The Insiders' Guide to St. Barths: Trip Report from "the Next SBH"

Edited by JEK to remove HTML, which isn't enabled.

Harbour Island-Bahamas May 2008

The next St. Barts? The Nantucket of the Caribbean? Celebrity hideaway? Worlds best beach? These are just a few things that I have heard about Harbour Island, Bahamas prior to my first travel to the quaint location just 1 hour from South Florida. Having traveled to several Caribbean Islands over the last 10 years my trip to one of the most exclusive stretches of beach was well anticipated.

After leaving my Boston address where temps were in the low 50s that morning and arriving in Fort Lauderdale to make my connection to Eleuthera I encountered a very social couple waiting at the airline gate for our Continental Connection flight. After they asked if my wife and I were staying on Harbour Island they wondered if we have ever been before. When we told them it was our first visit, they said "The First of Many". Later I will realize how true this statement will become.

The Setting: The Rock House

I was a little hesitant booking the Rock House at first because it would be the first time traveling to an island destination and not having immediate beach access. However, owners Wallace Tutt and Don Purdy have created a luxury getaway like no other. Upon a leisurely stroll from the Ferry Dock after being whisked quickly from the North Eleuthera airport, The Rock House stood up on a raised bluff overlooking the harbor. Upon check in, the onsite Manager Eric carried our 70lbs of luggage to our upgraded room the Asian Suite. Awaiting us was a modern two bedroom suite equipped with two full baths and a decorative style only Tutt can bring to the plate. Through out the room to paint the setting was included several coffee table books on Island Architecture and Style and vibrant Orchid plants displaying pastel colors. Attention to detail is taken seriously at the Rock House from the mix CDs encompassing International Music to the high thread count linen bedding. One thing that stood out was after giving us a quick tour of our room and carrying our excessive luggage across the grounds I offered a tip to the manager Eric and he respectfully declined saying, "Don't worry about it." It was this kind of attitude from the staff of the Rock House team that made me feel like a reoccurring invited guest of Wallace and Don.

The hotel is best described as a meticulously styled Island Inn consisting of 9 guest rooms. It reminds me of properties you can find in Newport RI or Nantucket, only difference is service and style is at a forefront. The Rock House has a certain flare and style that reminds me of Tom Beach in St Barths, but only better.
The grounds of the Rock House are similarly impeccable to that of their guest quarters. Palm thatch huts dot the property outside many of the guest rooms and the pool area is as inviting as any I have seen playing soft rock music over the property speaker system. Each day you can find the management team preparing for that evening of dinner, where the restaurant acts as one of islands Social Hub.

The Island

No bigger than 10 square miles Harbour Island is lined with pastel colored colonial houses where the pace of life is as fast as the golf carts that scurry along the paved roads. Wild rooster and chickens span the island interior and the friendly locals carry a smile on this tourist invaded town. Many of the homes carry construction dates back to the 1800s. Mode of transportation is gasoline powered golf carts, a promising sign that a stop light will never be installed on Harbour Island.

The Beach

Although the Rock House is not located on the beach, it is a mere 5 minute Golf Cart drive that takes you past the local school to a public beach path next to the popular Lunch spot Sip Sip. Upon walking down the concrete steps surrounded by tones of green landscape on each side, the first site of the aqua shades of Atlantic Ocean is memorable. The hotel sets up beach umbrellas and chairs exclusively for guest adding a nice touch including a cooler filled of Fiji water bottles. The beach is endless and the shades of blue in the water are well pronounced. Shoals Bay in Anguilla or even the lovely stretch in Providenciales Turks & Caicos may only be slightly comparable to that of the Pink Sands Beach. If you look closely to where the waves meet the sand you will see the crushed pink shells included in the beach to give it a hue of light rose. Unexpectedly though was a lot of seaweed washed up that beach workers meticulously cleaned each day to maintain a clean landscape. One of my favorite things about Harbour Island is the 3 1/2 mile stretch of sand lined with million dollar villas and small beach hotels such as Coral Sands and Pink Sands. Each day upon our morning stroll we would cross paths with the same faces that contained a smile that showed their happiness of being in a tropical utopia.

Restaurants
Dining is a taken as a serious activity on Harbour Island as the small island encompasses some of the finest food stops I have encountered on any island destination. Although prices are steep, the quality of fresh produce, fish and meats is shared with local dining establishments.

Lunch is a must at Sip Sip (meaning Gossip) where dishes such as lobster quesadelias and goombay smashes are served up. This can't miss spot displaying electric green and a blue pastel color is located on the bluff overlooking the ocean. You can hear the slight roar of the lunch crowd as you enter the restaurant which includes an inviting bar in the entry way. The Angus Burger is cooked to perfection and the bread and sides offer plenty of flavor. It is here where you will see the same repeat offenders enjoying a leisurely afternoon break from the beach sipping rum punch and talking about spotting Julia Roberts at dinner last evening.

