Advantages and Disadvantages of Modern Bahamas Ferries
The fast, modern Bahamas ferries are partially replacing the old Mail Boat system that linked all of the main 14 inhabited islands of the Bahamas to Nassau, the capital.My wife and I have traveled on these modern catamaran ships and came to this conclusion:
... that you, as a Nassau tourist, can enjoy
Harbour Island just off the coast of North Eleuthera
and get back to Nassau on the same day. No long drive to the airport and no one-hour-waiting before take-off. Quaint and picturesque Harbour Island is a very pleasant change from the big city of Nassau. Click the above link to get a first impression of Harbour Island. Getting around in a golf cart, the usual means of transportation there, is easy and fun. You will not regret your decision to explore this tiny spot of British colonial charm where some of the rich and famous come to relax. The fast ferry leaves daily from Nassau's center at 8 a.m., and returns at 6:15 p.m. For actual schedules and prices call 1-242 322-8185, Nassau. In the second graphic below, the hammer-shaped blue surface to the right is the northern half of Eleuthera, the island of many spectacular beaches.
The high-speed journey to Harbour Island, with a short stop at Spanish Wells - see above - takes only 2 hours and 5 minutes. Governor's Harbour, the main settlement in Central Eleuthera, is just below Harbour Island.
===== Sidebar =====Let me show you, how you could travel to Eleuthera on your way back to Nassau to make your trip even more exciting:
Here's how you could get to some of the nicest Bahamas beaches. Surprise, surprise, the Bahamas' greatest beaches are mainly on Eleuthera. No, not on Grand Bahama and not in Nassau...
Click here to take a quick look at some of those interesting beaches. Included are detailed and printable directions to find them.
Go from Harbour Island to
Governor's Harbour on Central Eleuthera
After having enjoyed your day in Harbour Island, take a five minute boat ride to Eleuthera. Then a taxi - the 1 hour ride will cost approx. $ 80 - to the Italian hotel and restaurant
Cocodimama,
just a mile south of Governor's Harbour airport. This is a charming, quiet and secluded place on a very pretty beach where you really can unwind. And it's less than an hour's taxi ride. At this hotel you'll get much better value-for-money compared to similar Harbour Island hotels. After your stay at the Cocodimama hotel, a five minutes taxi ride will take you to the small Governor's Harbour airport. And after 20 minutes in the air, you'll be back in Nassau.
===== End of Sidebar =====
Disadvantages of the New Bahamas Ferries
The main disadvantages of the modern Bahamas ferries are:- Unfavorable schedules
- Sometimes questionable maintenance (cleanliness)
- No organized transportation at the ports of disembarkation.
This does not apply to the main route, Nassau to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, which I have described above. Here is a real life example of what I mean: My wife and I went by Fast Ferry from Eleuthera to Abaco. We had planned to see Andros on the way back. This itinerary meant a first leg from Eleuthera to Nassau, an overnight stay in Nassau and another leg from Nassau to Abaco and on to Andros before returning to Nassau. But the only Fast Ferry port on Abaco is Sandy Point, US$ 110 by taxi away from Abaco's capital Marsh Harbour. And believe me, it's not easy to find a taxi at Sandy Point. That was our second problem. But the first one was arriving in Nassau at night. Not a very well planned schedule, considering the area is so poorly lit...
On the left side of the above rectangle in the water, right under the two bridges connecting Nassau to Paradise Island, is the disembarkation point Potter's Cay. This area was strewn with shipping containers and some strange looking individuals were roaming about at night. My wife who generally is not a fearful person, didn't feel too good in this unusual atmosphere. And there are no taxi stands where the Bahamas ferry docks. So all we could do was to walk, hoping to find a taxi once we found our way to the main road into Nassau. But we were lucky. A captain picked us up and drove us to a car owner who was willing to drive us to our hotel. In a car with no taximeter, we paid US$15 for a short ride. Well, we were at least happy to have arrived... At Sandy Point again. A friendly Bahamian pick-up truck driver offered to bring us to Marsh Harbour, the capital of Abaco, an hour away from Sandy Point, a taxi ride that would cost US$110... After this experience, we decided to fly rather than using the modern but not so well organized Bahamas Ferries.
Go to other Bahamas Ferry Services
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