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the Abacos, Bahamas
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 2010 census, the population of all the
Bahamas was 351,461. The population of the Abacos is just over 17,000.
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 Green 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.
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