Playground on land and sea
120 islands make up a ‘necklace of gems’ that form the Abacos; islands which to this day are an uninhabited paradise of islets, cays and beaches. The Abaco Islands are a sailing playground par excellence, yet there’s even more to them than that. There's Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco, the bustling capital of this chain, and Treasure Cay, both packing a funky assortment of family-run hotels, villas, superb restaurants and lively nightspots.
Picture-perfect villages
Nestling around these two thriving centres in outlying cays, are picture-perfect villages of white and pastel-coloured clapboard houses. On Elbow Cay, just a 20-minute water taxi ride from Marsh Harbour, you'll discover the enchanting New England-style, Hope Town, on an almost landlocked harbour, overlooked by a fabulously photogenic 120-ft candy-striped lighthouse. In a similar vein, Green Turtle Cay is another must-see while travelling amongst the Abacos. Islands in the chain are well-renowned for their stunning scenery and attractions.
Sublime sailing
Marinas abound throughout the cays, and many are home to magnificent luxury yachts. Fishing and diving are also popular activities here. Deep-sea fishing generally takes place off the Abaco cays, where the drop-off from the reef to the Atlantic is steep, and the shallow marshy flats to the west of Great Abaco are ideal for ‘bonefishermen’. Deep walls, reefs and a multitude of shipwrecks provide excellent diving territory right around the Abacos. The Islands are home to several excellent dive operators including Brendal’s Dive Centre International on Green Turtle Cay, whose conch salad lunches and wild-dolphin spotting talents are as legendary as his dive experience.
Unexplored until recently
Compared to their better know neighbours Eleuthera, Exuma and Nassau, the Abacos and islands surrounding them remained largely unexplored until the late 18th century, when the non-Indian population began to grow on this small island chain.
