On especially dreary winter days, I daydream about some of my favorite beaches around the world. The hidden coves of Palawan, the sugar-soft atolls of the Maldives. But ever since I first visited Harbour Island as a child, the main beach there has loomed large in my imagination as one of the best in the world, with crystal-clear turquoise waves lapping at fine, blush-hued sand. This low-key isle just off the north end of Eleuthera is an ideal vacation destination, one that’s walkable and with just enough shopping and restaurants to keep things interesting. The only real downside is the expense.

Eleuthera itself, a long, narrow island east of Nassau, is as sleepy as it gets. Even in the time leading up to the busy December holidays, it barely seemed to have a pulse. But that’s entirely the point. Eleuthera is abundantly, deliciously, blissfully boring: the kind of place made for long strolls on the beach, rum punch cocktails and lazy afternoons spent lost in a good book.

Three newly renovated hotels provided an excellent reason to return to the Bahamas — but not for nearly long enough.