Eleuthera means "Freedom" in Greek.

Location: 60 miles east of Nassau and 200 miles southeast of Miami.

Size: 200 square miles. Eleuthera is a long, skinny island 110 miles long and no wider than 2 miles wide.

Population: Approximately 10,000

Spanish Wells / Russell Island: The Spanish Wells / Russell Island community is located at the northern tip of Eleuthera. Please refer to our Eleuthera Map. Spanish Wells connects to Russell Island by a small bridge. The Population of these two linked islands is about 1600 people. Spanish Wells is a small town on the island "St. George's Cay". Spanish Wells is about 2.5 miles long by 1/2 mile wide, and Russell Island is larger at about 4 miles long by 2 miles wide. Language: English

Documents: A passport is required to enter the Bahamas. For a US passport, access the government website: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Government Departure Tax: US $15 cash only departure tax per person. Children under six years old are exempt.

Tipping: Many restaurants include a gratuity charge on their bill; otherwise 15% is customary.

Importing: You are allowed to bring in up to $100 worth of personal goods for consumption. Groceries in the Bahamas are more expensive than the States. Therefore, you may want to bring a few of your favorite canned or packaged items. You may not import fresh fruits or vegetables. These must be purchased on the island when arriving.

Currency: Bahamian Dollar (American currency is widely accepted everywhere as the exchange rate is the same--although you will have to pay a small conversion fee if you go to a bank to convert from American to Bahamian dollars or vice versa.) Most stores, restaurants and gas stations do not accept credit cards. They accept cash only, so please remember to bring plenty of cash to cover your vacation for car rental, food & gas. There are ATM machines at the First Caribbean Bank in Governor’s Harbour, and the Royal Bank branches in Spanish Wells and Governor’s Harbour. If these ATM’s are not available after hours, then you would need to obtain your cash during regular banking hours weekdays 9am to 3 pm.

Internet Access: For a small fee, there is internet access at the Waters Edge internet café in Hatchet Bay (4 miles north of Rainbow Bay); and internet access at the Haynes Library in Governor’s Harbour.

Driving: DRIVING IS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD in the Bahamas. When driving at in Eleuthera, make sure your headlights and window washers work on your car. The price of gas is higher in the Bahamas -- Expect to pay a $1-2 more per gallon than the States. Gas can be purchased in James Cistern, Governor’s Harbour, Gregory Town, North Eleuthera Gas Station. Queens Highway on Mainland Eleuthera is the Main Road that goes up and down the 102-mile stretch, and takes you just about anywhere you want to go north or south. A car rental is highly recommended if you are staying on the Mainland If you are renting on Russell Island, golf carts are the recommended mode of transportation to get around.

BeachWear: Also remember to bring plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, sun visors, caps, and insect repellant. WATER SHOES are nice to have if you encounter a rocky area at a beach.

Medical: Please note there are no hospitals on the island. However, there is a doctor staffed clinic in Governor's Harbour and nurses in Hatchet Bay, Gregory Town and Palmetto Point. There is a medical clinic and pharmacy in Spanish Wells. There is emergency medical air evacuation available--for policy information see http://www.aaslifeflight.com or http://www.medairservices.com for emergency air flights to Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas or to South Florida (Miami/Ft Lauderdale).

Medicines/RX: Please be sure to bring enough prescription medication to last your trip. There is only one pharmacy on the island, and that is in Spanish Wells.

Local People: Most of the locals are genuinely very friendly and helpful to tourists. It is not uncommon for locals to wave to the tourists as they drive by. Bahamians are the charm of the island.