The next cay you come to with any population (20 Miles south of Spanish Cay) and where it all started for me, is Green Turtle Cay (See Map). (Aerial) It is the island that we spent our early days almost exclusively. Things have changed a lot in my 35+ years. During those early trips we would take our kids. It was a great place when they were growing up. They were both good swimmers so we didn't have to worry about a thing. They could run around all they wanted, as kids still can today. Green Turtle and it's Village of New Plymouth (Map) was originally settled by the loyalists in the 1770's. The quaint brightly colored picturesque village can be walked in less than 10 minutes end to end or about two hours covering all the side streets and stopping in every store including a having a drink at Miss Emily's. Finding any of the named places in this guide is as easy as asking somebody in the street and then it wont be more that 5 minutes from where you're standing.

Lobstering and tourism are the main industries of the island today. The village serves most of the needs of the Islanders. There are hardware, gift and food markets in New Plymouth albeit a bit pricey. Merchandise is often shipped to Marsh Harbour via Nassau or from the states. This plus a hefty duty on many items makes things a bit costly. Occasionally a doctor sets up practice as was the case in 1999 but there just was not enough "business" to keep her there. In the 70's there had been a resident doctor on Green Turtle for some time and who covered the cays with his own plane. The then Dr. Meldelson was also known his many crash landings. The runway on G.T. is now over grown . Today you will find a clinic with a nurse. For anything more serious you'll have to go to Marsh Harbour or Florida. Be sure to stop by for a visit to the Albert Lowe Museum for a peak at the settlements earlier times. You'll also find here beautifully crafted model ships built by late Mr. Lowe and art works by his renowned son Alton. Alton has a gallery in his lovely home. It's a 15 minute walk on the other side of the settlements big hill. For more information see Abaco Art. Other points of interest is the Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden featuring Bronze busts of many of the influential folks of days gone bye. It's in the middle of town, you cant miss it. Then there is the "Richard (Blue) Jones" Bahamian Bush Medicine Garden. Blue is Lincoln's brother and early in 2008 put together a herbal medicine garden typical of earlier times in the Abacos

Every year in May is the annual Annual Green Turtle Heritage Festival. The well received intent of the event was to establish a "Sister City" concept between historic Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) where the Loyalist first settled in 1784 and Key West, Florida, where many Green Turtle Cay residents relocated in the ensuing 150 years. So if you are planning a trip to the Abacos and more specifically Green Turtle Cay, you might want to consider this event. But book early. Want to know more go to Flotsam & Jetsam.

Access to New Plymouth and Green Turtle Cay in general, is of course only by ferry (the "BOLO"). Neigel, Larry or Curtis will probably be your captain. The BOLO runs from anywhere on the island to a dock on the mainland serving the airport (by land Taxi) at Treasure Cay. Connecting commuter flights here are to Miami, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Melbourne and Nassau.

New Plymouth lies on the western side of settlement harbour. Here there are a half a dozen restaurants in town. The lovely and quaint turn of the century New Plymouth Inn, reminiscent of Bogey and Bacall, opened briefly in 2007 and closed shortly their after. It has one of the most romantic restaurants in all the islands. In it's prime, it would have been an inspirational place for playwrights, novelists and poets. Once again as of spring 2008 it reopened and we can frankly report it is as charming as ever - the romance is still there. Hopefully this time it will remain open. It's all up to Wally. their, a bit eccentric, long time owner. It's location in the middle of New Plymouth, away from beaches and marinas. probably has something to do with their past difficulties. (more in our 2008 update) .

