Spanish Wells, Bahamas: A Full Review

Spanish Wells.

A place to swim or snorkel in crystal, clear water.

A place that has some of the best seafood.

A place where you go to do nothing. And it’s wonderful

A place where the islanders become your friends for a lifetime.

We heard of Spanish Wells from a friend who had visited. I saw her photos from her trip and knew we had to go there. So, we did just that – we booked our 15th anniversary trip to this fantastic, little island. We have been to the Bahamas before but never to this quaint place, and we fell in love, immediately.

We knew as soon as we landed that we loved the place. The people and the white, powdery, sandy beaches were absolutely stunning!

THE Place to Stay: Drift Away

It sleeps six and is the cutest little house on the water. 2 bedroom, 2.5 baths. Drift Away is a vacation rental that sits at the edge of the shoreline and boasts iconic views of the ocean. Right outside your door are shallow, turquoise waters, great for swimming, paddle-boarding, kayaking or exploring, and just 1 mile away is the pristine, white sand beach that stretches the whole northern shore of Spanish Wells.

This home has 2 en-suite bedrooms/bathrooms, both with breath-taking views of the sea. The guest bedroom upstairs also opens onto it’s own private deck. The cottage has an open living and kitchen area with nice, high ceilings and opens onto a covered porch, great for enjoying evening cocktails or a relaxing cup of morning coffee. The living room has a queen pull-out sofa that can also sleep 2 people.

Drift Away has a large, landscaped yard with lots of room for the kids to run and play and also a gazebo that sits right over the water. Also included are 2 kayaks for exploring the shoreline or surrounding areas, and an outdoor shower.

This home is perfect for a getaway with friends or a vacation with the family! Our plan is to bring our kids back with us next time. They would LOVE it!

THE Places to Eat:

With Spanish Wells having only 1,500 residents and being so small, there are only a few restaurants to choose from, but oh my how good they are! Here is our lineup of the few restaurants:

1. SandBar – Our favorite open air restaurant in Spanish Wells. The views are fantastic, the food is amazing, and it’s super fun to see the boats pull in for lunch or dinner. The Buffalo Shrimp is amazing as well as the Conch Fritters. The SandBar was our preffered spot for lunch or an afternoon snack.

2. The Shipyard: A little more formal, but that’s relative. You can still totally wear flip flops and shorts. It was the busiest restaurant in town and when we asked the locals what their favorite was, it was always this one. The food was good and the views are great. Our preferred spot for dinner.

3. Wreckers: The food was good, the service was fine. It was our least favorite place on the island. We only went once to Wreckers and went to the others quite a few times.

Tips for Traveling to Spanish Wells:

• Contact the property manager to get your stay at Drift Away booked. Darrin Sands is one of the best property manager’s there is and we have dealt with alot. He will help you with any questions you have about your stay, Spanish Wells or getting to the island and around.
• We flew Delta from Nashville > Atlanta > Eleuthra. Then, we took a 10 minute water taxi over to Spanish Wells (you can get this set up through Darrin the property manager, too). Super easy! From start to finish, a total of 6 hours of travel time.
• Rent a golf cart from Harborside. Golf carts are how most everyone gets around and it makes it so easy to get around + they aren’t overly expensive to rent either.
• Visit Papa Scoops at least once during your visit. It’s the most unique ice cream place you’ll ever visit. They do 2 flavors per night, it changes every day, it’s the only food on the island that is pretty cheap, and you’ll definitely leave with a smile on your face after visiting.
• Rent a boat for a few days or a week while you’re there. There are a lot of guides who will take you places, but if you have any boating experience at all — renting a boat is much more fun and affordable. We rented from Harborside for one day and loved it so much that next time we visit, we’ll rent it for the entire week. We used the boat to venture out and explore other islands, swim with the pigs, and place our feet on Sandollar Beach.

There aren’t many places we are sad to leave and even missing it once we return home. Spanish Wells is that place that we long for and cannot wait to make our way back there. We’re already planning our next trip + I’d love to help you plan your trip to Spanish Wells. Ask us any questions you have and we will even do a Spanish Wells Q&A over on Instagram soon for you, too.