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green turtle Cay cottages for your next vacation getaway rental
Green Turtle Cay - Bahamas
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Five kilometers (3 miles) off the east coast of Great Abaco, Green Turtle
Cay is the jewel of the archipelago, a little island with an uneven coastline,
deep bays, sounds, and good beaches, one of the best stretching for 1080m (3,600
ft.). Here you can roam through green forests, gentle hills, and secluded
inlets. The island is 5.5km (3 1/2 miles) long and 1km ( 1/2-mile) across, lying
some 274km (170 miles) due east of Palm Beach, Florida.
Water depths seldom exceed
4.5m to 6m (15 ft.-20 ft.) inside the string of cays that trace the outer edge
of the Bahama Bank. Coral gardens teem with colorful sea life, making for
fabulous snorkeling. Shelling on the lovely beaches and offshore sandbars is
among the finest in The Bahamas. If you have a boat, you can explore such
deserted islands as Fiddle Cay to the north and No Name Cay and Pelican Cay to
the south of Green Turtle Cay.
New Plymouth,
at the southern tip of the cay, is an 18th-century settlement that has the
flavor of an old New England sailing port. Much of the original masonry was made
from lime that was produced when conch shells were broken up, burned, and sifted
for cement (records say that the alkali content was so high that it would burn
the hands of the masons who used it). Clapboard houses with gingerbread trim
line the narrow streets of the little town, which once had a population of 1,800
people, now shrunk to 400. Green Turtle Cay became known for the skill of its
shipbuilders, although the industry, like many others in the area, failed after
slaves were totally emancipated in The Bahamas in 1838.
Parliament is the village's
main street, and you can walk its length in just 10 minutes, acknowledged only
by a few clucking hens. Many of the houses have front porches, occupied in the
evening by locals enjoying the breezes.
Map of Green Turtle Cay - Abaco
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