Recently crowned the jewel of the Caribbean, Briland is rustic luxury personified. The loyalist cottages with their striking pastel hued clapboard shutters evoke a bygone era that has managed to maintain its footing and safeguarded the island from being overrun by ambitious developers. As the original capital of the Bahamas, Dunmore Town is graced with the intoxicating dichotomy of being entirely relaxed and stylishly adept while bowing to local cultural tradition. Bare backs indoors are quick to draw disapproval whereas bare feet are perfectly acceptable. Bahamians are warm, hospitable, and often times quick witted. With a total area of 3 ½ miles by half a mile, the island is an intersection of the cosmopolitan jet set and a very simple existence.
The obvious draw is the expansive pink sand beach and chic boutique hotels. But the more subtle allure is the rhythm of the island- the conversation struck up with a charming shop owner, the greetings shared as golf carts whiz past each other, the impromptu dancing with children at a festival on Bay street, the sounds of a Junkanoo band practice that you stumble upon, the thrill of being allowed to join a street match of dominoes as they are being slammed onto a table. And of course, the talent of many a local bartender, the smell of frangipani blossoms and varnished wood, the taste of rum punch and conch fritters, and the sound of roosters crowing at all hours of the day...
