In December I spent a few nights on the quaint and charming Coral Sands resort in Harbour Island, Bahamas. I flew into North Eleuthera from Miami, which was an easy 55-minute flight (there are direct flights into North Eleuthera from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Nassau). Harbour Island is located off the Northeast Coast of Eleuthera Island and is just a short boat ride from the airport. I had only been to Nassau before so was excited to experience a different part of the Bahamas this time around.

Coral Sands is a boutique hotel situated on their famous pink sand beach. It’s small and privately owned, with only 38 rooms. There is charm that comes with staying at a smaller boutique hotel. The vibe was intimate–the main lobby felt as though you were in a friend’s cozy living room. My room was in the newly-designed and renovated main building above the lobby. It had double balconies and a comfortable living room area. It was beach chic and airy with lots of natural light–perfect for a romantic getaway. If you are vacationing with family or friends, I suggest looking into one of their ocean-front beach cottages, they are more spacious and give you a little more privacy.

My favorite part about staying at Coral Sands was the beach—the sand felt like silk and the water was turquoise. I now know why the beach was ranked the #1 beach in the Caribbean by the Travel Channel, it was one of the prettiest beaches I’ve come across in all of my travels. Even on a rainy day, the beach was breathtaking. It wasn’t at all crowded–I felt like I had a private beach all to myself. Most people visit Nassau or Exuma when visiting the Bahamas, making Harbour Island and Coral Sands beach one of the Bahamas best kept secrets. The hotel offers beach activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing and beach picnics, and golf cart rentals to explore the island. Overlooking the beach, the open-air Terrace Restaurant is a great place to break away during the day to have lunch. With the hotel’s lagoon pool on one side and the ocean on the other, the restaurant offers nice ambience with breathtaking views. The menu offerings were pretty standard– sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads, and seafood—but everything was delicious.

I suggest venturing out into town which is only a five minute walk from the hotel. Dunmore Town is the epicenter of Harbour Island and has an array of restaurants, boutiques, small markets, and art galleries. The town has a lot of charm and didn’t feel touristy. In fact, I barely saw any tourists–mostly just locals going about their days. If you like to hit up local food spots like I do when I travel, go to Dunmore Deli for breakfast and hitting up the Queen Conch for dinner. Queen Conch is right on the water and only a short 10-minute walk from Coral Sands. The blackened fish tacos were some of the best I’ve ever had.

If you are planning a Bahamas trip, I would definitely recommend looking into Harbour Island. It was a great island to explore and staying at Coral Sands was a great way to experience it. It is perfect for a romantic getaway or a fun place to vacation with family or friends.