Bahamas: Harbour Island vs Eleuthera vs Exumas.

The pink-sand beachfront.

The east-side beach runs more than 5 kilometres and 15 to 30 metres wide, with the pink colour from the foraminifera that wash up from the reef. The beachfront villa stock here is the trophy of Harbour Island, mostly four- to seven-bedroom houses with direct beach steps. The Coral Sands and the Pink Sands Resort are the resort benchmarks; Pink Sands has been operated under several owners since its 1950s opening, with Chris Blackwell’s Island Outpost having run it for years.

Rate band: $25,000 to $60,000 a week peak for a four- to six-bedroom direct-beach villa. The trophy seven- and eight-bedrooms run to $90,000.

Trip shape it suits: the four-to-eight-bedroom group that wants the pink beach as the front yard and Dunmore Town for dinner. Right when the trip is family-and-friends with multiple cook-at-home nights and a Sip Sip lunch every other day.

What we would change: the beachfront houses share the public beach. The Bahamas treats the beach as Queen’s land below the high-water mark, so “private beach” is rarely strictly accurate. Confirm the parcel line.

Dunmore Town proper.

Dunmore Town is the village on the harbour (west) side of Harbour Island, with the church row, the Government Dock, and most of the named restaurants. Villa stock here is the smaller historic colonial-style cottages, restored as three- to five-bedroom properties with porches and small pools. The pink beach is a 5-minute walk on the cross-island paths.

Rate band: $15,000 to $35,000 a week peak.

Trip shape it suits: the smaller party (two couples to a single family of four to six) that wants the village rhythm, walking access to restaurants, and the beach within reach.

What we would change: golf-cart traffic in Dunmore Town runs heavy from 5pm. Plan dinners that walk rather than drive.

The northern bluff (Pierre Point and beyond).

The northern end of Harbour Island, beyond the Pink Sands Resort, holds a thinner pool of larger trophy parcels with cliff-edge positions and big-water views. Stock here is the highest-end on the island, with seven- to ten-bedroom compounds at the top of the rate band.

Rate band: $45,000 to $120,000 a week peak.

What we would pass on: bluff-edge listings that market pool-edge cliff views without a setback note. The 2019 Dorian wave action eroded sections of the bluff; confirm the current parcel line and pool position.

The north (Spanish Wells, Gregory Town).

The northern cluster sits within 30 minutes of North Eleuthera airport. Spanish Wells is the historic fishing village on St George’s Cay. Gregory Town is the surf-and-pineapple village on the Atlantic side. Villa stock here is mostly three- to five-bedroom modern builds, with the Surfer’s Beach and Gaulding Cay parcels as the named clusters.

Rate band: $5,000 to $18,000 a week peak.

Trip shape it suits: the smaller party that wants Eleuthera quiet, with the surf coast and the working village for dinner.

The middle (Governor’s Harbour, Banks Road).

The middle cluster runs from James Cistern south through Governor’s Harbour (the island capital) to the Pineapple Fields strip. Villa stock here is the densest on the mainland, with four- to seven-bedroom houses on the Atlantic-side bluff and along the long pink-sand beaches at French Leave and Tippy’s.

Rate band: $10,000 to $32,000 a week peak. The trophy bluff houses run higher.

Trip shape it suits: the six-bedroom group that wants Eleuthera at its best, with the Governor’s Harbour Friday Fish Fry as a working anchor and Tippy’s for the long lunch.

What we would change: the Atlantic-side surf at French Leave can run rough October to April. Confirm the swim conditions if children are central to the booking.

The south (Rock Sound, Bannerman Town).

The southern cluster runs from Tarpum Bay through Rock Sound to the Bannerman Town tip. The Cotton Bay Club resort sits here, with private residences and a thinning villa stock on the southernmost parcels. This is the quietest section of Eleuthera, with the lowest density and the longest drive to the airport (60 to 90 minutes from ELH).

Rate band: $4,000 to $14,000 a week peak.

What we would pass on: southern Eleuthera listings that bury the drive time to ELH. A 90-minute road transfer at the end of a 6-hour travel day is not a small consideration.

Great Exuma and the Sandals/Grand Isle zone.

Great Exuma is the main island, with George Town as the capital and the Sandals Emerald Bay and Grand Isle Resort as the resort cluster. Villa stock here is mostly the Grand Isle and Emerald Bay residences, three- to six-bedroom modern builds, often with resort amenity access included.

Rate band: $9,000 to $28,000 a week peak.

Trip shape it suits: the family that wants the Exuma waters with the resort safety net.

Staniel Cay and the central cays.

Staniel Cay is the working village at the centre of the chain, with the Staniel Cay Yacht Club as the social anchor. The villa stock here is small (a dozen or so direct-beach houses) but well-positioned for the Thunderball Grotto and the swimming pigs at Big Major Cay. Most of the high-end villas in the Exumas sit on the surrounding cays: Musha Cay (owned by David Copperfield), Over Yonder Cay, Norman’s Cay, and Fowl Cay.

Rate band: $40,000 to $250,000 (rate on request)

Trip shape it suits: the trophy-week party that wants a private cay with no day visitors and is willing to absorb the seaplane-and-boat logistics.

What we would change: the seaplane scheduling is weather-dependent and can collapse mid-trip in convective season. Build a one-day cushion at each end.