pull4ud

Which eland is better for two honeymooners seeking a nice place to stay (not run down) near a nice beach, and have a few things to do on the island..? We will get a boat and explore from there, but want a nice safe homebase to leave from. I saw a cottage/ house called "tranquility." Any other ideas?/

I'd love feedback on these 2 specific places. WE would prefer not to be on a kid-friendly spot.

cariblady

Guana Cay is going to be quieter than Elbow Cay. There's really not a "town" per se. There's a new resort being built over at Baker's Bay on Guana, and depending on when you're going, you may wish to keep that in mind. Did you also consider Treasure Cay and Green Turtle Cay? They have more to do, and are centrally located so you can renting a boat and check out different out islands as well.

RobertoB

pull4ud

Someone just posted aerial photos of both cays on the Abaco board. This should help in getting an impression of each one short of actually traveling there:

http://coconuttelegraph.net/forums/s...ead.php?t=2923

AlwaysDreamin

We loved our stay on Great Guana Cay, but we love to read, fish and just hang out on the beach and snorkel. There are only a few restaurants, which was fine with us, also. Nipper's is a blast - they have their own website. If you stay on Guana, be sure to rent a golf cart, it is the only transportation on the island.

mnag

We stayed on Elbow last year and did a day trip to Guana. Both are nice, but I preferred the "feel" of guana. It seemed more quaint/pretty to me (larger too). The beaches were nice on both. Several on Elbow. Mostly hung out at the beach by Nippers on Guanna (awesome beach). Elbow has more restaurants and a cute center of town. We stayed at Hopetown harbor lodge but would not recommend it. I think the way to go would be to rent a villa/house on one of the cays. I think Treasure cay is kinda isolated from the other cays. Its easy to take a ferry between Marsh Harbor, elbow and guana.

pull4ud

Thank you for replying!!
I am leaning towards Guana!! It feels good to start narrowing things down.

Now -- would you all recommend renting a boat for day trips, or just taking a ferry?? We wanted a little adventure... Also, I think we'll rent bikes, we bike to work in our real lives, so we think bikes would be good.. any thoughts?? I really appreciate all the help. Finding Fodor's was a godsend!

joan

Last year, we stayed on Elbow Cay for a week (with another couple) and rented a small boat for the whole week. This meant that we flew into Marsh harbour and taxi'd to the marina, where we picked up the boat. We then made our way to Elbow (just as easy to get to Guana) and found our caretaker waving at us from the dock! It was a fun adventure, to have our boat be our main source of transportation for the week, instead of the usual car. The arrangements included "Steve Dodge's Cruising Guide" to the Bahamas. This book was very helpful in planning our daily snorkeling/bar hopping expeditions. Lots of directions, aerial photos etc. If you feel confident (we had moderate boat experience, no Coast Guarders here!), it could be a great adventure.

As far as which cay, there is definitely more to do, more restaurants, shopping, small town on Elbow. So if you want to be romantic and alone, you'll be fine with Guana. If you're the type that gets antsy after a few days, then I'd go with Elbow Cay (and a rental home just outside of Hopetown).

Here's a great website for the Abacos:
http://coconuttelegraph.net/cgi-bin/...ds/abacos.cgi?

Here's the house we rented:
http://www.abacovacations.com/elbow/...hp?property=21

We really liked this home, it was on a beautiful beach. The only downside was that it was a 20 minute golfcart ride to go to dinner in town (you're not allowed to run the rental boats after dark)...so I'd find someplace just outside of Hopetown...either on the beach - with a walk to the dock, or on the bay, with your boat outside your door.

Have fun deciding!

RobertoB

In addition to sites recommended, I’ll add Dr. Ralph’s site ( http://www.drralph.net/index.html ) that has some very useful Abaco information.

The Abacos are a fantastic area to use a rental boat to explore the various cays that are just offshore from Great Abaco Island. Definitely get a copy of the Dodge Cruising Guide 2006 (http://www.wspress.com/books.htm ) that Joan mentioned. If you elect to rent a boat purchase the guide beforehand and study it. We rented a 21’ Hydrasport from Seahorse Rentals (http://www.sea-horse.com/ ) . I’ve also read very favorable reviews on Island Marine (http://www.islandmarine.com/ ) based on Parrot Cay just outside Hopetown Harbor. If you go with Guana, make sure that you have a place to dock the boat.

If you bike to work, you can walk on Guana. We’re not talking about a big island. Bikes would be easier though.

Enjoy the Abacos and your honeymoon.

blamona

I'm not 100% sure here, but I don't think there are scheduled ferries readly avaiable between the cays. You may be able to get water taxis back through Marsh Harbour, but you may have to backtrack. You would also be able to take "day trips".
Sundays are huge at Nippers in Guana Cay, everybody goes to the pig roast there.

RobertoB

Ferries are scheduled ( http://oii.net/alburysferry/ ) although the hub is Marsh Harbour.

