Active Pursuits

In Hope Town, you'll find sandy beaches right at your doorstep, and more beaches in the south are only about a 15-minute ride away. Garbanzo Beach, near Sea Spray Resort, lures many surfers. Isolated Tahiti Beach, at the southern end of the island (a little more than .6km/1 mile from Sea Spray), got its name from the thick wall of palms there. At low tide, the shelling can be excellent along this gorgeous curve of sand, and the shallow waters make for good bonefishing, too. Across the way, you can see uninhabited Tilloo Cay and the Atlantic's crashing waves in the distance.

Tahiti Beach is about a 10-minute bike ride from Sea Spray and about 20 minutes from Abaco Inn, both in the White Sound area. To get here, you have to walk your bike up and down a few small but rocky rises.

Traveling along, you'll pass sea-grape trees, fluffy long-needled pines, and other varied roadside vegetation. Turn left when you come to the first major left (by the white house on the bluff). Turn right when you see two stone pillars. Go downhill and turn left at the end of the road at the wire fences. Take this path to the end. Walk along the dense palm grove to the beach. Because you're heading for the shore, which is public, ignore the PRIVATE -- NO TRESPASSING signs.

Irresistible deserted beaches lie to the south of Elbow Cay on pencil-thin Tilloo Cay and the tiny Pelican Cays. They make excellent targets for a day's sail. The waters around Tilloo Cay, packed with grouper and conch, are particularly good for both fishing and swimming. In the Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, Sandy Cay Reef is one of the most colorful dive sites around. Line fishing, spear fishing, and shelling, however, are all taboo in this protected area.

The waves and breezes at Garbanzo Beach, in the White Sound area, make it prime hang-ten territory. If you don't bring your own surfboard, the staff at nearby Sea Spray Resort (tel. 242/366-0065) can help you get one.

The waters off the coast of Elbow Cay are a popular spot for boating and fishing. Head to the marina to join the fun.

Set about 20 steps south of Hope Town's post office, Froggie's Out Island Adventures, Harbour Road (tel. 242/366-0431; www.froggiesabaco.com), is the largest dive outfitter in the Abacos, with three boats (ranging 9-17m/30-55 ft. in length) that owner Theresa Albury uses to take divers to local dive sites. A certified diver with gear provided is charged $95 (£50); full-day snorkeling excursions are also arranged for $55 (£29) for adults and $40 (£21) for children.

The company also organizes tours, from snorkel cruises to dolphin-watching trips. A full-day cruise out to Great Guana Cay costs $45 (£24) per person (passengers only). An equivalent tour to Little Harbour, near the southernmost point of the Abacos, including visits to selected restaurants, bars, and an art gallery, also costs $45 (£24) per person.

Exploring the Abacos by Boat

The ideal way to explore the Abacos is by boat. Island Marine, Parrot Cay in Hope Town (tel. 242/366-0282; fax 242/366-0281), will set you up with one of its rental boats. You can then cruise to the boat-building settlement of Man-O-War Cay, to artist Pete Johnson's bronze foundry/gallery/pub 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 5.1m (17-ft.) Boston Whaler to 7m (23-ft.) Man-O-War boats. Prices run from $125 to $250 (£66-£133) per day or $625 to $1,100 (£331-£583) per week.