If you want to escape the crowds, and get to an affordable island destination, then you should consider Rainbow Bay. Eleuthera island has miles of beautiful, unspoiled beaches, and Rainbow Beach is one of the most popular. The Rainbow Bay community has a large land area, but homes are sparsely scattered here and there, with homes on both the Caribbean and Atlantic oceansides.

The Rainbow Bay area is a highly sought after area for visitors to stay. Most of the accommodations are private home rentals, where there is a local Caretaker to assist you. The location of the Rainbow Bay community is about 8 ? miles north of the Governor's Harbour Airport (GHB), and located between the town villages of Hatchet Bay (four miles to the north) and James Cistern (4 miles south).

A car rental is highly recommended to get around the area to explore the various beaches, and to get to the grocery stores, restaurants, etc. The nearest grocery store in Rainbow Bay is a convenience store called Big Rock. However, there are larger grocery stores elsewhere on the island. There is also a nice restaurant called the Rainbow Inn which is located near the tennis courts off of the corner of Queens Highway and Lazy Shore Road. As Eleuthera is a long skinny island (about 110 miles by 2 miles at the widest), there is one main road that travels all the way north or south called Queens Highway, so it is hard to get lost.

Although the Rainbow Bay area has beach areas on both the Atlantic and Caribbean oceansides, the most popular beach is Rainbow Beach located on Wandering Shore Drive. This beach is family friendly and has picnic tables. This is a great place to snorkel, and kayak rentals are available on the island.

Eleuthera itself has a small population of less than 12,000 people. The main city, Governor's Harbour, is located about 16 miles to the south, where there is a larger grocery store, gas stations, some souvenir stores, restaurants, deli, bakery, library, and other government buildings. However, up and down the island, there are many town settlements such as Hatchet Bay, which has an internet caf?, and James Cistern which has a couple of small restaurants, gas and convenience stores.

Eleuthera is that special place to have quiet tropical relaxation, to enjoy water sports, soak in the sun, and to breathe fresh ocean air. This is not a place for those looking for commercialized areas with fancy shopping malls or casinos. This is a casual dress , laid-back island with shorts and t-shirt as the standard.

It is common for visitors to Rainbow Bay to take a day trip to explore the tourist places such as Spanish Wells or Harbour Island. To visit either of these island locations, it involves about a 30 minute drive to the north. Park your car and take a five minute ferry over. Both of these locations have golf cart rentals to tour. Spanish Wells is a quaint fishing village with pastel colored homes, and Harbour Island has the famous Pink Sands beach as wells as souvenir shopping and restaurants.