Dunmore Town, located on the harbor side of Harbour Island, was named for the 18th-century royal governor of The Bahamas who had a summer home here. You can walk around the narrow, virtually car-free lanes here in less than 20 minutes, or stroll slowly to savor the sight of the old gingerbread cottages that line the waterfront. Overhung with orange, purple, and pink bougainvillea, white picket fences enclose wooden houses painted pastel blue, green, and lilac. Wind chimes tinkle in front of shuttered windows. Coconut palms and wispy casuarina pines shade grassy yards.
Americans and Canadians own some of these houses, which have whimsical names such as Up Yonder and Beside the Point, instead of house numbers. One of the oldest, Loyalist Cottage, was built in 1797. It survives from the days when the original settlers, loyal to the British Crown, left the American colonies after the Revolutionary War. The porches along the harbor make for prime sunset-watching. Lucky for you, some porches aren't connected to private homes. The terrace at Harbour Lounge Bar and Restaurant is an idyllic perch. Just across the road from Loyalist Cottage, you can browse through straw goods, T-shirts, and fruits and vegetables at the vendors' stalls.
On Sundays, dressed-up residents socialize in clusters outside churches before and after services. Two of The Bahamas' first churches are found in Dunmore Town and are still going strong: St. John's, The Bahamas' oldest Anglican church, established in 1768, and Wesley Methodist Church, built in 1846.
Spend some time wandering the streets -- some hilly, some flat -- away from the heart of town. You can see roosters doing their jerky marches through front yards and horses grazing in small fields. You'll find unassuming but perfectly good Bahamian restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in this locals' area.