Robert

I would recommend ordering "The Abaco Guide" by Stephen J. Pavlidis. It includes navigational guides in detail to the cays off of Great Abaco Island, plus things to do on each cay. You may want to consider Guana Cay, and stay at the Dolphin Beach Resort, which is just north of the settlement, and a short walk or golf cart ride to Nippers. You could head north to Green Turtle Cay to explore or south to Elbow Cay and the great and uninhabited parts south of Lubbers and Elbow Cay. There's also the Guana Seaside Resort on the Sea of Abaco, on the northern section of Guana Cay. But, Dolphin Beach may be a little more private in their separated cottages. It also has a wooden boardwalk through a scrub/tree forest, which the cottages are placed amongst. Island exploring will occupy most of your day, so don't worry about laidback Guana; you'll want to relax on the beach (6 miles long and mostly will have a handful of people on it) and sip a cold Kahlik. You'll need a gold cart on Guana, since it's the largest cay in the Abaco chain (7 miles long). You must spend some time on Tahiti Beach on Elbow Cay; it lies off the Sea Of Abaco (opposite Atlantic side). Snorkel the rock formation just offshore there, in 3-4 feet of water...amazing reef fish and critters there. Directly across Tahiti Beach, about a mile, on Lubber's Quarters Cay, is Cracker P's. You must eat a meal there. Incredible grouper, conch, and spiny lobster meals at a moderate price. It really has an island flavor. I stayed on Lubber's this past summer and ate there often..you won't be displeased. When you get experienced with your rental boat, head south between Lubbers Qtrs. and Elbow Cays, south past Tilloo Cut and Tilloo Cay, Sandy Cay with its land & sea park with no fishing(great snorkeling here!), and continue south past Lynard Cay. You'll see many small, uninhabited cays you can pull your boat up on and pretend your Robinson Crusoe. The entire area is great and somewhat protected in the Sea Of Abaco. If you venture out into the Atlantic Ocean, on the eastern side of these cays, it can get rough. have fun. Robert

AbacoPeach

Robert,

Guana Seaside has been sold to the developers (DLC) and will become private. Larry is watching over the place until the deal is finalized. So sad to lose such a wonderful place in the perfect setting!!!

Robert

Abaco Peach: That is sad, indeed. I was going to mention (above) to try out Baker's Bay, but knew it would soon be ruined by the private development. I have videos of my family on Baker's Bay, in northern Guana. Talcum-powdered sand and turqoise/lime-green waters with no boats or people around. A world class coral reef just offshore, which will be dredged and ruined by the development. Next, the Marsh Harbor airport will extend the runway for jet aircraft to land. Next...oh, well, I won't go there. Feel sorry for the next generation who will never know what uncontaminated, pristine, landscapes are. Is Glenn still managing Guana Seaside, or will they replace him? I learned how to catch conch and extract the meat from a shell from Glenn. Ahh...those peaceful times where we sat around the bar with the one and only "Barefoot Man", who frequented Guana Seaside in-between concerts. It was like the Corona Beer commercials. No more. Robert

AbacoPeach

Yes, we will all truly miss Guana Seaside. Glenn works at Blue Water Grill and also helps with a new restaurant (also does take out) called Miss Luv's. I heard good things about it. Hope try it out in a couple of weeks!!

FrankieLee

Tranquility has always been Great Guana Cay, but the island is in trouble by a super megadevelopment.

You should read this article.

http://www.notesfromtheroad.com/West..._bay_intro.htm

Robert

Frankeelee; Thanks for the input. I went through the website and had tears in my eyes before getting to the end. The aerial shot of Bakers Bay, with the near offshore reefs and tropical growth brought back memories. I wish organizations like The Nature Conservancy or Sierra Club, etc., would join in the battle and purchase the whole area for a preservation and monitoring effort, even opening up a "controlled" resort so we all could enjoy its beauty. I heard the local islanders took the developer to court, but I'm sure all are paid off in Nassau by now. Robert

Robert

By "paid off", I mean the Parliament members connected to the ruination of Bakers Bay. Also, The Nature Conservancy and other organizations would open the area up for educational purposes. Many migrating birds from the U.S. and Canada come to this area in the winter. After viewing that site, and seeing the aerial photo of the reefs and inland vegetation, I get the creeps thinking it will be dredged out and bulldozed. Development certainly doesn't mean progress in today's world. The Guana people who live in the settlement don't want their island culture ruined either. Robert

queenb

Here's where we stayed for our HM- 'Tween Waters Tilloo- a lovely cottage on the Sea of Abaco very close to Tahiti Beach. It was a perfect honeymoon spot and we highly reccommend it. You are not on either Guana nor Elbow but very close to both and even closer to south Abaco which is much less populated and great to explore! You have to have a boat to truly appreciate the area! The house is on the web and I suggest you take a look. www.10kvactionrentals.com/tweenwaterstilloo

FrankieLee

Robert - thanks for your heartfelt response to the
http://www.notesfromtheroad.com/West..._bay_intro.htm

article. You know, The Sierra Club is fully behind the islanders at every level, but their budget is actually very tight. However, there is a lot of great news coming from Guana Cay. The court case seems to be favoring the islanders right now, and the international press is starting to sniff at the corruption. And when I mean international press, I don't mean Notes from the Road. I mean the largest papers in the world.

ssgomezz

My husband and I chose Guana last year after lots of input from this forum. We are young-ish (me 30's him 40's) and very active, but not social-scene people. We loved Guana! Renting bikes is a fine idea-we actually walked back and forth many times all over island paths, but a bike would be a great way to cruise around as well. We rented a private home on the beach walking distance to Nipper's-which is truly the only place on the island outside of the club that is for the boaters. If you are true boat people and price is not a problem, the marina is very modern and renting a boat would allow you to leave and cruise all the tiny keys (cays) in the area. The beaches are gorgeous and the island is very British in influence; Beach-British for lack of a better description. It would be great to go and see the cove everyone mentions on this forum-Baker's-before it is developed. We did all the anti-development stuff that tourists can do (emails, donations, etc) and it seems that it is still going to happen. Very sad. But go and enjoy this very quiet, beautiful island now, and even after-just not at the Big Bad Development. It is very, very casual, ferries to the larger islands are available I believe daily (Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay), the scenery and water colors are picture perfect! Happy, happy honeymoon!