Pink Sands Beach(Harbour Island Beach)

Located in the eastern part of Harbour Island, Pink Sands Beach – also called Pink Sand Beach – is a popular three-miles-long beach with light pink sand and nearby coral reefs in the Bahamas.

Pink Sands Beach has been listed as one of the “11 Most Beautiful Pink-sand Beaches Around the World” by Travel+Leisure magazine and it was also listed as one of the “The Most Beautiful Pink Sand Beaches in the World” by Conde Nast Traveller magazine.  It was also listed as one of the best beaches in the world by the Travel Channel in 2005.

Although Pink Sands Beach does not have lifeguards, the beach and the area around it have a couple of other amenities including restrooms and rental facilities for beach chairs, sunloungers, and umbrellas.

Pink Sands Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, horse riding, fishing, swimming, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, snorkeling, parasailing, boating, jet-skiing, water-skiing, scuba diving, wakeboarding, paddleboarding, surf-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching. 

Pink Sands Beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers because the water here is known to have gentle waves.  The clear water here is also popular with snorkelers and scuba divers.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents. 

If you like taking pictures with excellent views, Pink Sands Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bahamian shoreline, particularly during sunsets and sunrise.

Pink Sands Beach does not offer wheelchair access for visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Pink Sands Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from Dunmore Town, which is the main town in Harbour Island.  There are multiple free parking lots near the beach.

If you are planning on a Pink Sand Beach tour from Nassau – which is the capital city of the Bahamas – you can easily catch a ferry to Harbour Island from Nassau.  This ferry for Harbour Island leaves Nassau at 8 am. 

We recommend visiting Pink Sands Beach from December to May because the weather here can get hotter, stormier, and humid during the rest of the year – if you want fewer crowds, you can visit here between the months of April and June.  In addition, we also recommend visiting this beach at low tide because portions of this beach can get significantly narrow at high tide.

We recommend visiting this beach early in the morning because it can get crowded on rare occasions – in addition, the pink sand here is also known to be clearly visible during early mornings.

This beach has pink sand because of microbial creatures named foraminifera – these tiny creatures live in the coral reefs near the beach and have tiny red-colored shells.  These shells are eventually weathered down by the water and deposited on the beach, giving the sand here its characteristic pink colour.  In addition, the sand here also has a whitish shade because of calcium carbonate deposits.

There are many attractions near Pink Sands Beach.  Dunmore Town has a variety of interesting historic buildings and it also has many interesting stores that sell handicrafts and other novelties.  Princess Street Gallery is an art gallery that offers many interesting locally-inspired artworks.  You can find many other interesting attractions in the nearby island of Eleuthera.  Glass Window Bridge is a rocky natural bridge in Eleuthera that separates two water bodies – the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  This rocky bridge offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Bahamian shoreline.  Queen’s Baths is a set of natural rock pools in Eleuthera that are formed due to erosion of coastal rocks by seawater – these pools offer a fun swimming experience and they also contain interesting shells and small sea creatures.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve is a botanical garden in Eleuthera that has many interesting native plant species.  In addition, it is also home to many species of insects and birds and it also has a gift shop, a boardwalk, nature trails, a weather station, and an observation tower.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Pink Sands Beach.  Angela’s Starfish Restaurant has an island-inspired decor and it also offers amazing locally-inspired dishes including conch with rice, chicken dishes, sandwiches, fries, seafood, and burgers.  Rock House Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including seafood, steaks, lamb, pork chops, pastas, salads, and sandwiches.  Acquapazza Wine Bar & Ristorante offers amazing Italian dishes with Bahamian culinary influences including pasta, chicken Toscana, pork Milanese, and steak.  Queen Conch Restaurant offers amazing seafood and it is known for serving excellent conch dishes – it also offers pasta, lamb chops, steaks, and salads.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Tropic Hut Restaurant offers a variety of amazing dishes including pizzas, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and seafood.

If you are looking for a hotel near Pink Sands Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Pink Sands Resort is a popular Pink Sand Beach resort that offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar, spa services, a pool, a tennis court, a garden, and a library – Pink Sands Resort reviews have been quite favourable and this hotel has been praised by many publications including The Telegraph and Travel+Leisure magazine.  The Dunmore Hotel is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including a gym, a pool, a tennis court, and a restaurant.  Another great upscale hotel is the 3.5-Star Romora Bay Resort and Marina that offers many amenities including an infinity pool, boat rental facilities, an outdoor shower, a fitness center, a marina, and multiple restaurants.  A more affordable nearby pink sands hotel is the 3-Star The Landing Hotel that offers many amenities including a wine cellar, a garden with a pool and a sundeck, library, a veranda, and a restaurant.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Tingum Village Hotel offers many amenities including a garden, a lounge, and a restaurant.