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Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve

Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve

Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve
5
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Designed as a showcase for native plants and their importance to the people of The Bahamas, the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve has the distinction of being Eleuthera's first national park. Walk with nature in this sanctuary for over 300 species of native plants, 70 species of birds, and 100 species of medicinal plants. It features gardens and wetlands designed by world-renowned landscape architect, Raymond Jungles, as well as trails through over 20 acres of natural areas. Developed by Shelby White in honour of her late husband, Leon Levy, the Preserve is operated by the Bahamas National Trust.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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See what travelers are saying

  • lvwhitney
    Las Vegas, Nevada102 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lush
    Great place to learn about local nature. If you are looking for something different than the beach this is your place. Take your time and work around and learn about the tropical island. Make sure you use bug spray and take binoculars if you want to look at birds and the area from the observation tower
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 1, 2024
  • Barbara Mac
    Durham, North Carolina6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wow!
    On our 3rd trip to Eleuthera we finally visited the nature preserve. It is beautifully designed and maintained with a boardwalk through a water mangrove forest, waterfalls, a tower with ocean views, and a turtle pond where you can feed them. The signs are educational about the plants and the island itself. Who knew the red dirt comes all the way from the Sahara? Nice staff, too. Well worth a visit or two.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 4, 2024
  • jrrhoades
    Daytona Beach, Florida43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An interesting place to visit
    It is a great place to visit to learn about the local plants. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to walk the trails. The signage is very good and conveys a lot of information. The look out tower rises above the trees and gives you an excellent view of the surrounding area. Use bug spray as you will be walking through swampy areas and dense brush. The trails are well marked and easy to follow.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 28, 2024
  • Maddy Minter
    New Orleans, Louisiana79 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    10/10 Ethan is so helpful!
    This was like a lovely, well kepted up national park. Ethan greeted us at the front. Wepaid our $11 each admission. He have us a map, and some pamphlets on the native birds and insects. We probably spent 1.5-2 hours exploring the paths and vegetation. Felt like a nice easy hike. Would recommend for all ages. Something to do not beach related.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 25, 2024
  • Mackenzie C
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing place
    Me and my boyfriend came here after finding it online, it’s an absolutely beautiful walk and a great way to spend your day especially if you have kids and are looking for something a little more simple to do. The staff are amazing and they have turtles which come right up to you that you can feed! The landscaping itself is absolutely perfect, such an easy place to find! It has an amazing look out spot as well where you can get a 360 view of the island 10/10 would recommend!
    Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the scenic walk, feeding the turtles, and the amazing 360-degree lookout. It's great to hear our landscaping and staff made your visit special. We hope to see you again soon—thank you for the 10/10 recommendation!
    Written December 9, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 5, 2024
  • John B
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great location to visit on Eleuthera, for so many reasons
    We had a great visit to the Leon Levy Preserve recently. We had not been there in a few years. The preserve is staffed by very helpful, knowledgeable staff. The preserve is a great 2-3 hour visit with time spent walking the trails, reading/learning the exhibits, and admiring the entire facility. The gift shop has some great Bahamas gifts too. We highly recommend this outing on Eleuthera - it's a must visit for any new comers to Bahamas as well as for those of us who return every year.
    Thank you for your review and for revisiting the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, we hope you enjoyed our new trails! We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit to Eleuthera!
    Written December 31, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written December 22, 2024
  • Herb R
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely place, worth a visit!
    Lovely place, friendly staff, well explained and maintained. Worthy venture to support and maintain local flora and fauna, and have an education center for locals especially children. Worth supporting.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 22, 2024
  • Chris R
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Educational and fun!
    I had a great time exploring at Leon Levy’s. The staff was knowledgeable and helped me figure out the best way too explore the preserve. They even stopped what they were doing in the field to point out some native flowers. Park is beautiful and the trails are amazing. It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours off the beach!!
    Thank you for your enthusiastic review! We're delighted that you found your visit both educational and enjoyable. Our team is passionate about sharing the beauty and significance of Bahamian native plants, and it's wonderful to hear that their guidance enhanced your experience.
    Written December 31, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written December 27, 2024
  • Rambonck
    Fairhope, Alabama83 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pleasant Walk Through
    This place is very quaint and peaceful. You somewhat get roped into walking the grounds and paying before you begin. It’s not free. For two people it was around $22 total. Worth every penny. Consider it your daily exercise to get to Ethan’s Tower. The turtle pond is amazing. The walking paths are clean and very manageable to walk. If you find yourself with a very windy day and other tours get canceled go here.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 29, 2024
  • Julie C
    Hickory, North Carolina34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Between the beaches
    If you visit Eleuthera, take a morning to visit this park. It was fascinating to learn about what lies between the beaches. We enjoyed the perfect paths, learning about vegetation and a little history of the island. Ethan’s tower offered amazing views, and the turtles were fun to feed.
    Julie, thank you for your thoughtful review! We're delighted you enjoyed exploring the Preserve's trails, learning about the native vegetation, and discovering the island's history. Ethan's Tower indeed offers breathtaking views, and feeding the turtles is a favorite among our visitors!
    Written January 22, 2025
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2025
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 2, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles497 reviews
Excellent
426
Very good
62
Average
4
Poor
4
Terrible
1

