Elbow Cay from the air
Great Abaco is the second largest island, after Andros, in the 700+ island Commonwealth of the Bahamas. All the Abaco islands collectively cover 776 square miles and are about 160 nautical miles from the coast of Florida. According to a 1990 census, the population of all the Bahamas was 255,095. The population of the Abacos is just over 10,000 souls.
The Abacos are considered by many as the center of the sailing and boating universe. The major islands in the group are Great and Little Abaco, with the off-lying cays of Elbow Cay, Man-O-War Cay, Guana Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Spanish Cay, Stranger’s Cay, and Walker’s Cay completing the chain. Somewhere in this 120-mile chain of islands and uninhabited cays, you’re sure to find the ideal spot to drink a Goombay Smash, eat some conch fritters or grouper fingers, or a have quiet snooze on a hammock strung between two palm trees.
New Plymouth, the colonial town of New England architecture on Geeen Turtle Cay, is great for those who love to experience a bit of history. If you prefer a little action, the Abacos offer superb scuba diving, snorkelling, and fishing. The nature lover will like the fact that several preserves have been set aside for wildlife. Three birds that exist only in the Bahamas live in the Abacos, the Bahama Woodstar (a hummingbird), the Bahamas Yellowthroat (a warbler), and the Bahama Swallow. The endangered Abaco Parrot also resides here. There is a special ecoresort in southern Abaco that caters to birders and bonefishers alike.
