U.S. travelers to The Bahamas do not require a Visa, but all visitors must have a valid passport in order to enter the country. Non-Americans should check whether or not a visa is required at: http://www.thebahamasguide.com/travel/visa.htm. All participants will enter the country as students at the Cape Eleuthera Institute/The Island School on Cape Eleuthera. Your names will have been pre-authorized for entry by local immigration.

There are several ways you can travel to the Cape Eleuthera Institute. We strongly recommend, and only support transportation to and from Rock Sound Airport (airport code RSD). Rock Sound is the southern-most airport on Eleuthera and is closest to the Cape Eleuthera Institute. Once you have arranged travel to Rock Sound, we will arrange for a pickup at the airport and transport to CEI.

To get to Rock Sound, we recommend one of two methods:

1 – Fly any commercial carrier from the U.S. or Canada into Nassau International Airport. Transfer for a flight into Rock Sound, Eleuthera (about a 25 minute trip) can be made through one of the following airlines:

Be sure to check to make sure you allow ample time to clear customs and immigration in Nassau before your flight to Rock Sound leaves – we recommend 2 hours minimum.

2 - Fly to Fort Lauderdale, FL and then connect on Twin Air, a small private charter service, to Rock Sound. This will require that you take a taxi from the main terminals to the Twin Air location about 3 miles away. Again, please allow enough time (2 hours minimum) between flights in Ft. Lauderdale. Twin Air is the only carrier that serves Rock Sound directly from the U.S. at this time. Please contact Twin Air for schedule and fares at 954-359-8266 (www.flytwinair.com).

Please note that when making travel arrangements, we can only accommodate you for the actual dates of your course. While we would like to accommodate people for longer, our schedule and facilities do not allow this opportunity.

Please also note that we will NOT be able to arrange an airport pickup from either Governor’s Harbour or North Eleuthera airports – Rock Sound will be our only pickup. If you do arrive into Governor’s Harbour or North Eleuthera Airport please be aware that the cost of a taxi one way from the airport to the Institute ranges from $100-250.

General Information About Eleuthera and The Bahamas

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is a constitutional parliamentary democracy. The Bahamas gained independence on July 10, 1973 from the United Kingdom. While the country still recognizes the British Monarch as the head of state, the country is self-governing. The two main political parties are the Free National Movement (FNM) and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

Tourism employs, directly and indirectly, much of the Bahamian labor force. CEI and The Island School are built upon the grounds of the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Yacht Club, which closed its doors in the early 1980’s and has recently been rebuilt. The new resort is located a mile down the road from our campus.

Eleuthera is catergorized as a Bahamian Out Island. The name comes from the Greek word for freedom, aptly named by the first European settlers. Eleuthera lies along the outer boundary of the Caribbean Sea, a gateway to the vast ocean that reaches east to Africa. The Island School is ideally situated to understand, serve, and explore this land and sea frontier. Cape Eleuthera is 210 miles (a 60 minute flight) from Miami, Florida.

Eleuthera Stats:

• Population: 8,114 (Preliminary statistics 2000 Census of Population and Housing)
• Area: 200 sq. miles
• Highest Point: 190 feet
• Size: 110 miles long, 2.5 miles at widest points.