mysharona1970
Mount Horeb, WI157 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
We spent about 90 minutes and it was well worth the $10 entry fee per person. They offered a great map and bug spray! There are nice paths everywhere you walk and good signage. Cute little gift shop with handmade crafts as well.
Written January 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ashton W
Nassau, New Providence Island14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
This is a stunning and amazingly well kept nature preserve with a beautiful staff, landscape and views thad exude both inner and outer beauty very fluently. Their expertise of nature, mind and whole body preservation is not only refreshing but wraps one in a blanket like feeling of love and acceptance. it may sound like an exaggeration but in my humble and honest opinion this preserve is a 10/10 knock out! keep it up everyone and anyone reading please come and join us here! the gates are open. #goodvibes #wavegoodbye #tocovid #19nomore
Written April 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

windvalley
Europe885 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020
Came here on a hot Saturday morning right after the preserve re-opened after covid 19 lockdowns. I was a bit skeptical as the Palm Tree Retreat Gardens in Nassau were a total disappointment with poor signage and confusing trails. We were positively surprised as we were welcomed by very friendly and nice staff who clearly were so happy to be back and excited about their jobs. There are a number of trails and I think we could have spent half a day easily wandering around, however; it was very hot even at 8am when the preserve opened so we only walked to the tower, took in the views and walked back. Be aware there are plenty of snakes (we saw 3 Bahamian boas on the trail) and spiders. No worries, nothing is poisonous, but we did have a member of the group with a snake phobia. It was a wonderful and peaceful place, with excellent signs. For the first time after living in the Bahamas have I felt that we were actually in nature. I just wish it had not been so hot. Also, there are quite some bugs especially in the mangrove section, so bring some spray and wear proper shoes (sneakers are fine). Highly recommended and they have a cute little gift shop.
Written July 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sally J
Martinsburg, WV651 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
This is a lovely spot. We didn’t have time to do all of the trails, but enjoyed what we saw.
We really like the display about the Lucayan people who inhabited the islands before Columbus came. There is a recreation of a hut, and good description of their life here. We had not been aware of this before. It was fascinating.
The freshwater pond created from an old cistern was beautiful and full of turtles who wanted to be fed!
We had a great time walking around the nice trail system.
Eleuthera is lucky to have this place.
Written January 4, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sally, thank you for your insightful review and for sharing your photos! We're thrilled that you enjoyed your time at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve. It's wonderful to hear that the Lucayan exhibit provided new perspectives on the island's history. We hope you'll return to explore the rest of the trails and discover more of what makes Eleuthera special.
Written January 22, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jock76
UK42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Family
We visited the preserve with our three kids aged from 4 to 8. There was plenty to keep their interest and we had the opportunity to spot different plants and wildlife across the various trails. The Preserve is well maintained and you can basically walk as little or as much as you like, based on the trails on the map you’re given at the welcome center. We walked all of it and particularly enjoyed the breeze at the top of the tower after a sweaty climb and also seeing the turtles at the water reserve. Wear sneakers and take water. Two hours flew by!
Written May 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex
McLean, VA83 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We really enjoyed the hike through the preserve. Early january is not the best time of year to see things in bloom, but there is a lot to learn and a lot of curious facts about nature and history spread around the trails. Very well maintained and very much worth the visit!
Written January 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rhonda p
Murphy, NC90 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
This place is so informative and beautiful! Definitely go as early in the morning as possible. We went around lunch time and it was a bit warm and muggy but if we had been there earlier, we probably would have been able to wander around the grounds a little more. But this place is a MUST visit place in Eleuthera. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly! We definitely enjoyed our time here!
Written August 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cruiser628744
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Solo
If you love nature walks and learning about native plants, this is the place. Viewing birds, turtles, etc is also very possible. It is a great option if you need to fill time between checking out of a rental and an afternoon flight. I did the nature walk and then a leisurly lunch at Tippys before heading to check in for my flight.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bob488514
Salisbury, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Excellent. Typically high standard from National Trust. As good as anything we have in the UK NT. If you're not wearing long trousers, take the offer of insect repellent at the entrance desk. We were bitten to death by what we understand were sand flies.
Otherwise the best example of a botanical reserve in the Bahamas. Signage top class. Staff so informative and friendly. Must do.
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brad S
Union Pier, MI303 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Friends
What an excellent nature preserve. You enter through a small visitor center where you get a good review of what's on the grounds. Then you can easily take off on your own without any guide. Each area has thorough, informative signage, and of course the plants sport name signs as well. You can tour a mangrove forest, fresh water basin, orchids, native plans, non-native plants, medicinal plants, cash plants, poisonour plants, plus enjoy a 360 degree view of the island from a small observation tower. Everything about the preserve is well-thought out and well-maintained. Plan on a good 2 hours, more if you really want to dive into the info and walk all of the trails. Who knew Eleuthera's red soil blew over the Atlantic from the Sahara Desert? Best experience on Eleuthera.
Written May 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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