Two of my favorite places in the Bahamas, Eleuthera and nearby Harbour Island, have some of the most inviting coastlines in the Atlantic, featuring soft pink sand, crystal-clear water and gentle rolling waves. But if you can manage to pry yourself off the beach, a land tour of Eleuthera can be a rewarding excursion to discover the fascinating history and geology of the island.

The Andrew Harper Travel Office arranged a half-day tour from The Potlatch Club, where our guide picked us up and drove us to the northernmost part of the island before slowly making our way back to the hotel, stopping for an indulgent lunch at a hotel along the way. Our excursion revealed the raw, elemental beauty of Eleuthera, including hidden swimming holes and tide pools as well as notable sites connected to the island’s earliest inhabitants.

Preacher’s Cave

Our tour began with a stop at Preacher’s Cave, one of the island’s most historically significant natural sites. In 1648, a group of English settlers seeking religious freedom shipwrecked on the Devil’s Backbone, a shallow reef system just off the northern coast of Eleuthera. The group, known as the Eleutheran Adventurers, took shelter in the cave and used it as a place of worship.

Though the site is mostly associated with the settlers, archaeological excavations in the cavern have revealed evidence of the Indigenous Lucayan people dating as far back as A.D. 800. The expansive cave has high ceilings with natural openings that allow sunlight to stream in. Standing beneath the domed ceiling, the history feels almost palpable.

Sapphire Blue Hole

Nearby, Sapphire Blue Hole is a collapsed limestone cave (similar to a cenote) that’s connected to the sea via a network of underground tunnels. Its deep-blue salt water is so clear you can see the bottom, even though it’s nearly 100 feet deep, according to our guide.

There’s a diving platform on the edge of the crater, about 25 feet above the water’s surface, but after looking at the single knotted rope we’d have to climb to get back up the cliff, my traveling companion and I opted to stay dry rather than risk flashbacks to middle school gym class. Even if you don’t jump in, this spot is worth a stop on a sunny day, if only to marvel at the intense — truly sapphire — color of this striking blue hole.

Glass Window Bridge

After a stop for lunch, we continued back down the island, stopping at the famous Glass Window Bridge for a photo. The short cement structure, which was once a natural bridge between the northern and southern halves of the island, marks the narrowest point on Eleuthera. It connects two slender strips of rock that divide the wild Atlantic Ocean from the sheltered shallows of a bight, one a deep navy hue, the other a contrastingly bright turquoise.

The distinction was especially stark during our visit, on account of stormy weather. The open ocean was roiling and midnight blue, while the calm shallows reflected an almost opalescent green. It’s thrilling to walk along the one-lane bridge, which used to be wider before it was almost completely destroyed in a storm. During particularly severe weather, it’s not uncommon for massive waves to wash over the span.

Queen’s Baths

Just over Glass Window Bridge, the Queen’s Baths are a series of natural tidal pools carved into the cliffs of Eleuthera’s rocky Atlantic coastline. The pools fill during particularly rough days, when giant waves crash onto the cliffs, spraying salt water into natural depressions. On calm, sunny days, the pools are more like saltwater bathtubs hewed from limestone.