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(12X13) - (24X26) - (48X52)
(Satellite Image (18x21))
Netty's Restaurant Coopers Town
Fox Town View
Fox Town Scene
Tit's Take-Away Crown Haven
Crown Haven Ferry to Grand Bahama
Fox Town happening spot
Moraine Cay
Abaco Neem
Turn left here for.......
Todd at Pete's Pub
Foundry Casting - "Old Man and the Sea"
Like it says
Delphi Club
Settlement Cherokee, after the rain
Cherokee Home
Just what is says
Lightbourne's Marina - Sandy Point
Just what is says
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From Sandy Estabrook Guide to the Abacos
The Abacos - Off the Beaten Path.
aka
Great Abaco, The Big Island, Mainland Abaco.
Most of the folks vacationing in Abaco head to the Cays and mainland areas of Treasure Cay and Marsh Harbour. Seldom to folks take the time to explore mainland Great Abaco which is where we are headed. From top to bottom well explore many of the small settlements where folks make their living from the sea - lobster, conch and of course fishing. Some are employed in construction of the numerous resorts that began about 2007 - 2008 although that has, as you might expect, has tapered of quite a bit in recent times.
Crown Haven, the end of the line. The Ferry Dock to Grand Bahama.
The Logistics: How to best go about this one might ask? Abaco Exploration, needless to say will require a rental car which can be rented at agencies in Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay. Be sure to get a road map. There are numerous ways to go about mainland exploration as part of a trip to the cays, all of which we have done at one time or another.
1) Arriving Marsh Harbour - Staying at Green Turtle Cay or the Treasure Cay Resort area. We would pick up a rental car in Marsh straight away and drive to the Green Turtle Ferry Dock (30 mi.) (Video) or T.C. Resort area (25 mi.) saving the $100 taxi fare . Staying at the Green Turtle Cay one can leave your car in the lot at the ferry dock - no charge. Don't leave anything visible in the car. The following day we would buy a same day round trip ferry ticket, saving a few bucks that way, and head back to our car and go exploring. This works for exploring the Treasure Cay Resort Area, Blue Holes, Wild Abaco Horses and the settlements northward such as Coopers Town, Fox Town & Crown Haven.
2) Arriving Marsh Harbour - Staying there or the southern cays of Guana, Man-O-War and Elbow Cay (Hope Town), it would be our suggestion to return to Marsh Harbour a couple days before departure. Use Marsh Harbour as your base to explore the settlements southward such as Little Harbour, Cherokee and Sandy Point, not to mention the Abaco National Forrest and the Abacos other light house at Hole-in-the-Wall. This works well especially if you have an early departing flight and an early ferry connection from the cays is not possible.
3) Arriving at Treasure Cay - Staying at Green Turtle Cay or the Treasure Cay Resort area we'd rent a car at Cornish Rentals near the Treasure Cay airport. Our experience with them let us pick up the car at T.C. and dropping it off in Marsh (at a small fee) if need be.
Settlements north of Treasure Cay
The Treasure Cay resort area and environs has been written about on our home page (Treasure Cay) so we will begin our journey Northward from Treasure, then return to the area's blue hole and wild horses. From there, it will be southward from Marsh Harbour.
Coopers Town (Video) will be our first stop - 16 miles from the ferry dock at Treasure Cay. It houses the government offices and is the seat of the commissioner for northern Abaco. For a bite to eat there is Netty's Restaurant, Bar and Souse House. There is also a gas station, food market and a couple shops. Visiting by boat can be difficult at its docks are on the exposed part of the open bay and best in a west wind. Coopers Town is also the home of the past Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. and a celebrity of note from this area is Sevatheda Fynes a gold & silver medal winner as a member of the Bahamas Olympic Relay Team. Heading north about 6-7 miles you cross a little bridge, you are now on Little Abaco Island although you may not have noticed crossing a bridge. You are now approaching the settlements of Cedar Harbour, Mount Hope and Wood Cay where you'll find the Tangelo Hotel & Restaurant, a popular spot for bonefisherman and Bahamian cookin'. Next we come to, scenic village of Fox Town / Crown Haven. Although separate it's hard to distinguish the separation of the latter. In Fox Town you cant help but notice the prominent new pink Government Health Clinic that serves the settlements. It one of the biggest building north of Treasure Cay.
