Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Believe it or not, this one-stoplight town is the third-largest city in the Bahamas. Situated
on a peninsula, quiet Marsh Harbour has worked to establish itself as a small tourism and
boating center for visitors to the Abacos. It's a pleasant enough place, with most of the ho-
tels and restaurants lining a small strip of road alongside the marina. Most visitors stop here
to refuel, shop for groceries, get cash (seriously, DO take advantage of the ATM) or rest for
a night or two before sailing on or hopping a ferry to the cays.
The ferry docks for Elbow Cay and Man O' War are at the eastern end of Bay St and
the Great Guana Cay ferry stops beside the Conch Inn. For Treasure Cay, follow the Bootle
Hwy 17 miles north from Marsh Harbour. The Green Turtle Cay ferry dock is a few miles
further north off the Bootle.
SIGHTS
Marsh Harbour is a little lacking in terms of sights.
Abaco Neem
PLANTATION
( 242-367-4117;
www.abaconeem.com
;
McKay Blvd, Marsh Harbour; 9am-5pm
Mon-Sat) In Casuarina Point, 14 miles south of Marsh Harbour, a few enterprising Bahami-
ans have coaxed the notoriously poor Abaconian soil into supporting a thriving organic
neem plantation. The neem - a type of tree native to India - is then transported to the com-
pany's Marsh Harbour factory, where its leaves and fruits are transformed into a variety of
medicinal and cosmetic products. Visitors can watch employees pound dried neem leaves
into powder, or pick up bars of lavender-scented neem soap or bottles of neem oil bugspray
(if you're headed for the cays, you'll need it!). If you're bound for Casuarina Point, call
ahead to see about tours of the plantation.
ACTIVITIES
Though most visitors use Marsh Harbour as a jumping-off point for visiting the cays, there
are several dive operators, fishing guides and tour companies operating right out of town.
If you want a taste of the yachting life but lack your own vessel, several rental companies
will set you up with a sailboat and (if you so desire) a captain for DIY cruising adventures.
Diving & Snorkeling
There are some tremendous and easy snorkeling sites to enjoy in the Abacos. Sandy Cay
Reef in Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park is renowned for its population of spotted eagle rays
and huge stingrays, Fowl Cay Reef in Fowl Cay Preserve for friendly groupers, and Pelican
Park in Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park for eagle rays and sea turtles.
A huge variety of dive sites take in wrecks, walls, caverns and coral kingdoms, including
Bonita Wreck, a WWII wreck populated by groupers that like to be hand-fed; Cathedral, a