For native dinning there is always the "Wrecking Tree" and "McIntosh's Bakery & Restaurant". It's on the street going up the hill to Roosters. Then there is everybody's all time favorite "Laura's (carbohydrate) Kitchen". You'll find it just up the street from the town dock. Here you will get your plate piled high with food for a reasonable price. A reservation is strongly suggested. Finally there is Mikes Bar & Restaurant, now called Mikes Sundowner. Mike's has been and on again off again place but recently caught on again. It's right on the water facing Abaco Sea. Like so many others their schedule is sporadic. Mike's mom lives across the street and will open for any reservations. You can hail them all your VHF. On the "bottom" of the main street next to the freight dock is Plymouth Rock Bar, Restaurant, Liquor and cigar store. A trendy newer restaurant in town is Pineapples Bar & Grill. It has a great pool for luncheon and dinner guests and on occasion has live music in the evening. It is located on the eastern side of Settlement Harbour located at and part of the Other Shore Club and Marina on Black Sound which also has cottages for rent. Give them a call on your VHF. The newest restaurant is HarveyÕs Island Grill on the harbour side of town. No alcohol is served but BYOB is OK. Here the menus consists of not your typical Bahamian fare such as duck, lamb etc and at reasonable prices. For more first class dining, (aside from the NPI) you'll have to head out to the resorts at the other end of the cay. More about them coming up.

Rental homes, villas and Cottages are available not far from New Plymouth. A few names that come to mind are Linton's Cottages and Long Bay House which are near beaches and close to town and Roberts Cottages on Black Sound. Others such as Turtle Dreams and Coco Bay Cottages can be found at the more pristine north end of the island (golf cart required). A couple agencies dealing with rental homes are Green Turtle Rentals. and Abaco Property Management. Still more can be found on our Accommodations and Services page.

On the north end of Green Turtle Cay on White Sound, you will find The Green Turtle Club and the Bluff House. There had been a long standing rivalry between them as the managing owners of each are sisters (and their husbands). Seems even in paradise there are family feuds. But in 2005 the Green Turtle Club was sold ending the family ownership I've known since my first visit in 1973.

Both "The Bluff" and "The Club" have first class restaurants, comparable to state side dining. For dinner there are usually five or six dishes to choose from, and you order your entree at reservation time. The Bluff House wins the fantastic view award from it's hill top restaurant bar and pool. It's definitely worth a visit and a dinner even if staying elsewhere. The Club's restaurant is adjacent to their Tipsy Bar and steps from the marina. Just up the hill and opened for lunch, is the Clubs pool side snack bar offering the usual island fare.

The Bluff has in recent times made some serious improvements to it's facilities including the marina, all of which were destroyed by the hurricanes of 2004 and were up any running by the time of our visit in '05. The Bluff House has two restaurants , an informal dockside restaurant called the Jolly Roger Bar and Bistro, presided over by the ever jovial Vern. And as mentioned another in the dinning room at the Bluff House hill top. The Buff House offers guest rooms overlooking the Sea of Abaco and villas overlooking sailboats at anchorage in White Sound.

Each resort has a marina, and rooms and villas for rent. The Club, however has cottages right on the water where you can tie up a small boat as we often do. The Bluff has elevated seaside cottages with a great view of the Sea of Abaco. This writer finds the Club a little more upbeat and an easier location to get to and from, and explore the north end and its beaches. Add to this the fact that the recently paved town road ends at the Club. Also the Club is within a 10 minute walk to a lovely bay beach at Coco Bay and 20 minute walk to a beautiful stretch of ocean beach with all the diving and snorkeling you may want. Add another 15 minutes to each if walking from the Bluff house.

Since the arrival of this road, you might want to use land transportation to get around. The local Hertz is actually a rent a cart. Three that come to mind are, Donny & Giselle McIntosh's D&P Cart Rentals 242-365-4655, Mary and Leonard Lowe's Island Roadrunners 242-365-4160, And finally, just celebrating their 10th anniversary, is Sea Side Cart Rentals 242-365-4147. Their office is located at the next dock east of ferry dock in New Plymouth (boats can use the dock). Ted Murray is the friendly and efficient daily manager.Ê Another alternative is if you choose is Omri's on again - off again Taxi. Again, all can be reached using your Marine Radio and calling on 16. If all else fails just get out to the road and stick your thumb out, the old fashioned way. You needn't fear and its guaranteed to work.

