In the charming village ofHope Town, most of the families of the 300-odd residents have lived here for at least several generations, in some cases as many as 10. Hope Town lies southeast of Marsh Harbour on Elbow Cay. Scheduled ferry service from Marsh Harbour is available several times a day.

You'll find few cars here, and although modern conveniences like high-speed Internet and satellite TV are becoming more common, they are a relatively new development. In fact, most residents remember the day the island first got telephone service -- back in 1988. Before that, everyone called each other the way many still do here and in the other Out Islands: by VHF, the party line for boaters. If you are boating, want to communicate well with the locals, or would like to make a dinner reservation on one of the cays, you should carry a VHF radio and have it tuned to Channel 16.

This laid-back community enthusiastically welcomes visitors. Upon arrival you'll first see a much-photographed Bahamas landmark, a 120-foot-tall, peppermint-striped lighthouse built in 1838. The light's construction was delayed for several years by acts of vandalism; then-residents feared it would end their profitable wrecking practice. Today, the Hope Town lighthouse is one of the Bahamas' last three hand-turned, kerosene-fueled beacons. Weekdays 10-4 the lighthouse keeper will welcome you at the top for a superb view of the sea and the nearby cays. There's no road between the lighthouse and the town proper. You can take your own boat here or use the ferry, but if you take a ferry it probably won't be back for at least an hour.

For an interesting walking or bicycle tour of Hope Town, follow the two narrow lanes that circle the village and harbor. (Most of the village is closed to cars and golf carts.) The saltbox cottages -- painted in brilliant blues, purples, pinks, and yellows -- with their white picket fences, flowering gardens, and porches and sills decorated with conch shells, will remind you of a New England seaside community -- Bahamian style. Some have fanciful names, like Summer Magic or Valentines, while others are charmingly practical. Your walk will take you past Hope Town School, the original 110-year-old, one-room schoolhouse, painted red and white. The hand-carved corners made by Loyalist shipwrights are still in evidence.

You may want to stop at the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum (242/366-0293) on Queen's Highway, the main street. It contains Hope Town memorabilia and photographs. Admission is $3, but because the museum is staffed by volunteers, hours vary, and the museum closes completely in September and October. Many descendants of Mrs. Malone, who settled here with her children in 1875, still live on Elbow Cay.

Smack in the town's center stands an old, turquoise municipal building with offices clearly labeled "Commissioner," "Post Office," and "Visitor Information." Forget about the first two -- they've long since relocated -- but Hope Town's Visitor Information "office" is a cement room with a few well-papered bulletin boards on which everything from current happenings to restaurant menus is posted.

There are several churches in this tiny town. On Sunday morning, you'll hear sermons floating through open windows. Don't be surprised if you come upon an alfresco Catholic service in the dockside park. Residents joke that the priest has to stand in the hot sun while the congregation enjoys the shade of sprawling trees "so he won't talk so long."