Yellowtail Cottage

A lilting accent, part proper British and part rhythmic Caribbean, drifts on the breeze as the ferries chug in and out of the picturesque harbor. Golf carts clog the roads while the sun sets spectacularly over the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s nothing special—just another day in the life on the island called Spanish Wells.
Spanish Wells is an anomaly in the archipelago of the Bahama Islands. It is hidden in the midst of many uninhabited cays that surround the northern tip of the island called Eleuthera. It’s a two mile long limestone rock that is home-sweet-home to the two thousand people that live there. These people are mostly blonde-haired and blue-eyed but this is not a long lost Viking colony. They are the descendants of the Eleutherian Adventurers who came to the Bahamas from Bermuda in the mid-1600s searching for religious freedom.
The adventurers’ search for freedom started out with a disaster when they got snared on a reef, but they found shelter inside a cave on the beach of a neighboring island. They struggled to survive by farming and eventually a few of the settlers decided to try a new location. They waded through the clear blue water to another island about half a mile away. That island was Spanish Wells.
These settlers bonded and grew through their religion and shared tribulations. They faced disastrous hurricanes and bouts of disease together. They leaned on each other for support and never left the island in great numbers. They had found their niche. They learned to depend on the sea for their subsistence. They became expert fishermen and the tradition has been passed down throughout the generations.
The fishermen run their boats using the same quiet efficiency that they were taught by their fathers. With new technology they’ve upgraded their fishing vessels but still use standard spears and often dive free breath. The young men of the island are continually taught and trained in the art of crawfish-ing. Fathers teach their sons to dive and shoot a spear almost as soon as they can swim- which is learned as soon as they can walk.
They have everything that they need on this little island perched in a quiet corner of the ideal vacation destination. The islanders are bound by family and religion.
While other small islands and towns over the world are experiencing a ‘brain drain,’ Spanish Wells is still abundant in young people. They don’t feel the need to leave what they feel is one of the safest and most beautiful places on this side of the globe.
So today, although tinged with technology, Spanish Wells operates in almost the same way that it has for centuries. It is still populated by descendants bearing the original settlers' surnames.
The islanders go about their days with a kind of sweet similarity. Spanish Wells and its people are a world apart from their own country. A Bahamian historian, Paul Albury, concludes that “Spanish Wells is a microcosm, a world unto itself, utterly different from any other part of Eleuthera, or of the Bahamas, for that matter.”
So, this tiny, hidden island, nestled between a busy harbor and an unspoiled stretch of pink beach, is found only by those people who go looking for it. It has stayed hidden for centuries, and that’s just the way the islanders like it. Why go looking for more when you are living in paradise?
To get to Spanish Wells you can fly in from Miami or Fort Lauderdale Florida.There are 2 airlines that fly direct from Florida Silver Airlines fly from Fort Lauderdale to North Eleuthera and then its american Airlines that fly from Miami to North Eleuthera.Then if you want you can fly into Nassau and take a short plane ride to North Eleuthera or you can take the fast ferry Bo Hengy that comes to Spanish Wells every day and that takes 2 and a half hour's.

 

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Rates

Dates Nightly Weekend Night Weekly Monthly*
My Standard Rate

( 3 Nights Min stay)
$250

Availability Calendar

Amenities

Onsite Services

  • Car Available
  • Suitability

  • Long-term Renters Welcome
  • Outside

  • Lawn / Garden
  • Balcony
  • Kayak / Canoe
  • Bicycles
  • Boat
  • Outdoor Grill
  • Deck / Patio
  • Entertainment

  • Television
  • Satellite / Cable
  • Dining

  • Dining Area
  • comfy seating for 6 people
  • Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Stove
  • Oven
  • Microwave
  • Coffee Maker
  • Toaster
  • Dishes & Utensils
  • General

  • Telephone
  • Air Conditioning
  • Washing Machine
  • Clothes Dryer
  • Parking
  • Internet
  • Towels Provided
  • Living Room
  • Meals

  • Guests provide their own meals
  • Location Type

  • Downtown
  • Beachfront
  • Oceanfront
  • Beach View
  • Ocean View
  • Waterfront
  • Bathrooms

  • Bathroom 1 toilet, shower
  • Bathroom 2 toilet, shower


  • Reviews

    Beautiful gem with great views

    The home is beautiful. Oceanview from one deck, harbour view from upper and lower deck. Home has everything. Exceptional service including organization of transfers. Owner and employees are taking care of all what you need.

    We will be back soon!

    Lars H.
    2018-11-30
    Perfect location Great spot for watching all the boats come in

    The cottage was very cute had great front porches where you could feel the ocean breeze and watch all the boats come in. Very comfortable and cozy and close to beaches restaurants and any other water activities. The check in process was extremely easy as well as the check out and tooling around on the buggies or golf carts was a lot of fun. We will definitely be coming back here soon. The grocery store was adequate and the restaurants although not many were all very good. This is probably the friendliest island I have ever been to and would highly recommend to people looking for a place to get away from the hustle and bustle and being harassed on the more touristy islands.

    Kim B.
    2018-08-29
    Wow, the best The Bahamas has to offer!