The Green Turtle Club Bar is a typical island haunt with dollar bills and boaters burgess and ensigns tacked to the ceiling. It's lively spot hosted by the ever smiling Debbie. She has been there for over 20 years and is truly everybody's best friend. She or Julie will gladly whip you up a great "Tipsy Turtle" (which will do the job for which it is intended). You can find my Burgee hanging there. The Green Turtle Club Bar has long been a favorite stop over for the cruising yachtsman and private pilots alike. Often the nights are spent in conversation with them and of their travels. One night a week the Gully Roosters come over from town (with half the population) to play at the club. The Roosters have been around for years. They call themselves "The No.1 Band in the Nation". Fact is, for years the Green Turtle's own Gully Roosters are the only full time Band in the Abacos but that all changed in 2006. More later.

Exploring the neighbors. There are three boat rental companies on Green Turtle Cay. The oldest is Donnie Sawyer's who's boats are usually beat up a bit yet seem somehow to always work. A 15-17 footer is all you'll need to get to Green Turtle's adjacent cays, assuming typical summer type weather. (More on boat rentals). To the north is Manjack or Nunjack as it is sometimes called (See Map). At it's northern end you will find the quintessential crescent white sand beach one only dreams about. At it's southern end two smaller cays Crab & Fiddle seem to have broken away from Manjack. It's hard to notice their separation until up close. They make for interesting exploration and have beautiful beaches. The northern end of Fiddle has a great beach and is a short hop from G.T. We often go there and wade the pass between Fiddle and Crab Cay. You'll see its beautiful white sandbar upon approach. But don't anchor over it if the tide is going out - stay slightly to its south in the grassy deeper water.

Selected aerial photos by Marinas.com

The island to the south of Green Turtle Cay is Noname Cay. It's about the same size as Green Turtle Cay and uninhabited. It's again suitable for exploration and picnicking when renting a small boat and is about as far as you can go south of Green Turtle in a 15-17 footer. At it's northern end and closest point has a another beautiful crescent beach running from west to north and whose bottom is a patch work of sea grass, sand and flat coral rock bottom. Just go slow. Behind the beach is a beautiful stand of Casuarina's trees. It's a favorite spot for picnicking.

Heading south from Noname Cay you come to an area in the Abacos of some repute. It's called the Whale Cay Passage. It is what separates Green Turtle from the other major cays and Marsh Harbour to its south. Whale Cay, is just another uninhabited cay in the chain the borders the eastern edge of Great Abaco. The only problem is there is considerable shoaling on the inside of Whale Cay preventing larger boats from passing on the protected Abaco Sound side. At this point one has to head out in the ocean around the cay and back in. This route is obvious and generally without problems except in strong off shore winds or storms. The abrupt shoaling creates big rollers which often break and makes the seas treacherous under these stormy conditions, which has taken its toll over the years. Passing on the inside is usually uneventful in good weather for ourboards. Be sure to use the chart found in the Abaco Cruising Guide mentioned through this page. This inside passage is called the "Don't Rock Passage" for the rock in the middle. It's a pretty sight. Just to the West of Whale Cay and Don't Rock is:

Treasure Cay:

After skirting Whale Cay and coming back inside you'll first encounter Bakers Bay, a lovely crescent mile or two beach on north Great Guana Cay . Disney used to use Bakers Bay as their "out island" and tendered guests to New Plymouth, however the weather conditions at Whale Cay often made mooring treacherous and resulted in too many cancellations. They eventually pulled out after only a couple seasons. Disney still has their island in the sun in the Abacos, although it's nowhere near the cays and more importantly has no impact on this region. BUT as of Spring 2005, a major development was started at the Bakers Bay area. It is to consist of a golf course, 200 plus slip marina and hundred plus condos on the property. (So far no casino has been mentioned - ??.) I, like many of the islanders worry that this mega-undertaking will kill the fragile environment of Guana Cay who's reefs are world renowned. It's a classic battle of jobs versus the environment.

