expensive on the island. Like, REALLY expensive. Islands in general are expensive because the cost to import food is higher. And in the case of Harbour Island, it’s coming from an island to an island to an island! We found most entrees to be more than $40 (even at the casual restaurants). There is one tiny grocery store on the island, so you can opt to buy your own groceries and cook at home. The groceries were two to three times more expensive than in the United States, but it still ended up being cheaper to cook some meals ourselves rather than eating at a restaurant.
• Get out cash beforehand!!! Tipping is a big thing on the island. You will want to tip anyone who helps you, whether they lift your suitcase for you or are helping you with paddle boards on the beach. We got out a bunch of $5 bills ahead of time and that really helped us. If you do have to get cash out on the island, there is one ATM located at the Royal Bank of Canada. It will only give you Bahamian dollars, but the exchange rate is 1:1 (so 1 US Dollar = 1 Bahamian Dollar) and restaurants and businesses will accept either.

I think that wraps up our trip! Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section and I’ll be happy to get back to you there!