Getting to Harbour Island in 2026: Fall Flights and Ferries

Harbour Island Homecoming runs from October 8 to 12 this year. Ministry of Works overnight paving on the North Eleuthera runway was expected to begin on the evening of October 7, with crews working until around 4 a.m. so the airport could stay open during the day. Meanwhile, three mornings a week, the Bo Hengy III leaves Nassau at 8:00 a.m. and ties up at Harbour Island at 11:10 a.m.

If you are opening your house for the season, that contrast shapes the fall. On Briland, the work that was promised for 2026 opened on its dates. The public runway into North Eleuthera is getting a temporary fix while its permanent replacement is still in procurement. Until that changes, the sea crossing is the steadier way home.

A Patch Ahead of a Permanent Runway

Western Air flew its last scheduled North Eleuthera service on Friday, October 2, and suspended the route because the runway was getting worse. The Tribune reported that the airline's president and chief executive, Sherrexcia "Rexy" Rolle, pointed to uneven and sunken sections of runway that made take-offs and landings rough. She said the suspension would last until those problems were fixed.

Clay Sweeting, Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs, called the repair "an overhaul of the runway to ensure that all planes can land there safely." In the same report he also made clear it is a temporary measure. Ministry engineer David Cox said the plan is to mill the middle section of the runway and lay a new layer of asphalt over it. Here are the steps in order, as officials and contractors have described them:

1. Paving begins. It was expected to start on the evening of October 7, with crews working overnight. The asphalt has to be trucked up from southern Eleuthera.
2. About 12 days of paving. The Minister said the estimate depends on the weather and on whatever crews find beneath the runway. If paving started on October 7 and the estimate holds, it would finish around October 19.
3. Thirty days of curing. Melanie Roach, general manager of Bahamas Striping, said the new asphalt needs 30 days to cure before her company comes back to paint markings that meet Civil Aviation Authority requirements. On that timeline, final markings would not go down before about November 18, and later if weather or conditions under the runway slow the paving.
4. The permanent airside project. Bids went in about two weeks before the October 7 report and are being evaluated. The evaluation then goes to the Inter-American Development Bank for its no-objection process. The planned scope includes a new runway with an extension and a new apron that would serve the new airport development farther east and handle larger aircraft. No completion date has been given.

The new terminal is on a separate track. In August 2025, the second phase was mobilized with site clearing and pad preparation. Building work was scheduled to start in October 2025, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2026. The developer is Island Airport Development Partners, a group made up of Plenary Americas, Phoenix Infrastructure Group and Avports. It holds a 50-year concession covering three Family Island airports, valued at US$132 million in total, with financial close in August 2025. Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell visited the construction site on April 13, 2026. The third quarter has now ended, and no opening has been announced.

Who Is Still Landing at North Eleuthera

With Western Air off the route, scheduled air service has narrowed. Former North Eleuthera MP Rickey Mackey told The Tribune that Southern Air is now the only carrier flying to North Eleuthera every day, with a maximum of 15 passengers per flight. Bahamasair flies in at least once a week, and Pineapple Air has stopped serving the island.

Mackey questioned how this limited service could meet demand from people traveling for Homecoming. The overnight paving is meant to keep those flights running. Western Air began flying New Providence to North Eleuthera on February 23, 2024, and within months had moved to daily service except Tuesdays because of demand. Its return will mark the point where the air option is back to normal, and the airline has not announced a date.

The Bo Hengy III Schedule

The ferry avoids the runway entirely. Bahamas Ferries currently lists the Bo Hengy III from Nassau on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Check-in runs from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m.

The operator currently lists adult fares at $139 one-way or $257 round-trip, and child fares at $103 or $185. Rates include VAT and may change without notice. The page is undated, so confirm the fare when you book.

The schedule matters most to a homeowner for one reason: the boat lands in Harbour Island itself, so there is no airport and no harbour crossing in between. A Friday sailing puts you in Dunmore Town before lunch. You have the afternoon to open shutters, run the taps and pick up groceries. A Saturday return at 3:40 p.m. gets you back to Nassau by 6:30 that evening.

The Crossing From the Airport Dock

If you do fly into North Eleuthera, you still have the short trip across the harbour. A travel guide verified on September 11, 2026 lists two water taxi services from the airport dock. The North Eleuthera daily ferry runs from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sea Fever II from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Both charge $5 one-way, and a private charter is listed at $120. These figures come from a guide rather than the operators, so confirm them at the dock.

The closing times matter more this fall than the fares. If a delayed Southern Air flight lands after the last scheduled boat, the only way across is the private charter. With fewer flights each day, there is less room for a missed connection.

On the Island, the Work Stayed on Schedule

Once you are across, the season has opened largely as promised.

Harbour Island Markets. AML Foods acquired the former Captain Bob's Seafood & Meat Market and opened it as Harbour Island Markets on Monday, May 18, 2026. Orlando Mills manages the store. AML says it runs much like the company's Eleuthera Markets store in Governor's Harbour, and a full remodel is scheduled to begin in 2027. At the opening, AML gave a combined $20,000 to local organizations. Recipients included the Harbour Island Junkanoo Committee and the North Eleuthera Regatta Committee, each of which received $5,000. If you closed up the house before May, this is the first season you will stock the kitchen under the new name.

Coral Sands Inn & Cottages. The first phase of the renovation by AJ Capital Partners opened in December 2025. It brought 14 redesigned garden and sea cottages, an open-air fitness area with pickleball, tennis and basketball courts, two new dining concepts and a gift shop. The second phase, announced after that debut, completed the redesign across all 41 accommodations. It also added a new sea cottage, a padel court, poolside cabanas and a Beach Shack serving cocktails to go and light bites. The columns of The Pink Mermaid restaurant are clad by hand in 7,000 shells. The announcement said a new spa was expected to open in 2026. The hotel's guest services page currently lists in-room massage and bodywork and does not name a standalone spa.

Valentines Resort & Marina. On September 25, 2026, Valentines announced prepaid slip punchcards. You buy 30, 60 or 90 days of dockage and use them on any dates within 12 months, with rates based on vessel length. If you bring your own boat across, the punchcard lets you come and go on your own dates without booking a long continuous stay.

The new grocer, the renovated hotel and the flexible docking were all promised for dates on the island side of the harbour, and each arrived on time. The runway on the mainland side has a 12-day repaving, a 30-day cure, and a permanent project that does not yet have a contractor. Until Western Air announces a return date, the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday sailings from Nassau are the most predictable way to reach Dunmore Town this fall.

If you are coordinating a seasonal return or hosting guests this winter, or want to discuss how access to North Eleuthera affects your plans for a property on Briland, Tyrese Campbell is glad to talk it through. Book an Appointment.