Great Guana Cay has a picturesque small settlement (map), with a couple souvenir shops, food store and liquor store. Guana's settlement makes one feel you are really on an "Out Island" unless you are caught in the traffic headed to Nippers. Here though, Milo is the man. His shop and produce stand has been at the same location for a generation. You'll no doubt pass him on your walk along the harbour road. Be sure to stop by and say hi. You'll also notice the remains of the old fig tree surrounded by benches, the settlements version of the "town square" where folks gather and play dominos.

The reef strewn beaches that line the 5.5 mile of coast on the ocean side are reputedly the most beautiful in all the Abacos. The white sand beach is bathed in waters of every shade of blue, aqua marine and turquoise. The settlement adjoins the "Great Guana Resort & Marina" property whose main building burnt down and which was the premier resort on the island. The Guana Beach Resort which was the grand daddy of all resorts on Guana, was for all practical purposes, destroyed by Floyd and Fire. Despite that fact, their Sunset Bar at pool side was resurrected from the debris and is now simply called Grabbers, Light food is served and naturally the Guana Grabber the drink of choice. The original motel type cottages that remained have been renovated plus an additional five condo/appartments - New as of 2008 are all available for rent. It is still a popular evening spot with the cruising folks. In 1996, saw the opening of Nippers, now one of the hottest spots in all of the Cays (supposedly named after the no-see-ums). It is a trendsetting place that lives up to its reputation. It's on a bluff overlooking their snorkeling beach and ocean - Spectacular. It really packs them in. Access is only by boat of course or ferry from Marsh Harbour. Often you find Johnny Nipper himself bartending. (see food & drinks). Every Sunday they serve a Hawaiian style pig roast which attracts folks and yachtsmen from all over the cays. Tickets are sold on a first come first served basis. It's generally very crowded. The Barefoot Man, who's CD's are in every gift shop and hotel makes an annual appearance here. Nippers has its own webcam (at their website) focused on their beautiful beach, Take a gander, maybe you'll see somebody you know.

In 1999 a new restaurant & marina opened on Guana in settlement harbour, the Orchid Bay Resort. It's on the harbour across from the settlement and was first to bring gasoline to the island compelling the Guana resort to do likewise. It's marina can accommodate the mega-yachts of the rich and famous as one will see. All in all, Guana is more laid back than Green Turtle but has a reputation as the getaway party spot for the folks from the neighboring cays. As for home and villa rentals you might want to check out Sea Shore Villas (AKA Guana Cay Villas). They are centrally located on the main drag in the settlement facing the harbour (sorry -no website). In front is their gift shop, and as of Dec. '08 a new road side Tiki Bar has been added making for a perfect pit stop when making the rounds between Grabbers & Nippers. Some other rental homes that come to mind are Jim and Kathy Alderman's L'il Gecko Cottage, Tom Tunney's Tranquility Cottage and John & Bev Roselli Frangipani Cottage. For still more Guana homes for rent, go to Sandy's Quick Links to Accommodations and Services.

Finally there is the Dolphin Beach Resort and the Docksider's Restaurant, The restaurant some may remember as the Blue Water Grill is run by Nippers. It's located north just five minutes north of the settlement on Fishers Bay. They are adjacent to another of the Abaco's premiere dive shops, Dive Guana. They will come pick you up if you are not staying on Guana. Both the aforementioned resorts have restaurants pools an access and views of the ocean and Sea of Abaco.

NOTE: As a result of the aforementioned development taking place at Bakers Bay, the developer has rented many of the rental homes for their workers. So plan early when looking for a rental home, villa or cottage on Guana Cay.(more)

