Family trip to Harbour Island with children. Ideas on where to go with your child

Harbour Island is pretty small. There are no huge entertainment centres, theme parks or any other kinds of entertainment for kids only. However, due to the fact that more and more tourists from Europe and the USA have been coming to the island during the last few years, children rooms, playgrounds for babies, and teams of animators appeared in major hotels. Nevertheless, the island is a perfect place for active and curious kids. There is no extra noise or bustling (what is typical for some of those archipelago’s resorts which young people prefer) but only kilometres of tranquil and clean beaches, a great variety of entertainment both for grownups and their children. For example, your kids and you can go to the open ocean for fishing or take a speedboat excursion to get a whole view of the island from the ocean.

The Harbour Island’s territory is just 5 km2 so you can go around its whole territory together with your child. Moreover, there are no long and difficult routes and absolutely no rivers. However, you can show your kids sink lakes and a beautiful undisturbed rainforest. Besides, you can not only walk around the island on foot but also by a golf cart which you can rent in the capital of the island – in Dunmore Town. It’s almost impossible to move around the city streets by car while a golf cart allows you to enjoy a slow ride.

Children would be really excited to see Pink Sands Beach. The colour of the sand is not human-made, it’ purely natural. Fragments of coral and chitin of the local kind of planktons, which had been washed at the shore for many centuries, coloured the sand in pink. Moreover, this process influenced the sand’s structure so you can softly walk and run on it. In addition, it’s a perfect place for swimming, playing the ball with your kids or simply enjoying the view. Pink Sands Beach also has a gentle descent into the water. What is more, all the tourists come to the beach together with their children so your kids can play with them. Still, you can find a secluded spot on the coast to spend some time on your own. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

If your child wants to try snorkelling, the local waters are just perfect for it. It’s quite an easy activity so even babies about 2-3 years old can try it. To rent a mask and a snorkel come to the capital. Besides, if a kid wants to see a marvellous grotto, then you definitely should go to Briland's Blue Hole. You can also suggest your child taking diving lessons (for children from eight years upwards). There are just a few classes after which your kid will get a divers' license and will be allowed to dive at shallow depths. In addition, there are lots of sets just near the island. Besides, there are reefs and few sunken ships close to the surface so your children feel there «like real grownups».

Children can also try themselves in windsurfing or sailing a boat. Your kids and you can embark on the adventure and go to Eleuthera (the island is not far from Harbour). On Eleuthera, you can not only enjoy nature and even more deserted beaches in comparison with Harbour Island but also tell your kid about the colonization of the island and with what difficulties had the settlers to cope. What is more, there you can visit a very peculiar sight – Preacher's Cave. A missionary, who came to the unsettled island with a group of settlers who survived after a ship crash, used to preach there. If you want to show your children how the colonists used to live on the island, take an excursion to the Palace of the Governor-General in Dunmore Town.

Another interesting sight is the local prison where pirates and their accomplices were jailed in the 18th century. There is also a mill in the town. In the 19th century, people ground sugarcane with it. Go for a walk around Dunmore Town and your children and you will see how the English settlements looked like in the 18th century. The city centre hasn’t changed a bit since those days. Maybe your kid is fond of painting or they like various nice things? Then the gallery on Princes Street is a must-visit! There different paintings depicting Harbour Island painted by local and foreign painters are kept. Eco-shop «A and A Hidden Treasures» where diverse ancient items made by the locals is also worth visiting.