The Bahamas pair postcard-perfect beauty with warmth, privacy, and an elevated yet easygoing style of living that sets them apart from the rest of the Caribbean. For travelers who value effortless access to paradise, three islands rise to the top: Nassau, Marsh Harbour, and North Eleuthera.
Now, with Tradewind Aviation’s scheduled service from the Palm Beach area and Fort Lauderdale, reaching these beloved islands has never been easier from South Florida. Scheduled flights to The Bahamas offer the comfort and convenience of private aviation at the cost of a single seat. It’s the ideal way to fly personal, sidestepping crowded terminals, long lines, and TSA delays. Guests travel aboard a modern and air-conditioned Pilatus PC-12, flown by two pilots with eight forward-facing seats, generous luggage space, and the unmistakable Tradewind touches of comfort, reliability, and safety. All you need to do is settle in and enjoy the ride.
Nassau: Effortless Elegance and Island Energy
Nassau delivers the perfect balance of Bahamian beauty and cosmopolitan sophistication. One of its greatest luxuries is proximity: from the Palm Beach area, you can slip into the Bahamas’ famously clear, blue waters in less than an hour. With Tradewind Aviation operating from private FBOs, travelers bypass Nassau’s main terminal entirely, enjoying a seamless, crowd-free arrival.
The vibrant culinary scene in Nassau reflects its blend of African, British, and American influences. You’ll taste it everywhere, from fresh conch salad and flame-grilled fish to British-style afternoon teas served beachside and fruity rum punches like the Goombay Smash. Aromatic allspice, thyme, ginger, and fiery scotch bonnet peppers infuse local dishes with the warm, unmistakable flavors of the islands. All of this unfolds against a backdrop of powder-soft beaches, lively waterfronts, and pastel colonial buildings now home to contemporary boutiques, galleries, and cafés.
Luxury resorts, private villas, and world-class marinas make Nassau a natural hub for travelers who appreciate both refinement and convenience. Everything is close at hand: gourmet grocers, private chefs, yacht provisioning, wellness studios, and top-tier hospitality that make longer stays and holiday gatherings effortless and memorable for all.
Island days are spent in a quintessential Bahamian rhythm that’s warm, breezy, and unhurried. Calm seas invite yachting, scuba diving, snorkeling, and paddleboarding. Afternoons are for lounging on the beautiful white sands of Cable Beach, exploring hidden coves, or teeing off at the Ocean Club’s oceanfront fairways.
During the holidays, Nassau becomes something truly special. Junkanoo, the celebrated festival held on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, fills the streets with colorfully costumed dancers, brass bands, and the electrifying pulse of goatskin drums, cowbells, conch shells, and whistles. It’s joyful and rhythmic, a window into the heart and cultural spirit of the Bahamas.
Private flights to Nassau, Bahamas on Tradewind Aviation offer the ultimate convenience and comfort. Charter guests can travel on their own time, or book Tradewind’s newest scheduled service flights from Stuart, Florida (SUA), conveniently located just north of Palm Beach. These scheduled flights are offered five days a week, bringing you directly into Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS/MYNN) in Nassau, about nine miles from the city center, all for the cost of a single seat.
Marsh Harbour: The Abacos’ Barefoot-Luxury Escape
Marsh Harbour is the heart of the Abacos. This island chain is celebrated for its calm waters, world-class boating, championship golf, and pastel-painted towns. As the largest settlement in the Out Islands, Marsh Harbour offers both comfort and convenience while serving as the perfect gateway to the surrounding cays, secluded beaches, and pristine reefs. With Tradewind’s scheduled flights from Florida, now with additional routes from Fort Lauderdale, the journey becomes as enjoyable as the stay.
Mornings often begin with the Sea of Abaco as smooth as glass, ideal for paddleboarding, kayaking, or dipping into the water for a quiet swim. By midday, most visitors head out by boat—one of the great pleasures of the Abacos. The nearby cays offer adventures like snorkeling coral gardens, strolling along empty stretches of sand, or anchoring beside sandbars at low tide to spot starfish, rays and unique shells in the shallow water.Â
Marsh Harbour also boasts excellent access to nearby islands. Quick water-taxi rides bring you to Elbow Cay, home to the candy-striped Hope Town Lighthouse; Man-O-War Cay, rich with boatbuilding heritage; and Great Guana Cay, beloved for its long beaches and upscale private enclaves like Baker’s Bay Golf & Ocean Club. This exclusive, members-only community boasts 585 acres of oceanfront beauty with a Tom Fazio–designed golf course, luxurious residences, a family beach club, and spa and wellness center.
