IT’S BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS

                            THE ABACOS ISLANDS, “A BEACH BUM'S HEAVEN.”

BY CLAY LARROY

Make the most of your travel experiences. Taking a cruise is a great way to see many different places when you travel. Cruises offer many activities and things to do while on the ship, while offering you the opportunity to explore different locations each time you arrive at a port. Travel is a great opportunity to learn more things. Time spent abroad helps you understand and appreciate diverse cultures. In addition, it encourages an acceptance and tolerance of ways of life that differ from your own. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

The Abacos Islands of The Bahamas are one of the world’s top boating and sailing destinations. With its own calm sea surrounded by charming islands, each worth a visit, the Abaco Islands are known as one of the world’s top boating and sailing destinations. Not that those who prefer to sleep in a bed that doesn’t rock should look elsewhere: With quaint colonial towns, two golf courses, miles and miles of Stellar Beach, great fishing and diving, and a wonderful selection of hotels and resorts and restaurants and bars, the Abacos are the most complete vacation destination in The Bahamas Out Islands.

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 Abacos are only about a 60-minute flight from South Florida, but the days here move at a much slower pace than in the neon-disco resort worlds of Nassau and Freeport.

Eat at Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar in Green Turtle Cay's only town, New Plymouth. The bar is home to the legendary Goombay Smash drink, which is a coconut-and-rum must-have. Yet the menu -- served by Miss Emily's daughter, Miss Violet -- is loaded with favorites such as stellar cracked conch and rich mac-and-cheese.

Walk through the tight streets and bright buildings of New Plymouth, the historic settlement that dates back to the 18th century. Museums, restaurants and shops are tucked away at every turn.

See Abaco sights in a tour that includes Pelican Cays National Park, Marsh Harbour, the main town on the island of Great Abaco (which, in the best Bahamian tradition, is really a pair of islands, Great Abaco and Little Abaco). For a pair of outstanding beaches, head south to Eight Mile Bay (near Cherokee Sound) or to Treasure Cay, where you'll find a three-mile stretch of sand that frequently shows up on "World's Top 10 Beaches" lists. And after refueling at Marsh Harbour's restaurants and marinas (charter boats are widely available), you can set course for the cays on the horizon, including, from north to south.

Dive off Man-O-War Cay. The 300 or so residents are proud of their sandy beaches and coral reefs, including Fowl Cay Preserve, a national underwater park, just north of the cay. See the wreck of the Adirondack, a federal warship sunk during the Civil War.

SHOPPING IN MARSH HARBOUR

Name	Category	Location
Abaco Neem  More than 30 different products are made using...	Local Specialties	Marsh Harbour
Abaco Treasures  At Marsh Harbour's traffic light, look for the...	Books / Stationery, Perfume / Cosmetics, Ceramics / Glassware	Marsh Harbour
Iggy Biggy  This store, inside a bright peach-and-turquoise...	Jewelry / Accessories	Marsh Harbour
Java in Abaco  Sip an iced latte or a strong mug of Hope Town...	Household Items / Furniture	Marsh Harbour
John Bull  On the water across from the entrance to the...	Jewelry / Accessories	Marsh Harbour
Sand Dollar Shoppe  This shop sells resort wear and jewelry. Look for...	Jewelry / Accessories	Marsh Harbour

        

REFERENCE SITES

http://www.myoutislands.com/bahamas-resorts/abaco-map.cfm

http://www.abacomapbahamas.com/abaco-islands.htm
http://www.islands.com/destination/abacos
http://www.fodors.com/world/caribbean/bahamas/the-abacos/shopping-nam_loc:709839.html
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/marsh-harbour-bahamas-hotels-35950.html

I'll never forget the modelling shoot I did in the Bahamas on a pink sand beach at Harbour Island. It felt like I'd just landed in paradise; it was so beautiful. 

Olga Kurylenko

 

                          Live, Love and Travel to create memories that will last a lifetime!