It was an exciting day making our way from Great Sale Cay to Green Turtle Cay as we reeled in the 25-pound red snapper. We were exhilarated even more when we spotted the crystal clear waters and the beautiful white sand beach near the Bluff House resort on Green Turtle. We couldn’t wait to get off the boat and explore.
Green Turtle Cay was named after the once abundant green turtles that inhabited the area. We saw a few of them, but not many. We initially tried to anchor inside the harbor near the Green Turtle Club, but there wasn’t a lot of room for anchoring in what was mostly a mooring field. Plus, the bottom was so grassy that our anchor would not hold after trying three times. It was much cleaner on the outside, so we anchored in White Sound Bay on the sea of Abaco side of the island. We spent several days here enjoying the resort scenery and exploring the island.
We had full access to White Sound Beach and enjoyed a nice meal on the patio at the Tranquil Turtle Beach bar. But come sunset, the no-see-ums were biting with a vengeance and everyone at the restaurant was borrowing our bug spray to ward off further attacks. This was one of the most beautiful beaches of our trip, but the bug bites were too intense for anyone to enjoy an extended stay on the beach. It did make for some fun, however, and a great photo opportunity!
Our next adventure on the island was to explore the Green Turtle Club and the surrounding areas. We walked around town and looked at some of the boats that were docked at the marina. While on the dock, we saw two spotted eagle rays spanning at least six feet. We also saw seven nurse sharks swimming near the fish cleaning station. I think they were eyeing Gracie for lunch! We discovered that Green Turtle Cay is a great stopover-point for vessels who are waiting to go southbound through the often tumultuous Whale Cay Passage. We concur that it is a great place to stage before making this trip south.
Green Turtle Cay is known for its beaches and, even though White Sound Beach was inhabited with No-see-ums, Ocean Beach, on the Atlantic side, did not disappoint. It was stunning! We rented a golf cart to get there (and use it to explore the rest of the island as well), but I hear it is only a ten minute walk from The Green Turtle Club.
Ocean Beach is a long strip of white, sandy beach often referred to as “North Pointe Beach” and “Middle Beach.” It is a great place for snorkeling, as an impressive stretch of barrier reef lies just off shore. We didn’t snorkel that day, but I would certainly consider it on any future visits.
We drove the golf cart through town and explored the nearby village called New Plymouth. The population of the island is only about 450 people, and New Plymouth is it’s main settlement, founded in the 18th century. The architecture of the older homes in the village is unique, with steep-pitched roofs, originating with settlers who came from New England.
New Plymouth has four small grocery stores, a customs and immigration office, several restaurants, a post office, a bank, a school, a cemetery, and churches. It was badly damaged by Hurricane Dorian several years prior to our visit and rebuilding has been slow but steady. The entire village can be walked in less than 15 minutes, but most people ride bicycles, golf carts, or drive small vehicles. We visited this little village several times and were glad to stock up on much needed groceries and homemade ice cream!
much more tan than we came!
On our return trip north through the Sea of Abaco, we went back to Great Guana Cay with our friends Rick and Maryalice and had a great double date with them–dinner at the Green Turtle Club. Lauren and Ellie stayed back on the boat and made chicken nuggets and Mac n’ cheese. I think us couples got the better end of the deal!
We really enjoyed our time at Green Turtle Cay and New Plymouth Village. But poor Lauren left with an unpleasant memory from our first night there — over 500 no-see-um bites. Ouch! Ellie put Chiggerex on each bite. It took a while. Again, poor girl!
