Things To Do in Harbour Island
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Harbour Island Attractions
Dunmore Town, located on the island's harbor side, was named for the 18th-century royal governor of The Bahamas who had his summer home here. You can walk around the narrow, virtually car-free lanes in less than 20 minutes, or stroll slowly to savor the sight of the old gingerbread cottages lining the waterfront. Draped 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 while 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 the Harbour Lounge is an idyllic perch. Just across the road from Loyalist Cottage, you can browse through straw goods, T-shirts, and fruits and vegetables at vendor stalls.
On Sundays, dressed-up residents socialize in clusters outside churches before and after services. Two of the first churches in The Bahamas are in Dunmore Town, still going strong: St. John's, the country's 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. In this locals' area, you'll come across some unassuming but perfectly good Bahamian restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
Harbour Island Shopping
Miss Mae's, on Dunmore Street (tel. 242/333-2002), lives up to its billing as one of the island's finest clothing boutiques. Briland's Androsia, on King Street (tel. 242/333-2342), sells the best selection of bathing suits; its bright batik fabrics are printed on the island of North Andros.
Blue Rooster, in the center of town (tel. 242/333-2240), along with the Shop at the Landing , offers what might be the island's most upscale and stylish collection of men's and women's clothing and casual eveningwear. Come here for something sporty and trim-looking to wear into a posh hotel's dining room, especially if the New England button-down look appeals to you. The Shop at the Landing, at the Landing Resort (tel. 242/333-2707), focuses on chic and wearable sportswear -- you know, the kind of outfit you might wear to a casual island cocktail party, a posh brunch, or a buffet dinner aboard a yacht.
Finally, check out Princess Street Gallery (tel. 242/333-2788; www.harbourislandgallery.com), where owner Charles Carey has restored an ancestral home and transformed it into a showcase to display works by local artists.
Harbour Island Nightlife
Unpretentious Gusty's, on Coconut Grove Avenue (tel. 242/333-2165), boasts sweeping sea and sunset views and a clientele that's drawn from every strata, top to bottom, of Harbour Island's complicated sociology. Inside is a sand-covered floor, while the outdoor veranda is sometimes the scene of fashion shows for local dressmakers. Live music is featured every night. Gusty's opens nightly at 9:30pm and then goes on rocking virtually until dawn.
Sea Grapes, on Colebrook Street (no phone), another favorite of locals, is where you can boogie down to the sounds of disco or catch a live band. Expect to be jostled and crowded on a Saturday night because everyone on the island comes here for a wild Bahamian hoedown.
Vic-Hum Club, on Barracks Street (tel. 242/333-2161), established in 1955, is the quintessential Harbour Island dive. Its walls are layered with the covers of hundreds of record albums and sports posters that music-industry and basketball buffs find fascinating. The Vic-Hum is open 24 hours a day, catering to breakfasting construction workers in the morning, then locals meeting friends for a beer all afternoon. Some of them play basketball on an indoor court that is transformed later in the evening into a dance floor -- the music begins at 10pm every Friday and Saturday.