Just across the water lies another golf paradise and private, members-only retreat: The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, a Scottish-style links course carved into sand dunes above the sea. The Abaco Club is home to professional golfer Darren Clarke, a longtime resident of the Abacos and Tradewind Aviation ambassador. Clarke’s affection for the island, and for flying Tradewind, reflects what many travelers already know: the Abacos offer one of the most exceptional golf-and-sea lifestyles anywhere in the world, and Tradewind makes getting there easy.
Beyond golf, the Abacos deliver some of the finest fishing in the Caribbean. The shallow-water flats are legendary for bonefish – swift, challenging, and thrilling to pursue. Head offshore to enter serious sportfishing with wahoo, tuna, mahi-mahi, and marlin providing spectacular runs. Whether your style leans toward the calm precision of flats fishing or the excitement of big-game action, top guides and charter crews can curate a custom day on the water tailored just for you.
Flights to Marsh Harbour with Tradewind Aviation include private charters from anywhere in Florida, or scheduled service flights from Stuart (SUA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL), directly into Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (MHH/MYAM) in Marsh Harbour.
North Eleuthera: Pink Sands and Understated Glamour
North Eleuthera forms the serene and stylish northern tip of the island of Eleuthera. This is the gateway to Harbour Island, one of the most coveted destinations in the entire Caribbean. With its blush-pink sand beaches, unpretentious glamour, and intimate scale, it’s a place where you shift into a slower, more graceful rhythm the moment you arrive. Tradewind Aviation elevates the experience even further as you land at the airport’s private terminal on the island.Â
A short water taxi from North Eleuthera Airport brings you to Harbour Island, where narrow lanes wind past colorful clapboard cottages, bougainvillea-draped verandas, and beautifully restored English colonial architecture. Golf carts glide through town, ferrying visitors between chic boutiques, café patios, and seafood restaurants serving just-caught snapper and the island’s signature conch dishes.
Harbour Island is home to some of the Bahamas’ most iconic stays. The legendary Pink Sands Resort offers cottages, villas, and homes tucked amidst lush gardens along its namesake beach. The Dunmore is a stylish option with luxury guest cottages and oceanfront homes oozing Bahamian charm with a hint of 1960s resort glam. For the height of privacy, La Palmeraie offers two beachfront vacation rental homes with the amenities of a boutique resort. To make everything flow smoothly, Conch & Coconut, the island’s premier concierge service, can arrange just about anything from pink golf carts and private boat charters to private chefs and island excursions.
The island’s greatest draw, of course, is Pink Sand Beach, a three-mile stretch of rose-tinted sand as soft as sifted flour. Days revolve around the water: swimming in crystal-clear shallows, snorkeling coral reefs, paddleboarding alongside sea turtles, or chartering a boat to explore nearby uninhabited cays and hidden coves. Bonefishing flats and deep-sea fishing grounds are close by, offering adventures for anglers at every level.
More leisurely activities include lingering over lunch at a beach club with toes in the sand, naps in shaded loungers, and browsing boutiques filled with Bahamian-made jewelry, resort wear, and home goods. When evening falls, Harbour Island glows with lantern light, soft music, and starry skies.
Just across the water, North Eleuthera offers its own scenic treasures. The Cove Eleuthera, a secluded resort nestled between two white sand coves, is perfect for those who crave tranquility. The island invites exploration: Glass Window Bridge, where the deep Atlantic meets the calm Bight of Eleuthera in a dramatic visual contrast; the sapphire-hued Queen’s Bath tide pools carved by centuries of surf; and the charming communities of Gregory Town and historic Preacher’s Cave which offer glimpses of local life and island history.
Private flights to North Eleuthera are available with Tradewind Aviation, or scheduled service flights from Stuart (SUA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Florida, directly into North Eleuthera Airport (ELH/MYEH), which is the closest airport to Harbour Island.
Plan Your Perfect Escape to the Bahamas
The Bahamas have always been a place where life feels a little lighter, the colors a little brighter, and time a little slower. Whether you’re returning to your island home for the holidays, escaping for a long winter weekend, or discovering these islands for the first time, Nassau, Marsh Harbour, and North Eleuthera offer the very best of the archipelago.
With Tradewind Aviation’s scheduled service from South Florida, getting there is as effortless as the islands themselves. That means simple holiday commutes, spontaneous long weekends, and the freedom to fly down whenever the islands call.
Start planning your island traditions today and let Tradewind bring you home to The Bahamas.
To learn more about Tradewind’s scheduled flights to The Bahamas, please visit our website. To contact the Tradewind team about scheduled flights, contact scheduledservice@flytradewind.com or 1-800-376-7922 option 1.
Featured photo by Trav Nikov Studio via Envato