Top Things to do in the Abacos, Bahamas

23 November 2023 6 min

The Abacos is a 120-mile-long island chain in The Bahamas, ideal for sailors who enjoy exploring fascinating caves and cays. Situated about 189 miles east of South Florida at the northern tip of The Bahamas, these islands form part of the ‘Bahamas Out Islands’ or ‘Family Islands.’ They offer a superb option for your next yacht charter destination.

Why Sail the Abacos

Great Abaco and Little Abaco, the sparkling jewels of The Bahamas, boast a 120-mile stretch of soft white sands, coral reefs, and crystalline waters. This destination caters to both the adventurous sailor and the avid snorkeler with its countless small cays, coral reefs, mangrove flats, and tidal creeks.

If you’re looking to sail the Abacos, you’ll be looking for the top things to do on your travels, whether you’re craving adventure, serenity, or a mix of both. Discover more of what each island has in store, and add it to your Abacos itinerary.

What to do in Great Abaco Island

The two islands are connected by a small bridge, so there isn’t a great voyage to take sailing in between them, but it’s still worth planning what you want to do in each location as you sail around. We’ll start with Great Abaco, as it’s the much longer of the two.

Treasure Cay

We recommend a stop in Treasure Cay, a well-protected 164-slip marina and one of the largest marinas in The Bahamas. It’s the best place for stocking up on supplies and any last-minute items needed for your adventure, which is why we’ve listed it first. Here you can explore Treasure Cay Beach Marina & Golf Resort, award-winning beaches and more.

Located on the north coast, Treasure Cay Beach is known for its turquoise waters and soft white stretches, but it also has an eclectic mix of restaurants.

Give the Spinnaker Restaurant a try, known for their Creole Red Snapper or Abaco Conch Chowder.
The Tipsy Seagull is a local hangout where you can soak up their lively atmosphere with a bushwacker or salty seagull margarita.
For a light lunch, wander on down to Café La Florence to enjoy lobster quiche or spicy, Jamaican-style meat patties. This café is a good choice if you’re looking to eat as you sail, as they offer the option to order a picnic lunch to go.

Windward Point

Right outside Treasure Cay is Windward Point, which is considered a “must-do” at low tide. You can find it at the tip of Brigantine Beach, at the very end of Treasure Cay Road. What makes it quite special is that it’s an extended sand bar off the beach where you can wade out up to 300 yards in crystalline waters and find the sea teeming with marine life, from small spotted rays and starfish to sand dollars and leatherback turtles.

Marsh Harbour

Heading south will take you down to Marsh Harbour, where you’ll find a 75-slip marina with the capacity to accommodate yachts up to 85 feet. They include fuel, electricity, ice, shower facilities, laundry facilities, a pool, telephone, cable TV, and Bahamas port of entry for customs and immigration clearing. It’s also conveniently located near local gift stores, art galleries, and a lively downtown area.

For things to do, try Wally’s Restaurant for the best Goombay Smash in the Abacos. Dark rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, and bitters create this favourite island beverage, ideally paired with Bahamian minced lobster or blackened Mahi-Mahi with coconut curry sauce. For a view overlooking Marsh Harbour’s picturesque waters, try Curly Tails for their delicious Cracked Conch and Quesadilla Jerk Chicken.

Sandy Point

Continuing southwards, another area to explore while you’re sailing in the Abacos is Sandy Point. This settlement is located on a narrow peninsula in southwest Great Abaco, approximately 50 miles away from Marsh Harbour.

With inviting turquoise seas and extremely shallow shores, this white-sand beach is a hot spot for young families. If you have time in your itinerary, spend the afternoon relaxing, collecting conch shells, and watching magnificent man O’ war birds fly overhead.

Abaco National Park

Right at the bottom of Great Abaco is the spectacular Abaco National Park, which deserves to be on your itinerary for multiple reasons. Situated in the south-eastern part of Great Abaco, it has over 20,000 acres of lush pine forests, broad mangroves, and deserted beaches.

The park is most known as home to the endangered Bahama Parrot, a bird once so common that Christopher Columbus referred to its flocks as “darkening the sun”. You can spot these on a day-long hiking trip with Abaco Tours & Activities to the Abaco Caves and the Hole in the Wall Lighthouse, or take a 5-hour adventure that includes hiking, kayaking across the flats, Blue Hole jumping, and snorkelling.

What to do in Little Abaco

The tinier of the islands, Little Abaco is still somewhere you’ll want to explore on your yacht charter. Here’s a few ideas on things to do in the very north of Abacos.

Bonefish Lodge

There are 30 miles of bonefish habitat stretching to the south on the island’s lee and fifty miles of ocean-side cays, cuts, and sand flats weaving their way north and west, which means the variety of fishing opportunities surrounding Little Abaco ranks as one of the best in the Bahamas. Anglers will love the fishing here, so it’s worth considering this for your own adventure.

Crown Haven

Crown Haven is home to the ferry port that transports visitors from Grand Bahama, but it’s also one of the places you can visit to get a feel of local life. With only a couple of hundred residents, it’s a far cry from the busier ports and resorts elsewhere in The Bahamas. Sit and watch the world go by with a conch salad and a cold beer.

Where to Dive and Snorkel in the Abacos

The Abacos is the third-largest barrier reef in the world, which is what makes it one of the most popular diving spots in the Atlantic Ocean. There are several protected underwater areas, including Pelican Cays Land, Fowl Cay National Reserve, and Sea Park.

Boasting massive reefs and blue grottos that are teeming with silver baitfish, you’ll have ample snorkelling opportunities and can scuba dive around an historic Civil War gunboat wreck nestled in the reef of Man-O-War Cay.

For top diving centres, we’d recommend diving with Dive Abaco at the Conch Inn Resort & Marina in Marsh Harbour. Join Captain Keith and his friendly team for an epic dive with star coral, angelfish, moray eels, stingrays, and large schools of snappers in the turquoise waters of Mermaid Reef.

Or, you could explore coral catacombs with Brendal’s Dive Centre around Green Turtle Cay, Manjack Cay, and No Name Cay, where you may be lucky enough to feed stingrays, swim with pigs, and catch a glimpse of nurse sharks up close.

Practical Information for the Abacos

Now you know what to do on your trip, you just need to decide when to go, and how to get there. We have some more Abacos information and tips, but we’re here for any more questions you may have before building a quote.

The Climate

The Abacos enjoy a tropical maritime climate, which means the winters are mild with endless amounts of sunshine and the summers are hot and wet. The best time to visit the Bahamas is from mid-December to mid-April, during peak season, when the temperature comfortably sits around 75°F. In the summer, temperatures can reach up to 89°F, with occasional tropical showers. The wet season may last from the end of April to October, but some still like to travel during this time as they encounter fewer crowds.

Getting There

The Abacos is approximately 189 miles from Miami and can be reached through several airlines, with the best options being to connect through Miami or Ft Lauderdale, FL with a short connection through Nassau to Marsh Harbour Airport. The Sunsail base is located 3.5 miles away from Marsh Harbour Airport.

When connecting from Nassau, we’d recommend flying some of the most popular local airlines offering services to the Out Islands, which include Bahamas Air, SkyBahamas, Flamingo Air, and Western Air.

View The Bahamas Itinerary