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Exploring Hope Town, Abaco

By: Morgan Engle

Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas is located 200 miles off southern Florida’s east coast, and about 100 miles north of Nassau, which is the Capital of the Bahamas.  Hope Town is a quaint village that has distinct similarities to New England and is located on the beautiful island of Elbow Cay, which is about 5 miles long.  Hope Town is home to spectacular views, amazing beaches, wonderful food, simply stunning sunsets, and within close range of world-class sailing, snorkeling, diving and fishing.

One of the first must dos when exploring Hope Town is to check out the lighthouse.  The famous Elbow Reef Lighthouse is one of the last manual cranked lighthouses left in the world.  The lighthouse is painted with red and white stripes like the colours of a candy cane and there are 100+ steps to the top.  Once at the top there are uninterrupted views of the surrounding area, including the whole settlement and the ocean barrier reef system that protects Hope Town.  Warning!  Leave your fear of heights at home, and don’t forget to take plenty of pictures and sign the guest book on the way out. 

Hope Town has two amazing beaches. Behind the St. James Methodist Church there lies a beach that stretches all the way to the north part of Elbow Cay.  The whole beach is covered in soft pink sand and has excellent swimming, and sometimes even surfing right off shore.  Just south within a few minutes walking distance is the beach behind the Hope Town Harbour Lodge.  Here there is great snorkeling right off the beach, and if you get a little hungry or want a cool cocktail, just head up to the Reef Bar at the lodge.

Within the town there are four great establishments to eat at.  For more of a fine dinning experience, and fabulous entrees and deserts, try the Hope Town Harbour Lodge.  Just make sure to plan ahead and make reservations early in the day for dinner.  The Harbour’s Edge Restaurant has excellent food for a reasonable price.  Captain Jack’s restaurant has great Bahamian Dishes, with a fun and friendly atmosphere.  Munchies is a small eatery that makes great burgers and serves ice cream for a great night time treat.

While exploring Hope Town make sure to Lean about the history and check out the Museum.  You will want to bring your camera as you walk through the village to get pictures of the architecture and beauty of Hope Town.  As you walk trough the downtown area, the road splits into the upper and lower roads.  The point where the road splits is called the Jib.  When you need a place to rest and take in the sights take a seat on one of the many public benches perched on the harbour side of town.

Hope Town is fun for kids and grown-ups alike, as there is so much to take in and see. Let your senses go wild as you wander and explore your way through town.  Just put on you flips flops and let’s go!