Glass Window Bridge

View looking south, the Atlantic Ocean on the left, and Caribbean on the right Michael Frascella (CC BY-ND 2.0)

When Winslow Homer painted “Glass Window” he was on assignment for Century Magazine, chronicling his trip to the Bahamas in watercolors. It was 1885, and the artist saw this bridge in its original state—a natural stone arch barely separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Bight of Eleuthera.

The stone arch connecting Eleuthera island’s two narrow strips of land that Homer saw is long gone, washed away by hurricanes. But the name he gave the unique site has stuck. Still called the Glass Window Bridge, it’s a vulnerable spot that has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in the intervening 130 years.

Often called the “Narrowest Place on Earth”, the bridge today still provides a view of the stunning contrast between the Atlantic and Bight of Eleuthera’s distinct natures. Occasionally, when a strong wave washes over the rocks, for a brief moment that separation disappears, and the two bodies of water shake hands.

Know Before You Go

Queen's Highway runs the length of Eleuthera, a skinny island only a mile wide in some spots, and 110 miles long. The Glass Window Bridge connects the north island to the south, and you can get there by car or bike.Be aware of the force of the waves from the Atlantic side, which can hit unexpectedly and with some force. Caution is advised.