CC BY 2.0, Colombiano (Ernest Lehmann), Wikimedia CommonsLandmark· Elbow Cay· Bahamas — North
Elbow Reef Lighthouse
26° 32.4′ N · 76° 57.7′ W
The red-and-white striped 1863 lighthouse that defines Hope Town: one of the last kerosene-burning, hand-wound, keeper-tended lights in the world, its first-order Fresnel lens floating on a bath of mercury. Climb the 101 steps for the classic view down onto the harbour, the reef and the Sea of Abaco.
Practical
Lightstation open Monday-Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, closed Sunday; the Gift Shoppe on Front Street is open Monday-Saturday 10:00 am-4:30 pm (242-699-4000). No admission fee is listed; gift-shop sales and donations fund the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society's restoration. Light: Fl(5) W 15s, focal height 121 ft, range 23 nm; the lens came from Gun Cay in 1936. The keeper winds the weight mechanism every few hours. Dinghy across the harbour to the lighthouse dock. It was closed for restoration after Dorian (2023 report), so confirm it is open for climbing. Tower 89 ft (27 m). A bahamas.com page says it is currently closed to visitors and hopes to reopen, so check locally before you dinghy over. It sits on the west side of the harbour opposite the village: land at Lighthouse Marina (ask first) or the lighthouse dock, keeping the end of the pier clear for the ferry.
Best for
The view from the top
Nearby
- Hope Town Inn & Marina0.1 NM away
- Hope Town Laundry (Marina Self-Service)0.1 NM away
- Hope Town Public Docks and Cruiser Trash Drop0.1 NM away
- Lighthouse Marina (Hope Town)0.1 NM away
- Cap'n Jack's0.2 NM away
- Harbour View Grocery (Hope Town)0.2 NM away
- Hope Town golf-cart rentals (Elbow Cay)0.2 NM away
- Hope Town Harbour Moorings0.2 NM away