The Abaco Islands are less about destinations and activities than about getting lost in a wide-open palette of towns, beaches, and wildernesses. Locals are friendly and quick to share stories of their island lifestyle and history. Transportation takes on a whole new meaning in the Abacos. Cars get you nowhere. Ferries, dinghies, small wooden sailboats, one-speed bicycles, and off-road golf-carts are often required modes of transport.
Enjoy waterside restaurants and discover pastel colored Bahamian homes and shops lining bloom-filled streets. Explore the rich colonial history of Hope Town complete with picket fences and gingerbread trim or snorkel the many beaches where you can find some of the most colorful sea glass and spectacular stretches of sand. At low tide, shallow sandbars open up access to shells, sand dollars, and sea life.
Have fun strolling and biking through Hope Town, home to The Abacos’ most famous landmark-candy cane striped Lighthouse, built in 1862. One of few manually operated lighthouses in the world and the light of Elbow Cay.
CULTURE
The beauty of the Bahamas is culture rich. Self-expression. It is at the core of every Bahamian. Whether through our colorful art, lively music or soulful dancing, it is a part of each of us. And it reflects the beauty of our islands. The pride we have for our home and in each other.
Music plays a big part in Bahamian culture. Throughout our islands, you’ll hear traces of African rhythms, Caribbean calypso, English folk songs and our unique Bahamian goombay traditional music, which combines African musical traditions with European colonial influences.
One of our most popular festivals is Junkanoo, uniquely Bahamian and exists nowhere else. It’s an incredibly energetic, colorful parade made up of brightly costumed Bahamians dancing and “rushin” to the music of cowbells, drums, horns, and whistles.
The warmth of the people of The Bahamas turns arrivals into homecomings, conversations into cultural insights, and daily interactions into friendships that can last a lifetime. Bahamians are singers and explorers, caregivers and storytellers. But most of all, they’re family.
LOCATION
The Lucayan Archipelago, also known as the Bahama Archipelago is an ecological oasis, boasting the clearest water on the planet!
With its own calm sea surrounded by charming islands, each worth a visit, the Abacos consists of its own 120-mile-long island chain, basically a mini-Bahamas complete with its own Out Islands. Great Abaco Island and Little Abaco serve as the “mainland,” with a string of barrier islands separating them from the Atlantic. The body of water between – a turquoise Nirvana for those boaters and sailors – is the calm, shallow Sea of Abaco.
The coastlines are scalloped with bays, coves and protected harbors. Marsh Harbour has a lively downtown area with all city amenities. Treasure Cay boasts miles of pristine beaches, including one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Elbow Cay and Green Turtle Cay are old English loyalist settlements, where you’ll find beautifully preserved colonial architecture with a touch of Bahamian pastels, of course.
ADVENTURE CAPITAL
There’s a soft glow here on the Abaco, that beckons you into nature’s playground. Paddleboard the soft waves at White Sound or Tahiti Beach. Reel in giant trevally from the deep sea and enjoy our world-class bonefishing. Dive with sharks at feeding time. Explore the underwater National Reserve and National Park. Take your mask and snorkel to Great Guana Cay. The barrier reef here, accessible from the beach, is one of the largest in the western hemisphere, and one of the most stunning in the Bahamas. Under the influence of Elbow Cay, Abacos Adventure Capital, you’ll never be more brave and free, more fearless or playful.
