The Abacos Sights

The Abacos, 200 mi east of Palm Beach, Florida, are a short boat ride from Grand Bahama. Little Abaco Island, Great Abaco Island, and many smaller offshore cays comprise the mini-archipelago, which stretches in a languid crescent for more than 120 mi from Walker's Cay in the north to Hole-in-the-Wall in the south. The dazzling cays lie in the Atlantic, mostly east or north of Great Abaco. Larger populated cays include Green Turtle, Great Guana, Man-O-War, and Elbow, all of which offer full services for boaters and just the right sprinkling of small resorts and enchanting settlements.

The Abacos, 200 mi east of Palm Beach, Florida, are a short boat ride from Grand Bahama. Little Abaco Island, Great Abaco Island, and many smaller offshore cays comprise the mini-archipelago, which stretches in a languid crescent for more than 120 mi from Walker's Cay in the north to Hole-in-the-Wall in the south. The dazzling cays lie in the Atlantic, mostly east or north of Great Abaco. Larger populated cays include Green Turtle, Great Guana, Man-O-War, and Elbow, all of which offer full services for boaters and just the right sprinkling of small resorts and enchanting settlements. The majority of the other cays are uninhabited, and together they provide a 100-mi-long sheltered cruising area that beckons to explorers in search of aqua-green bays, coral reefs, hidden coves, and white strands of beach.

On Great Abaco proper you'll find rugged stretches of white limestone bluffs, miles of kelp-strewn beaches devoid of footprints, landlocked lakes, pine forests where wild horses and boar roam, and the Bahamas' third-largest community: the thriving commercial center of Marsh Harbour. The town has a variety of accommodation options, rental cars and boats, groceries, a plethora of restaurants and shops, and the Bahamas' largest marina. The drugstores are decently stocked, and one of the best medical clinics in the islands is here. To get away from it all, drive into Little Harbour, an artists' community, and completely disappear for a week. If you're an angler, abandon your cell phone and hole up in Sandy Point. Up north on Little Abaco, tourism is less prominent, and locals live as they have for the last hundred years—farming, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. This is a good area to explore by car—but be sure to save some time to relax on the stunning beaches around Fox Town.