HOPE TOWN, ELBOW CAY

With it candy-striped lighthouse as its signature attraction, Elbow Cay is another favoured Bahamian Out-Island. Its spectacular white-sand beaches and colonial style clapboard cottages with white-picket fences and picturesque small harbour add to the charm of this destination.
The island is almost free of cars. In exploring Hope Town, you can take one of two roads: "Up Along" or "Down Along," which runs along the water.
As with many of the Abaco Cays, Island life is simple and locals and friendly and accommodating. This very close-knit community is quite proud of its island and the lifestyle in which many generations have grown-up. Today the annual box cart races and surfing competitions as well as many other activities are a testament to the togetherness of the locals.

WHAT TO DO:

• EXPLORING THE ISLAND: The small island of Elbow Cay is only about 3-miles by 1/2 mile at its widest. A Golf Cart is the accepted mode of transportation and is highly suited for the narrow alleys in Hope Town (the main town on Elbow Cay). Although walking would certainly suffice, if heading out into what some locals affectionately refer to as "The 'Ills" (Abaconians regularly drop their H's) or to "'Ollywood", a golf-cart will come in quite handy. Stop by the Abaco Inn for a "Conch Pearl", and of course get one for the road as well.
• DIVING & SNORKELING: Next to Hope Town's post office, Froggie's Out Island Adventures, is the largest dive outfitter in the Abacos. A variety of fabulous local dive sites are available to beginners and advanced divers, as well as organized tours, from snorkel cruises to dolphin-watching trips, sunset-cruises or tours to neighbouring cays such as Guana Cay.
• BOAT RENTAL: The ideal way to explore the Abacos is by boat. Rental boats are available through Island Marine. In one of its rental boats, you can cruise to the boat-building settlement of Man-O-War Cay, to artist Pete Johnson's bronze foundry-gallery in Little Harbour, and to many uninhabited cays and deserted beaches where you can go shelling, exploring, and picnicking in peace. Small-boat rentals range from a 5m (17-ft.) Boston Whaler to 7m (23-ft.) Man-O-War boats, or even 6.5m (22-ft.) Aquasports. Prices run from $90 to $135 per day or $500 to $800 per week. Don't forget to pull up to "Crackers P's" for a snack and a drink. When done, head across to Tahiti Beach, one of the nicest beaches around.

RESTAURANTS:

• Abaco Inn: From simple light fare for lunch to delectable gourmet dishes at night, The Abaco Inn with its oceanfront setting is an Elbow Cay must. The dinner menu changes frequently but usually features seafood, vegetarian, and meat dishes, each expertly seasoned and well prepared. Typical meals are likely to begin with seafood bisque, followed by coconut grouper (a house specialty), spinach fettuccine Alfredo, roasted lamb with herbs and mint sauce, or, our favorite, broiled red snapper with a light salsa. The Key lime, crème brûlée, coconut and chocolate silk pies are delectable. The inn will send a minivan to pick you up from other parts of the island if you phone in advance.
• Harbour's Edge: Hope Town's best and most popular restaurant is set on a pier above the water in a clapboard house. It's the island's lighthearted social center. The bar here has an adjacent waterside deck where you can moor if you arrive by boat, as many visitors do. Lunch includes such typical yet flavor-filled dishes as conch fritters, conch chowder, hamburgers, sandwiches, and conch platters. In the evening, dinners are also well-prepared -- generous portions of chicken in white wine with potatoes, Greek or Caesar salad, pan-fried pork chops, chargrilled grouper, New York strip steak, fish in coconut milk, and more.
• Hope Town Harbour Lodge:
Is another shouldn't miss and reservations are highly recommended. The menu features the usual array of chicken, steaks, and pork chops. Bahamian lobster appears delightfully in a creamy fettuccine and the local grouper is fashioned into spring rolls, Chinese-style, and served with a mustard-laced chutney sauce.
• Rudy's Place:
Serving recipes handed down for generations, Rudy's serves local fare adapted to the tastes of the international clientele, including crawfish tails baked with Parmesan and butter, a delectable broiled shrimp in a white wine and garlic sauce, or even a passable roasted duck in an orange sauce.

GETTING TO ELBOW CAY:

To get to Hope Town (Elbow Cay) fly into Marsh Harbour Airport (MHH). From there take a taxi to Albury's ferry dock. (Approx. 10 minutes). Ferry schedule is listed below: