On the tip of Elbow Cay overlooking Hope Town Harbour, a lighthouse has been creating controversy for nearly 160 years. On our wedding day, we climbed 101 steps to the top of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse to see what all the fuss was about.
The Elbow Reef Lighthouse in Hope Town, Bahamas, has a story unlike any other. Its claim to fame? It’s one of the last manned lighthouses which is still hand-wound and fueled by kerosene. Even in the daytime, it’s hard to miss: painted like a candy cane and towering over the quaint little town, this 1860s-built lighthouse has weathered both hurricanes and government attempts to automate it. Locals set up a preservation society to keep its heritage intact, and now, generations later, they work day and night to make sure its light never stops burning.
What’s funny is that the locals didn’t always feel this way. Back in the 1880s when it was only in the planning stages, many locals made their living from salvaging wrecks that washed up on shore. A lighthouse would save ships from the dangerous reefs, but it would destroy their livelihoods. They were so against the lighthouse being built, that they even sank a barge carrying building materials.
We were enchanted by this story, so we just had to see it for ourselves.
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Climbing 101 Steps Up
After we got married at the Abaco Beach Resort, we took a dinghy ride to our friend Steph’s (@freediversteph) boat, as she was providing our adventure honeymoon. An hour’s sail later, we moored at Hope Town’s harbour. The day was overcast, but luckily we were in between rainstorms.
It was a little difficult climbing 101 steps in a wedding dress, but it was totally worth it—the view from the top was spectacular! We could see the entire island from up there: the remnants of a storm on the horizon, dozens of boats moored in the harbour, and to the east, the open Atlantic. We signed the guest book as “The Adventure Crews”, making our mark on an already-impressive list of previous guests.
We got some great pictures, and our videography team captured incredible drone footage of the views. But the pictures and footage only scratch the surface of what it was really like.
We were fascinated to learn about the history of the Elbow Reef lighthouse and its present-day reality. Who would’ve thought that a manual lighthouse’s beam could be seen from 20 nautical miles away? Exploring the only manned light station in the world still fueled by kerosene felt like stepping back in time. Even now, a keeper climbs each night to fill the burner, walking up the same steps as previous keepers have done for generations.
How can you explore the Elbow Reef Lighthouse?
Although there aren’t any official tours at the Elbow Reef Lighthouse, anyone is free to visit. It’s best to fill out this form before visiting, and they’ll send you historic information beforehand to help give context to the whole experience.
The lighthouse’s tower is open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays). The gift shop is open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and also closed Sundays. Be sure to plan your visit around the gift shop’s hours if you want to bring home a souvenir.
A Symbol of Our Future
The locals’ dedication to the history and heritage of this Hope Town jewel was inspirational, and it was a special moment, there at the top: listening to the echoes of the past while on the brink of our own future together.
Climbing up this lighthouse was literally the first thing we did as husband and wife, and starting our marriage in this way was a beautiful symbol of the life we want to create together: adventure and travel, buying the boat, and chasing our dreams. Even in the midst of our own life storms, trying to navigate our way through hard times, I know we’ll look back and remember this moment, standing together at the top of a lighthouse.
I’m not sure the day could’ve been more perfect.
Photo credit: Purely Films
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