Often referred to as Abaco, this cluster of islands, islets, and rocky outcrops forms an archipelago that stretches for more than 100 miles, from Walker's Cay in the northeast Bahamas, all the way down to Hole in the Wall in the southwest. It is the second largest grouping of islands in the Bahamas. Abaco, aside from being the most affluent and most-visited of the Out Islands, is also the most developed. Marsh Harbour, its capital city, is the third largest city in the Bahamas. But, with more than 650 square miles of almost deserted land and a total population of around 11,000, Abaco is hardly a bustling metropolis. Still, there's plenty to see and do and the available amenities are, for the most part, modern. The Abacos are a mixture of isolated settlements and neat towns and villages that might have been lifted straight out of New England. Pastel-colored clapboard houses and white picket fences contrast sharply with bumpy, deserted roads. The Abacos offer sun-drenched beaches, warm ocean breezes, tropical trees and flowers, and quiet country lanes. More than 50 species of wild and tropical birds inhabit the islands, along with wild boar, several species of lizards and, in the surrounding waters, bonefish. Most of the men earn their living from the ocean. The Abacos offer all sorts of spectacular outdoor activities, including sailing, sport fishing, sea kayaking, snorkeling, wreck diving, boating, guided island hopping, beach picnics, all-day island safaris, bird-watching and nature tours, hiking, fishing, biking, shelling, and on and on. Most of the settlements on the Abacos sprang up along the east side of the main island. On the other islands, including Great Guana, Man-O-War Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Elbow Cay, and Little Abaco, a number of quaint little towns have grown up, named New Plymouth, Hope Town, Cooper's Town and Treasure Cay. Photographs throughout. All the latest information on the best hotels in all price categories, restaurants, dive sites, dive operators, fishing guides and much, much more. You'll find more information on these islands here than in any other guide. Reviews of the complete guide to the Bahamas, from which this is drawn: This is a highly informative guidebook that reviews both the obvious and obscure. The Bahamas has so much to offer and this book really manages to cover quite a bit. I highly recommend it for someone that wants an insight into each of the islands that make up the Bahamas. -- Globehound Now in an updated fourth edition, The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos is a travel guide to the 700+ islands of the Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos. Fabulously illustrated with full color photographs on virtually every page, The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos lists the best hotels in different price ranges, restaurants, dive sites, dive operators, tours, fishing guides, historic forts and pirate hideouts, where one can walk through tropical forests or play with dolphins, find duty-free shops with bargains, and much more. An easy-to-use, reader-friendly field guide. Highly recommended for tourists and business travelers alike. -- Midwest Book Review