Fox Town Government Health Clinic
Fox Town & Crown Haven. as mentioned they are hard to seperate but Crown Haven is the end of the line. It's on the top of Great Abaco where the road ends facing the Little Abaco extension. From here there is a passenger ferry that can take you to Mclean's Town on Grand Bahama Island, where can catch a bus for the 60 miles to Freeport. More info on our Ferry Page. But the big news is (2012) there is planned a bridge connecting Abaco with Grand Bahama and it is being built by the Chineese. Stay Tuned.
On one trip we couldn't help bur notice a small 12 x 12 store called Tit's Take Away and yes we stopped and chatted with Tits, bought a couple sodas and were on our way. For a more serious bite to eat try Chill Bar 1 in adjacent Fox Town. If you decide you want to spend the night at Fox Town,
Millie's Guest House is the place to go for clean comfortable roms. Near by, let chef Judy Russell cook you a delicious Bahamian style grouper at Da Valley Restaurant. It's adjacent to the Shell station right on the water. We hear tell the crancked conch is like tempura. Here there is also a convience store, part of gas station, and they even have a boat rental agency. So why not head on over to Ronald's Boat Rentals.
and rent a boat. If you are an experienced boater, head out the 9 miles across the Sea of Abaco to lovely Moraine Cay and spend the day.
Moraine Cay is a private island and anchorage for passing yachtsmen. The owners have a cottage on the island available for rent. Most folks renting here usually arrive by boat from the states after clearing customs in West End or Spanish Cay. If you go the rental boat rout from Fox Town, you can provision at M&M's Groceries or better yet, bring your supplies with you. A Moraine Cay Adventure is strictly for the eco tourist as the cottage is a 12 volt / Propane home, no A/C, you wont need it. Details at MoraineCay.com.
The northern part of our exploration is basically complete. Our Journey only gets better from here.
The Blue Holes of Abaco
Blue Hole near Ferry Dock at Treasure Cay.
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The Wild Abaco Barbs
Abaco's Wild Horses (Barbs)
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Settlements South of Marsh Harbour
Chances are you'll disembark at Marsh Harbour. So why not spend a couple days exploring before you head home. When we stay in Marsh, we often stay at the Conch Inn Hotel & Marina or across the street at the Lofty Fig Villas. Both can be rented for night or two and they are on restaurant row and within walking distance to almost everything. There are many other options all written about on our home page. (MARSH HARBOUR) On one occasion we checked into the Pelican Beach Villas - brightly colored cottages directly on the Sea of Abaco and close to the popular Mermaid Reef. You'll need a car staying here as it's quite a trek to town. "Having heard on the Cruisers Net that morning, the Marsh Harbour Marina and Jib Room, only 100 yards away from where we were staying, was having their Saturday Grill Night special dinner", so we headed over. For a fair price you get a choice of chicken, steak or fish accompanied with absolutely fresh and crisp vegetables and bake potato. Salad and dessert too. The Steak we had was the best in all the Abacos and better than some of those big name steak houses stateside.
Neem; On the road leaving Marsh Harbour to the airport you might want to stop at the Abaco Neem store. It's on the roundabout. You'll also pass coming or going into town from points south. More than likely you meet the owners wife Daphne who can explain the healing qualities of the many forms of Neem and it's popularity in Asia and India. More importantly Neem is being grown in Abaco hence it's name. Their orchard of Neem trees has been in operation since late 90's on 120 acres and with advance notice, they will take you on a tour. All Neem processing is done locally from drying the leaves and extracting the oil from it's olive like berries. It's available in extract, cream lotion, oil etc. etc. Sadly during the fall of 2012 Hurricane Sandy passed through forcing us to cancel our planned visit and destroying many of the Neem trees.
Heading south on Scherin Bootle Hwy, about 10-11 miles from the roundabout, you'll see a major turnoff the the left towards Cherokee & Little Harbour. About five miles you'll see a dirt road on the left that leads to the celebrated Pete's Pub and Gallery (and foundry) right on the beaches edge of Little Harbour. It makes for a great trip by boat or car from Marsh Harbour. Little Harbour is a protected anchorage with an occasional turtle poking his head out of the water. Pete's Pub serves freshly caught fish or hamburgers at lunch and dinner.
