New Bight

Yachts large and small anchor off the coast of Regatta Beach and boaters dingy in to the Custom House, located in a small collection of government buildings, in this pretty little community, the largest town on the island. Houses face the Queen's Highway, which twists through green hills. Yachties and visitors stock up at the small grocery store and a bakery. There's a gas station that rents cars, and the Bridge Inn is near the airport, south of Fernandez Bay Village. The island's most iconic sight is Mt. Alvernia, which is crowned with a little abbey. There's also a colorful Fish Fry, a collection of fish shacks on Regatta Beach that's a lively hangout on weekends, lovely old churches, and eerie abandoned stone cottages whose residents left long ago to find jobs in Nassau and Florida. The town sits along the calm white beaches of the west coast, and has peaceful saltwater estuaries that are nesting areas for great blue herons, egrets, and pelicans. The main hotel in town is the Bridge Inn and Restaurant, where locals catch up on news.