Active Pursuits

Whatever sport you want to pursue -- whether snorkeling or a full-day's fishing charter -- the innkeepers at Marsh Harbour can set you up with the right people or equipment. For variety, you can also take the ferry over to Hope Town and check out the facilities and outfitters there.

Of the major towns of the Out Islands, Marsh Harbour has some of the least appealing beaches. You can try one of three private beaches, but none is very enticing, and none really wants outsiders. The easiest to get into is the one at the Abaco Beach Resort, but it's small, not really fabulous, and, again, private. Buy a drink for a local at the hotel bar, and you're in, but that, at best, is a somewhat uncomfortable arrangement.

To compensate, beachgoers get into their cars and head south of Marsh Harbour. Once south of Little Harbour after 15 to 20 minutes of driving, lots of good beaches begin to appear. The beaches near the hamlet of Casuarina Point benefit from some battered, all-Bahamian restaurants in the vicinity.

Some swimmers heading south from Marsh Harbour make it a point to go eastward from the main highway whenever an offshoot road appears, usually at points near Little Harbour or at points south of Little Harbour. Other times, they simply stop their cars wherever they feel like it.

None of the beaches on Great Abaco Island has facilities or lifeguards. Guard your valuables and stay alert to be safe.

Boat Charters

If you'd like to try bareboating in The Bahamas -- seagoing without captain or crew -- Abaco Bahamas Charters, Hopetown, Abaco (tel. 800/626-5690; fax or local phone 242/366-0151; www.abacocharters.com), can set you up; weekly charters with a choice of eight boats begin at $1,625 (£861; and can go as high as $4,450/£2,359 during winter), with a $1,500 (£795) deposit required. Only experienced sailors can rent.

The Moorings (tel. 888/952-8420 or 242/367-4000; www.moorings.com) is one of the leading charter sailboat outfitters in the world. It operates from an eagle's nest perch behind the Conch Inn Resort and Marina, overlooking intersecting piers and wharves -- at least 80 berths, with more on the way -- where hundreds of upscale watercraft are tied up (many of them are for rent). With one of its vessels, you can enjoy short sails between the islands, stopping at white-sandy beaches and snug anchorages. Yacht rentals generally range from $500 to $1,300 (£265-£689) a day, with a skipper costing another $150 (£80) per day, and an onboard cook (if you want one) priced at an additional $140 (£74) per day.

For the more casual boater, Sea Horse Boat Rentals, at the Abaco Beach Resort (tel. 242/367-2513), offers some of the best rentals. A 4.5m (15-ft.) Boston Whaler rents for $145 (£77) per day, and you can also book a 5.4m (18-ft.) Privateer for $165 (£87) per day. Other vessels are for rent, too, and all boats are equipped with a Bimini top, coolers, a compass, and a swimming platform, along with life jackets, a paddle, docking lines, and other equipment. Sea Horse is open daily from 8am to 5pm.

Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

The strangest dive site of all is the Abacos Train Wreck, which can be explored in 4.5 to 6m (15-20 ft.) of water. This unusual wreck consists of two locomotives lying on their sides. During the U.S. Civil War, the locomotives were reportedly part of a Union train, captured by Confederate troops, which had been sold to Cuba. The wooden barge transporting the train ran aground on the reef during a storm in 1865. Enough of the train still exists to make it an interesting shore dive. Yet another wreck nearby, Adirondack, lies in shallow water some 3 to 7.5m (10-25 ft.) deep. Many divers also come here to explore the government-protected Sea Preserve and Fowl Cay Land, which teems with multicolored sea life in shallow reefs.

The best place to snorkel is Mermaid Reef and Beach, with its colorful reef, moray eels, and plethora of beautiful rainbow-hued fish. The reef and beach lie on Pelican Shores, the northernmost edge of the Marsh Harbour waterfront directly west of the Marsh Harbour Marina. From the center of Marsh Harbour at East Bay Street, walk east along the harbor and then head northwest until you reach the marina. Once at the marina, continue to walk west to Pelican Shores across the stretch of scrub and sand until you reach Mermaid Reef and Beach, where you can enjoy the beach or else go snorkeling in the clear waters. Sea Horse Boat Rentals at the Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour marina (tel. 242/367-2513) rents snorkel gear.

Scuba divers might want to check out the nearby Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park [ST]. You won't find any organized excursions here, but Dive Abaco is the best source of information and might arrange a trip. You can also drive down to the park by following the road immediately south of Marsh Harbour and then turning east at the sign leading toward the park. Several small beaches are suitable for swimming. The easiest jumping-off point is at Pelican Harbour.

Dive Abaco, Marsh Harbour (tel. 800/247-5338 in the U.S., or 242/367-2787; www.diveabaco.com), rents snorkel gear and offers dive trips to tunnels and caverns along the world's third-longest barrier reef. Resort courses for uncertified novice divers are all-inclusive for $155 (£82). Two-tank dives, including tanks and weights for certified divers, cost $90 (£48) and depart daily at 9:30am; afternoon trips are dictated by demand. Shop hours are daily from 8:30am to 5pm; ask for owner-operator Keith Rogers.