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In Exuma, you can’t miss conch burgers and fresh made-before-your-eyes conch salad at Chat ‘n’ Chill on Stocking Island. Chat with owners Kwanza and Kenneth Bowe, and chill with a cold Kalik beer.
Nearly as iconic, the Staniel Cay Yacht Club serves island specialties such as conch fritters and grouper sandwiches. Don’t let the “yacht club” fool you; this place is the definition of island dive (and I mean that in a good way).
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS
Abaco: B
Exuma: A+
Nicholas Cage, Jessica Tandy, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, David Copperfield, and Johnny Depp: All own or have owned islands in the Exumas. Glimpse the lifestyles — from Copperfield’s opulent Musha Cay to Depp’s eco-retreat on Little Halls Pond Cay. Then there are those quirky cays built with a castle, marijuana greenhouses, and other unusual and equally intriguing structures.
Rumor has it that Depp, who fell in love with the Bahamas while filming Pirates of the Caribbean and other movies, has also purchased an island in Abaco. Beyonce and Jay Z have been known to steal away to Hope Town and have been sighted at the Sunday pig roast at Nipper’s.
SNORKELING
Abaco: A+
Exuma: A+
The sparkling, multi-hued waters of the Bahamas bear no resemblance to anywhere else in the world. The variations of depths from shallow sand bottoms to 20-foot deep reefs, mesmerizing blue holes and caves, and the 6,000-foot drop-off of the Tongue of the Ocean make it a snorkeler’s and diver’s fantasy. Not to mention the colorful sea life from neon-blue tangs to hefty green turtles.
In Exuma, do not pass up an opportunity to explore the underwater Thunderball Grotto, where the eponymous James Bond flick was filmed. It’s best to go with a guide the first time.
The fourth largest reef system in the world lies offshore Abaco. Great Guana and Elbow cays are close enough to swim to it. Fowl Cay Preserve, a national underwater park, lies off the north end of Man-O-War Cay.
PUB-HOPPING
Abaco: A+
Exuma: B+
Many of those same sea shanties where you can grab lunch make for a fun day of pub-hopping by boat. In Abaco, it’s practically a national pastime.
Many of the establishments mix up their own signature rum punch with names such as Blaster (Pete’s Pub) and Nipper’s Juice (Nipper’s Beach Bar). One of the most famous out-cays bars, Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar on Green Turtle Cay, is credited for creating the Goombay Smash, a coconut-flavored rum tipple now imitated Bahamas-wide. At Cracker P’s on a cay named Lubber’s Quarters, try to survive the Shotgun.
In Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco, cruise the strip by foot or pull into harbor for a Whatchamacallit at the Abaco Beach Resort pool bar, Mango Millennium at Mangoes, and a frozen Curled Tail at Curly Tails — named for the islands’ curly-tailed lizards (in case you thought that rum drink was making you see things).
For the best pub-hopping in Exuma, go to George Town on Great Exuma. The rum punch at Club Peace & Plenty Inn goes well with gazing over Elizabeth Harbour. A short boat-hop away, the Chat ‘N’ Chill on Stocking Island mixes up the ubiquitous Bahama Mama or guava daiquiris.
A word of warning regarding the ambiance of these wayfarer stops: Be prepared to sacrifice a piece of clothing (undergarments included) in the spirit of foolishness that prevails.
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