Jaunted

The entrance to Preacher's Cave

On our second day on the island, we trekked out to this historic cave on North Eleuthera Island. Some 300 years ago, British adventurers set out on the open water seeking religious freedom from England and Bermuda. They landed on Cupid's Cay in Governour's Harbour (see the map of Eleuthera island here) and named the island Eleuthera--the Greek word for freedom.

But there was some discord between the group so Captain William Sayle formed his own group and set out for the northern part of the island. They didn't get too far: They were shipwrecked near Spanish Wells. Making do, they took shelter in a giant cave where they ended up living and worshiping for many years. Hence, the name Preacher's Cave. It is believed the first Christian services on the island were held here.

A Cave Skylight

Today, the cave is a tourist spot rather a place of worship but there's no fee to enter it and nothing's roped off. There was a brief revival of interest in the 1950s but the cave is pretty much as it was 300 years ago. You can still see where a pulpit was carved out of the rock and where the congregation would sit.

We visited on a day when the weather couldn't make its up mind as to whether or not it would rain which gave the cave a spooky Goonies effect. When our tour guide Jock Morgan told us about the recent archaeological digs that uncovered bones of the Freedom Adventurers, we got chills. Spotting a dead crab in the sand didn't help.

But then the sun started to shine again and we walked out of the cave, imagining how this place could feel like such a safe refuge so many years ago.

A pulpit carved from rock

How to Get There
This is tricky. You will need a rental car and we suggest having someone from the island (i.e. someone at the front desk of your hotel) give you precise directions. Here are ours:

Travel north on the Queens Highway towards Spanish Wells for approximately 20 miles (about 30 minutes). You will come to a sharp 90-degree turn to the left. You will then actually take a right there onto a dirt road and follow it for about 3 miles where the road will have signs to inform you exactly where to go.

So, yeah, it's a little vague. We also suggest making sure you pee before you go as there are no bathrooms (except nature's own) anywhere near here.

Hours
Since Preacher's Cave is not an official tourist attraction or even a national landmark (they are working on getting that status), there aren't set hours or restrictions. But may we suggest avoiding the place at night?

More Preacher's Cave Snapshots Here

Related Stories:
· Eleuthera Travel Guide: Getting There [Jaunted]
· Eleuthera Travel coverage [Jaunted]