lighthouse beach

I was there on Aug 18th. Drove the 'back road' by Princess Cays to measure the time and distance as compared to the front way in from Green Castle.

Never Miss a Beach!

The 'bypass' road is just as bad if not worse than the usual entry road. Deeply rutted, washed out, and hilly. It might have saved me about 5 minutes total and that doesn't include when I drove past it because I didn't think it was the right road. To find the bypass you can drive into Bannerman Town, make a left pass the homecoming field, drive the decent road past Princess Cays, and then take a left into the jungle. That road connects into the LHB road.

Compared to other roads I was on while I was there the whole road to LHB seemed like a dream!

Never Miss a Beach!

I guess it is 4+ years now since the one time we went to lhb. that road didn't even register on my eleuthera bad road meter I'll never forget the road to surfers beach that year though and it's suv sized pothole

Grant

Lighthouse Beach (Carib side)
July 19, 2012

We went to Lighthouse Beach yesterday.  It was a gorgeous but windy day. Because winds were out of the NE, we established camp on the "Cuba" side, where it was just right.

We saw NO new signs of Disney on the property that I believe is the parcel in question...

On the way TO Lighthouse, there are areas close-by that have been cleared of brush, and a couple of places where construction has started. I hypothesize that people who own property nearby might be getting ready for the arrival of Disney and its foreign workers. ALL CONJECTURE ON MY PART. I will say that we see a lot more construction and fix-up activity on the island than in recent years, and not just near Lighthouse.

Mr. Cookie snorkeled the reef on the Cuba side and thinks it's one of his favorites now.  Lots of color and lots of fish, and clear water on this day.  He thought the reef seemed much healthier than the ones down north that he has snorkeled.  (Looking forward to Bret's snorkel guide!)

Sadly, the Heads of Agreement between the government and Disney has been signed. Go while you still can before it is changed forever.

Here's a news report from The Eleutheran:

On Saturday evening, March 9th, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis was in South Eleuthera as the main speaker at a town meeting held in Tarpum Bay, where he spoke with the audience of local residents about the recent signing of a Heads of Agreement with Disney Cruise Lines for their proposed port project at Lighthouse Point, which had been approved in 2018.

After the town meeting, the Office of the Prime Minister released the following statement, which provided further details:

“Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis announced today that the Government of The Bahamas has signed a Heads of Agreement with Disney Island Development Ltd for a proposed Cruise Port and entertainment facility at Lighthouse Point, Bannerman Town, South Eleuthera.

The development has a projected investment of between $250m and $400m.

Disney has completed acquisition of the property from the private seller. Approximately 190 acres of the land purchased from the private seller, including the southernmost point of the property, will be conveyed to the Government of The Bahamas for conservation and a national park. The appraised value of the land donation is $6.29 million.

Core elements of the proposed project include low density development and sustainable design, public access and economic opportunities for Bahamians.

Prime Minister Minnis made the announcement during a Town Hall Meeting to update the island’s residents on the government’s mid-year budget statement and the 30th Inter-Sessional CARICOM meeting recently held in St Kitts and Nevis.

Under the Heads of Agreement, DCL will ensure a minimum of 120 Bahamians will be employed directly during the construction of the project.

Disney also has committed to aim for an overall ratio of 80 percent Bahamian workers to 20 percent non-Bahamian workers during the life of the construction phase of the project. This is subject to qualified labor being available and the need to ensure the highest level of technical compliance with international standards

DCL will also create as many as 150 permanent, sustainable jobs with health benefits in a range of positions for Bahamians once construction is completed.

The development will provide a variety of entrepreneurial opportunities for residents of Eleuthera and Bahamians in general.

DCL will partner with agencies to develop training and professional development programs, including the LIM Maritime Academy, Access Accelerator (Small Business Development Center) and the Hospitality Institute of the University of The Bahamas.

Space must be provided for Bahamian vendors on the property for the sale of authentic, high quality Bahamian retail goods, services, souvenirs, arts and crafts, Bahamian T-shirts and other merchandise.

Disney must also give priority to Bahamian owners and operators to provide port adventures for DCL guests while its ships are in port, and will seek to use Bahamian entertainers.

Other elements of the project include the integration of Bahamian cultural and artistic expression into the design of the site and experiences offered.


Related: Approved- Lighthouse Point Proposal submitted by Disney Cruise Line Island Development Ltd.


Disney also will provide all citizens and residents of The Bahamas with access to the property for non-commercial purposes and will collaborate with Government and local communities to meaningfully contribute to initiatives that meet community needs, with a special focus on children and families.

This includes assisting with local schools, assisting with identifying and enhancing tourist heritage sites in South Eleuthera and exploring opportunities to improve medical facilities that serve the residents of south and central Eleuthera.

DCL also intends to increase the number of its ships’ calls at the Port of Nassau and/or the Port of Freeport by 30-40 percent over the number of calls made by DCL ships in 2018.

Construction of the project will not begin until the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan are reviewed and approved.

“The Government of The Bahamas is satisfied that it made the best decision in the interest of the Bahamian people, a sustainable future for the people of Central and South Eleuthera and the economic development of the country,” said Prime Minister Minnis.

“The implementation of this project supports the government’s plan of expanding the economy of our country and economic opportunities for our people by promoting development in the Family Islands.”

The Government notes Disney’s record of environmental stewardship and will ensure that the project is implemented in a manner which safeguards the environment and is in the interests of the people of The Bahamas.”

Office of the Prime Minister
March 9th, 2019

We went to Lighthouse Beach yesterday, April 18, 2019. The road in is in the same shape as always, that is, bumpy, and this time with two huge puddles. There were a LOT of people there. Spring break at Lighthouse Beach!

After climbing up to the point to take in the views, we set up camp on the west side. There were a couple of rain sprinkles, but then the skies cleared and a gorgeous afternoon unfolded. The water was a little wavy for me, but we snorkeled the reef just off the northern end of the sandy beach. MY FAVORITE SNORKEL SO FAR. Beautiful sea fans, lots of sizable fish. Sadly, I think this is just where Disney plans to build its pier. Took a walk along the east side, hoping to find sand dollars as we have during other April visits. Just one find.

On the topic of The Mouse, the only possible signs we saw were that a little bit of bush was pushed back from the road, at a couple of places. This seems to happen from time to time around the island, so I'm not confident that it's Disney activity. It did give me a sinking feeling in my stomach, though, that our day trips to Lighthouse are numbered.