Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce recently enjoyed a romantic getaway in the Bahamas, sparking a significant increase in online searches for the Caribbean island. The couple was spotted on Harbor Island, with Swift in a yellow bikini and Kelce shirtless in blue patterned swim trunks.
Harbour Island, one of the Bahamas' 700 islands, is situated 50 miles east of Nassau on New Providence Island. It is a small island, approximately 3½ miles long and 1½ miles wide, with a population of 1,762 according to the 2010 census.
Visitors to Harbour Island must fly into the North Eleuthera airport on the nearby Eleuthera island as there is no airport on Harbour Island. A water taxi ride from Eleuthera to Harbour Island, covering 1.45 miles, typically takes about seven minutes.
Celebrities who have rented homes on Harbour Island include George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Hanks, and many others. Swift and Kelce stayed at the Rosalita House during their vacation, leading to a significant surge in searches for the luxury villa.
The island's main town, Dunmore Town, is the only town on Harbour Island and offers boutique hotels, shops, restaurants, and a historic district. Harbour Island is renowned for its 3-mile stretch of pink sand beaches, derived from a microscopic organism called foraminifera.
The Narrows, also known as Millionaire's Row, is the exclusive enclave bordering the pink beaches, with homes owned by prominent figures like Bill Gates and Diane von Furstenberg.
Harbour Island offers various activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, tennis, and horseback riding. Tourists can also enjoy spa treatments and shopping on the island.
Originally inhabited by the Arawak tribe, Harbour Island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The island was later settled by British Puritans in 1650 and became a British Crown colony in 1717. The Bahamas gained independence in 1973 and is currently a member of the British Commonwealth.
Harbour Island became a popular tourist destination in the 1920s, with tourism becoming its primary industry after the introduction of flights by Bahamas Airlines to Eleuthera airport.