Comparable is The Blue Bar located on the impressive grounds of Pink Sands. Again the pastel tones of blue compliment the backdrop of the gentle sea as you enjoy a lunch under a well positioned umbrella. Warm Sandwiches are served best with a Kalik beer and the setting is promised never to get old.

If you are looking to escape the beach setting and want somewhat of a lighter fare a hidden gem in town is the Dunmore Deli which includes some of the best sandwiches I've eaten. Quality cold cuts on amazing selections of fresh warm bread made this a stop I enjoyed more than once on my stay. After lunch stop by Arthur’s bakery and grab a few home made cookies to take back to the beach. You'll be glad you did so.

And I can't forget to mention to visit Ma Ruby's. You'll probably catch her in the bar area around 1PM watching her soap operas but her unique Burgers and Grill do go head to head with Le Select. Darn good but I still have a warm spot for Marius' joint.

Dinner on Harbour Island offers two of the best you will encounter in the Atlantic and Caribbean territory. Situated on the footstep of the Harbor Dock, each night The Landing becomes the center of a social dining club as repeat guests come to enjoy the food and company of one another. If anything the Landing gave off the impression that is the place to be seen for dinner. Situated on the Bay Street in an 1800 Colonial style foundation the setting includes porch and inside dining in the main room consisting of fire truck colored walls and what seemed like the original dark wood floors offering an amazing visual. Classics from Sinatra play as the back drop audio and hearing the local diners talk about their nannies or recent home purchase in South Florida can be overheard from abutting tables. The food is prepared with such taste and attention it leaves you craving more. Sirloin and fresh fish dishes seem most popular and the dessert table offers a chocolate lovers dream with their bread pudding. The atmosphere at the Landing is what makes memories for an eventful dining environment as attentive servers make sure nothing is left to be desired.

The Rock House equally plates some of the best fare on the island for foodies. Wallace and Don take the same attention to detail in their dinning room. Enjoy a martini before dinner in the poolside bar area before venturing out to the porch overlooking the bay and the best sunset on the island. Service is impeccable as the well trained yet rather young staff tends to the crowd. It is here where many enjoy laughs and stories with Wallace and Don before dinner creating a lively atmosphere. The food is on par with those of top restaurants in the States with great presentation and offering robust flavors. Desserts such as the Red Velvet Cake and home made ice creams are also favorites that can't be missed. The head chef can be seen late in the evening chatting with Wallace to make sure it was another successful evening of business. From what I understand she brings many years of experience from tenure at the Landing.

Other Hot Tables right now on Harbour Island is the new Aquapaza restaurant near the Harbour Island Marina. The Bay setting offers Northern Italian fare that seemed popular with repeat guest already. The fresh fish is a good choice to order as are their meat entrees such as Pork Tenderloin.

Valentines Marina offers an awesome bar setting and formal dinning room overlooking the multi million dollar yachts docked close by. As they continue to struggle to create an identity with their menu the ownership seems dedicated to make this restaurant right.

Shopping

Travel and Leisure once ranked Harbour Island for Best Shopping in the Caribbean region. Being a frequent visitor to St. Barth I was very suspect of this title although there are a few high end stores carrying beach and evening fashion (mostly for women). The Sugar Mill and John Bull offer designer wear and duty free items although either seemed very busy.
Conclusion

"High End and Quaint" is how the owner of Sip Sip described how she hopes Harbour Island remains in the years to come. With the slow down of the US Economy building, development on Harbour has slowed down however major projects remain in reach. Romora Bay is beginning to sell condo development type hotel units in preparation of a massive renovation. Pink Sands, now under the same ownership of Coral Sands, is selling similar type of new construction units. Runaway Hill Club plans to expand its property and many still feel that the development of Valentines Marina has changed the landscape of Harbour Island forever. While locals and hoteliers alike worry about where the infrastructure in place can handle more visitors (power/water outages and trash removal remain major issues) it is hard to predict what the future will hold. Crime is relatively non existent and the location being only 200 miles from South Florida give this place a feel of exclusivity for "power people" and the wealthy.

The Rock House can easily supplement as one of my favorite stops in the great blue ocean of the Caribbean and Atlantic. Don and Wallace bring a special focus to treat every guest as a VIP; it is so easy that this place feels like home after only a few days. I look forward to returning and seeing my old family again.

Edited by JEK (06/13/08 08:32 AM)