1) If you are considering going in May, June, July or around Christmas and especially on weekends during those periods, you'll need to book 5 - 6 months in advance. This particularly applies to airlines and boat and to a lesser degree, golf cart rentals. And remember the first couple weeks in July is the busy Regatta Season.
2) Reconfirm your flight a couple times before departure to avoid any surprises.
3) Use carry on luggage if you can, but remember, security will remove any sun screen od other liquid over 4 oz. you might be carrying.
4) When departing Marsh Harbour, although you may hate to, book an early flight and get there early especially if you have connections. And again use carry on luggage in case you have to change flights in a hurry.
5) Don't arrive too late to cause conflicts trying to catch the water taxi to the Cays. An expensive charter could be the result.
6) If you are required to change planes in south east Florida, Try to avoid Miami if possible. It will save you some serious hiking time and custom delays. At Ft. Lauderdale, more often than not, you'll have to take a bus to your connection terminal after clearing customs. I'd avoid that airport too if I can. Our 2006 trip had us connecting through Palm Beach. Including baggage pickup, customs and immigration, we were at the departure gate for Tampa in about 15 minutes! More at AbacoAirlines.com
7) And one final note: there can be lengthy lines returning via FLL and MIA on Saturday and Sunday due to cruise line traffic.

Marsh Harbour is the Bahamas third largest city (after Nassau & Freeport) and the Abacos commercial hub. Although this writer spends his time almost exclusively on the Cays, it doesn't mean that Marsh is without resorts and rental homes. The Eastern Shore is the Marsh Harbour region where lovely rental homes, cottages and villas can be found, some right on Abaco Sound facing the Cays. More than likely you'll arrive and depart from Marsh anyway, so why not plan a couple days. There is plenty to see and do. Rental homes can easily be found with an internet search checking, Sandy's Quick Links to Abaco Accommodations and Services.

Understand there are no beaches in and around Marsh Harbour, at least not the kind you came to the Abacos for. But there is one thing you can do in Marsh that you cant do on the Cays and that is rent a car. This can make for a great adventure and exploration to the south like the settlements of Cherokee and its neighbor Little Harbour, Sandy Point and Hole in the Wall. Or you can head north to Treasure Cay and its beach. This is exactly what we did as part of our 2007 Trip.

When we cruised the Abacos by boat and were in Marsh Harbour, we always stayed at the close to everything Conch Inn Marina. It has in recent times has been taken over by the Moorings Charter Fleet operation. They offer a multitude of sailing type and size charters with or without captains. The Inn and its Conch Crawl Restaurant are sill going strong and 2006 saw the addition of a new 2nd floor bar & restaurant called Curly Tails. The Conch Inn offers an easy walk to town the the multitude of shops and restaurants the line this side of the harbour. Also at the Marina is Dive Abaco, Marsh Harbour's oldest dive shop. Information on the all other aspects of the facilities can be reached by clicking here. The devastation caused by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne along the southwestern side of the harbour Sept. '04 was nowhere to be seen on our '06 visit. The marina docks replaced and shore side restaurants open for business as usual.

Marsh has a large cruising community moored in it's harbour and is lively spot. As mentioned there a good many restaurants are within a short walking distance of the Conch Inn. From here to the center of town is just a 15 minute walk. Other hot spots are, Mangoes, Sapodilly's, (which had a serious fire in '07 an had not opened a year later) and the newest place, Snappas located at the Harbour View Marina are found all along harbour's edge near by. Also in the area is Wally's - voted the best restaurant in Marsh Harbour on a regular basis by AMB members. café LaFlorence is a new venueÊopened by the daughter of Florence's café in Treasure Cay.ÊÊ It's an attractive little coffee shop with delicious home baked pastries, daily specials, Êgreat light lunch menu and Internet service for customers. Also new in the area is the Hummingbird Restaurant and Lounge located in an unassuming strip mall across the street on the way into town. Both the latter are popular meeting places for civic, environmental, artistic social groups. In town there is a luncheonette style restaurant called the Golden Grouper. And for a change of pace, opening in 2006 was Mandarin Fine Dining specializing solely in, you guessed it, Chinese food. It's on Don MacKay Blvd. On the other side of the harbour is the active Marsh Harbour Marina and Jib Room. Here on Saturday night they have their steak barbecue, when as many as 300 steaks are served. Reservations required. Their steaks are absolutely the best in all the Abacos. All of the aforementioned have their own "special night" offering special meals and or drinks and are announced on the cruisers net daily. Be sure to plan ahead.

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