    My family of 5 had an amazing time in Spanish Wells. Yellow Tail is a great choice for larger families. We all had our own beds to sleep on. Andre and his staff at Harbour Side Rentals are GREAT! They helped us out right from the start. Any questions we had, they had the answers. All accommodations/requests were dealt with quickly and professionally. We stayed at Yellow Tail for 8 days total and loved it. Our kids (18,14,10) stayed with us 5 days then returned home, and my wife and I stayed 3 more days. The golf cart that is included with the rental was awesome to get around both Spanish Wells and Russell island. Yellow Tail delivered more than we expected. The views from the balconies are breathtaking. We did stargazing at night and saw a family of 5 dolphins play right in front of us. The gas grill was used almost every day, either for lunch or dinner (need grill brush). The only conundrum is trying to get the paddle boards to the beach, about 2 blocks away. It would be awesome if Andre had an agreement with some other rentals he manages that are right in the beach, to keep the paddle boards there so that we don’t have to haul them around. Definitely going back again! Thanks Andre for your hospitality!

    Juan G.
    2018-07-24
    Fantastic place to stay

     

    This was a trip for me a and a couple of friends. We boated from Miami, after trailering 550 miles from Panama city Florida, Then a little over 200 miles buy boat. So, this is a great place to stay comfortable has everything you need and if you need something,. just ask and they will help you. For the boater or non boater. The home is centrally located, food, gas, bait and restaurants is no more than 100 yards in any direction. so for the both the boater and non boater this is it. A great dock,protected marina. no security issues.Get around the whole island on the gulf cart. great evening fun.HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Louis

    LOUIS G.Port Saint Joe
    2018-07-08
    EXCELLENT stay - Spacious - Affordable - WOW!

    This was our first time to Spanish Wells and I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. We have been to several islands and there is nothing like this around that we've seen. The Yellowtail rental and the service from Andre and Ricky (my new best buddies LOL) were OUTSTANDING. The home is spacious, clean, beds were great, and the location and view is beyond what I expected. I truly think we have made life long friends with everyone we met on the island. and will revisit the island many times. Is it on the beach? No but the view is unreal and the action off the dock is really cool to watch (not annoying) from the upstairs balcony. I loved sitting there having drinks watching the boats/people come in. You will not be disappointed if you book the house. My wife and I could spend months on this island and we have been to most of the Caribbean and this is the ONLY place I could do that. Thank you all. We will see you soon! We have a ton of great pictures/videos on FB. Feel free to message/friend me Jeremy Gearries. Indianapolis Indiana

    Jeremy G
    2018-03-26
    Very nice property......right in the middle of the action.....

    Thank you Andre Sands, for the use of your wonderful 2 story cottage....and the golf cart.....tremendous location, right in front of the Bo Hengy dock and water taxis from North Eleuthera.....would not hesitate to stay again !!!

    MARK N.NASSAU
    2017-08-12
    Well maintained duplex set high on a hill overlooking the harbour.

    The duplex has nice, large decks, the lower is well shaded and the upper with expansive views. The interior is very up-to-date and comfortable with plenty of air conditioning, when needed. The Yellowtail Cottage is perfect for two small families or one family that intends to have visitors. Spanish Wells is a quiet community that has been discovered, with a beautiful beach and safe, fun culture. Andre, the manager, is a caring, considerate problem solver that makes a vacation run smoothly.

    Mike F.
    2017-07-17
    Wonderful Stay!

    Our family of four (including 2 young boys) arrived for our spring break vacation. I was a little nervous because we typically go to more resort area type places for the boys but we are adventurous and I love to try places off the beaten path. The house was beautiful, clean and very comfortable. It had everything we needed to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable! Our kids loved the outside porch overlooking the harbor and enjoyed the hammock! Our golf cart was awesome to explore the island and we made great use of it. We found the people on Spanish Wells were very friendly and we met so many nice folks. The island has everything you need -- we visited all of the restaurants there. They also have a few grocery stores which have everything you need and made our breakfasts and some dinners while we were there. We rented a boat from Andre -- and used it for almost our entire trip. We explored a few neighboring islands and loved Meeks Patch with the pigs that live on the island! The day before we left, it was very windy and the water way too rough for us to take the boat out -- Andre was so kind and did not charge us for that day. He also provided us with some stone crabs which we enjoyed! Overall we were treated great and loved our trip! We will definitely be back!

    Jeanette R.
    2017-05-17
    AWESOME!

    This was our 3rd trip to SW for my husband and I and we really enjoyed staying at YellowTail Cottage! Between the two decks you have many beautiful views of the sea and island!

     Andre and his staff was not far away if we needed anything and always so polite and helpful! Seeing that it was just the two of us we took advantage of both levels. Sleeping upstairs some nights when the tradewinds were blowing and the breeze was just perfect! This house comes with a buggy which we made good use of getting to the store and the beach. The island is small enough to walk to everything, but we really enjoy the buggies!!! We would definitely rebook Andre's place in the future! We also really enjoyed watching the boats come and go!! Spanish Wells is a beautiful, well taken care of island by the proud locals who live there. We hope it never changes and we can't wait for our next trip back! Thank you again Andre and your wonderful staff for a great week! 😎

    lyn f.
    2017-04-05
    Excellent

    The property is located within a short walk of good restaurants, the long beautiful clean beach, and has a great water view of the harbor. We rented the upstairs and down. The apartments are clean, well stocked with all you need in the downstairs kitchen to cook up any meal you would like. We used the paddleboards that came with the rental to circumnavigate the island. We saw great sea life on the paddleboards: turtles, rays, some small sharks, and collected a couple of nice shells. A golf cart is a perfect wat to tour the island. Thank you Andre and Family.

    Robert G.St. Louis
    2017-03-12
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