Settlement of Cherokee and one of their long docks to deeper water
More importantly Little Harbour is the home of the late Randolph Johnston, Pete's father who made this his home about 50 years ago after being marooned during a hurricane. You can even Explore the Caves where he and his family took shelter and made home. Mr. Johnston then a professor at Smith College, was an artist so he set up a small foundry where he made his bronze castings which he sold to visiting yachties. Soon his fame spread till the point where the Government commissioned him to make his now famous statue in downtown Nassau. Unfortunately Mr. Johnston died in 1992. Today Pete runs the foundry (and beach bar) and continues the artistic traditions. Foundry tours are available where one can see an actual casting, Call ahead for schedule 366-3503.
Cherokee; The same road off the highway going to Little Harbor runs directly to the Settlement of Cherokee (just don't turn at the dirt road to Pete's). Enroute you pass the Ritz Carlton Club at Winding Bay. It's definitely the getaway spot of the rich and famous where a night starts upwards from $1500. Little can be seen from the road and their entrance is gated. Homes behind the gates can be rented through Abaco Club Homes.
At Cherokee the shoals there seem to go on for a miles before becoming deep enough for a boat hence their long and quite spectacular dock, all 770 feet of it, the longest wooden dock of its type in the Bahamas. Still the shallow harbour permits only the shallowest of draft vessels which questions why this settlement was originally settled. And as for it's name, legend has it one of the original settlers has a Cherokee Indian wife. It's a typical settlement with quite a few homes, a grocery store a weekend only restaurant called the Sand Bar and lots of fisherman of the bonefish guide variety. Yes, from here south is Bonefish Territory. Donnie Lowe of Bonefish Heaven is one guide that comes to mind. Quite a few of the homes, are available for rent, with or witour bonefish guide, some of which can be found on our Accommodations & Services page.
Casuarina Point or should we say a cluster of homes one sees after taking the next easterly turnoff on the way south. One that is for rent is the lovely
Sand Dollar Cove Cottages and Abaco Palms, both are in the area and caters to bone fisherman and will even connect you with a guide.
Back out on the highway you'll pass the community of Bahama Palm Shores. It's the home of Susie and Al, Abaco regulars from Connecticut who have a home there. More importantly they prepared a one page concise synopsis of Mainland Abaco south - Sandy Point to Marsh Harbour. Click here.
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Still on the road, the next point of interest is the inviting Delphi Club at Rolling Harbour. It is essentially a new luxury bonefishing lodge furnished with antiques ala British Country Style and with numerous amenities and worthy of a stay bonefishing or not. The hotel owned by a former Financial Times journalist Peter Mantle. They're perched on a hill over looking a lovely deserted ocean beach. Turn left when you see a large white rock on the right hand side of the highway. Regular visitor and naturalist, Keith Salvesen, has a FASCINATING BLOG
of area environs & impressions.
Continuing on (at about the 30 mile mark) there is a left turn up a small hill with a commanding view of the same ocean beach the new developments being built here called Serenity Point and Schooner Bay. This area has a long and lovely beach worth a visit or a quick swim. Nearby you'll find another newly opened Bonefish Lodge (2011) The Black Fly Bonefish Club. Just a mile beyond heading south you are at the narrowest part of Great Abaco enabling on to see water on both sides followed by the small settlement of Crossing Rocks where you'll find Trevor's Midway Restaurant & Bar (366-2199) and small motel.
Still further, about 6 miles you will come to a fork in the road. Actually it looks like just another unpaved turn to the left. It takes you on an arduous 15 mile journey to the Hole in the Wall Lighthouse - Abaco's other lighthouse. Don't take it unless you are in a four wheel drive vehicle with good ground clearance and have specifically planned for this trip. Don't misunderstand me, it's a great trip for the adventurous and a whole day affair. To the roads east lies the Abaco National Park and one of the primary habitats of the endangered Bahamian Parrot and many other native birds.
Staying on the paved road will take you to the end of the line and the settlement of SANDY POINT.
A video on getting there is here.
Furthure details as part of our Mainland Abaco - Off the Beaten Path 
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