By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton

HARBOUR ISLAND — There’s the sound of the driven drumming of Junkanoo, the dynamic beat spreading across the hills of the island.

This is Independence Day in The Bahamas, meaning fireworks, rum, Kalik and vigorous celebration.

If it feels like almost everyone on the island is here, that’s because it’s pretty close to true.

And on Harbour Island, that means one thing: Valentines.

This colorful 41-unit resort and marina near Dunmore Town hasn’t just become the best all around hotel on an island known for its places to stay – it’s become the center of the island, the town square, the fulcrum.

Valentines’ newest addition, the historic Sapodilla House villa.

There’s a bit of everything here: a pool with a great new shack-style bar; a bar and restaurant; a fitness center; a terrific locally-run coffee shop called Cocoa Coffee House and the island’s best waterfront dining option, the scene of the aforementioned junkanoo. (And yes, there’s a private beach club a short golf cart ride away on the pink sand.)

There’s even a brand-new conference center that’s straight out of a class-A office building in New York or Chicago, one that’s quickly become one of the more in-demand meeting locations in The Bahamas.

And yes, it’s the all-around place to stay, with well-appointed rooms with full kitchens, serious space and the feeling that you’re always being taken care of.

Because while travelers uniformly head to the beauty of Pink Sand Beach, the energy of Harbour Island has always been disparate, scattered on Bay Street and across the island’s many tiny watering holes.

Sapodilla House is a charming, historic addition to the property.

There’s an energy here, one only underscored by the presence of the many yachters and boaters who dock at the property’s 51 transient slips.

There’s even a new poolside conch salad stand.

Harbour Island’s center of gravity has shifted, and the island’s place to be, to meet and, well, to stay, has become this one.

It’s the heartbeat of Harbour Island.

For more, visit Valentines.

See more in the latest CJ Video.

— CJ