Bahamas

Bahamas Sunset Photo By Sebastian LaTorre

A Week in Spanish Wells

By Sebastian Latorre

I spent one week in the Bahamas in June, and everything about it felt warm and slow. The weather was hot and sunny every single day and the water around the island looked unreal. We flew into Eleuthera and stayed on a small island called Spanish Wells which is known for fishing, quiet beaches and a relaxed local community. The island is small enough that after a few days you start recognizing the same people everywhere you go.

I went with a group of friends including Tyler, Presley and two of Presley’s friends. Since the island was small and calm, renting a house together made the whole experience feel like a long beach day that never really ended.

One of my favorite memories from the week was buying fresh fish from a local fisherman. Tyler and I walked down to the docks and asked if he had anything to sell and he handed us a bag of fish that became our meals for the rest of the trip. We cooked it every day and it always tasted perfect after swimming and snorkeling.

I promise it tasted better than this looks…

The water next to our house was so shallow that you could walk out a hundred yards and the water would still be warm. It felt like standing in a giant natural pool. Most of our days were spent swimming, snorkeling and exploring the beaches. The wildlife was calm and peaceful. We saw conch and starfish everywhere and one huge barracuda that moved so fast it startled all of us.

The funniest moment of the trip definitely came from a very failed cooking experiment. Tyler and I decided we wanted to try a catch and cook with fresh conch just like the videos online. We brought a few conch back to the house, opened the shells, chopped everything up and cooked it into ramen. It was horrible and made the entire house smell like fish. Nobody ate it. We still laugh about it.

There were tough moments too. Presley fell asleep tanning on the beach and her entire back turned bright purple from the sun. She could not move for more than a day. That was the moment we all learned just how strong the sun is in the Bahamas.

My best photography moment came during one of the quiet sunsets. The sky turned soft pink and orange and the water reflected all of it. Everything on the island felt still for a moment.

Spanish Wells had a relaxed and simple vibe. Life moved slowly. People were friendly. Days were long. It was warm bright and peaceful and it gave us a week of calm beach living. It was not an adventure filled with big excursions or dramatic stories. It was just a good week with friends in a beautiful place.

Our home for the one week in the bahamas!