Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas

It's located on Harbour Island in the Bahamas, just 50 miles east of Nassau. So close to mainland USA that to miss this beauty would be unforgivable. So, we didn't. And others make it a point to visit this wonder of nature as well. This is Pink Sands Beach.

Harbour Island is a tiny speck, only 3 1/2 miles long and so narrow, you can easily see the other "coast". Whoever first set foot here truly found paradise. It has one of the oldest Bahamian communities. Know the pictures of pastel colored houses? They're here! From the 1800's right on the shoreline, what a memory. If you're here for the beaches, make sure you take in the culture. Walking is best, followed by a nice ride on a golf cart. We were thinking that stocks in the local golf cart mechanic might be a winner. A real treat and "winner" as well is the food here. Don't let "conch" scare you. Yes, it's related to the snail, but tastes totally different. Especially if you've never tried snail. OK, you're in for nice meal and they make it with everything - just like Bubba on Forest Gump and his shrimp that goes with everything.

The people here are special, too. Everyone we ran into was super-hospitable. They seem to go out of their way to make you feel welcome. And somehow that translates to the whole tip of Harbour Island. You come by air or water-taxi from North Eleuthera.

Here's what we found:

Pink Sands is a resort. The resort was named after the beautiful pink sandy beach. The resort is an 18 acre hideaway of luxury, natural beauty, and most importantly - privacy. 21 cottages around 1000 sq ft and four two-bedroom cottages around 2000 sq ft line the beach. Make your reservation in advance because this wonderful place fills up and you don't want to stay anywhere else. One thing we liked about Pink Sands and the whole deal about staying on Harbour Island is that we felt close to the U.S. People here are downright friendly and accommodating and not just because they are employees. We found locals just as nice and open.
The beach is pink because of the red coral in the area. Mixed with the white sand it appears pink. What was striking to us is the contrast with the deep blue sky and the green vegetation. Opportunities for pictures abound. Best times are early morning before you get too many harsh shadows messing up your shot, and late in the afternoon. Don't worry about not having enough light. The sun is almost always shining here. Rain showers occur mid afternoon.

The shore slopes slowly and the sandy bottom goes for quite a ways out. Some coral remnants and rocks are clustered about, but no need for shoes. Try walking as far as you can on the beach. If you're not thinking of going in the water, take a set of good walkie-talkies from home and keep in touch as you both explore this side of the island.