Green Turtle Cay Bahamas is one of the pristine islands that make up the Abacos Islands of the Bahamas. The Abacos archipelago is a 120 mile long chain of beautiful islands. A Bahamas tour to Green Turtle Cay will offer adventures that are hard to find elsewhere.
Green Turtle Cay is home to the Bahamas pigs tour where you will get a chance to swim with pigs. Visiting the pigs is a fabulous Bahamas day trip. Another exciting voyage is to see the Green Turtles at Coco Bay where you can swim with these gentle creatures. Snorkel right alongside the Green turtles; mirror their movements and experience marine life as never before. If you are looking for additional excellent snorkeling opportunities, Green Turtle Cay has some outstanding reefs.
If scuba diving is your sport there are some superb shelves and reefs just waiting to be explored. Brendal is a renowned diving company with over 30 years’ experience in the Bahamas. The waters are teeming with marine life including some species of sharks. The Bahamas tour has stunning white sand beaches you won’t want to miss.
The island of Green Turtle Cay was developed by British Loyalists who fled the U.S. after the American Revolutionary War in the mid 1700’s and made the Bahamas their home. Along with them came their servants, many of African descent. The African culture and customs melded with the indigenous culture making up a unique culture that is purely Bahamian including cuisine and celebrations. Therefore you will see a lot of British signature architecture on Green Turtle Cay and surrounding cays. In addition, there will be brightly colored buildings that are of Bahamian origins. There is nowhere else on earth that has the unique cultural mix as the Bahamas.
When you choose to island hop Bahamas there are plenty of adventures for you to discover. You can plan a Bahamas day trip with a variety of activities in mind. The convenient location makes getting to Green Turtle Cay quite easy. Take a Bahamas air charter to neighboring Treasure Cay, then grab the ferry from there. Flying to Bahamas from Florida with Bahamas Air Tours is exciting. Their planes have extra-large windows for superb viewing of the islands and the crystal clear turquoise water; the “picture window” view of the islands below is attention-getting. The view will compel you to soak in all the adventures you can during you stay at Green Turtle Cay and the Abacos.
Unless you enjoyed Bahamas Island hopping before, it is safe to say you probably haven’t had the adventure of swimming with pigs on a Bahamas pigs tour. Your Bahamas day trip will start with a quick boat ride to Piggyville on No Name Cay. Pig Island Bahamas tours will be etched in your memory as you approach the small island and see the beach filled with pigs. Big pigs, little pigs, and spotted pigs all waiting for attention and hoping for a little treat. In fact, you are encouraged to bring fresh fruits and vegetables as well as fresh water to help support the feeding and watering of the pigs. The pigs will come out into the water to greet you with their curly tails, smiling snouts, and soft grunts. Swimming with pigs Bahamas is a fantastic encounter and just part of your wonderful Bahamas tour. Flying to Bahamas from Florida with Bahamas Air Tours will be well worth it after you experience all there is on this Bahamas Out Island.
No one is exactly sure how the pigs ended up on the island, but nevertheless they are there and have become celebrities of sorts. A local resident, referred to as the “pig whisperer”, has taken it upon himself to care for the pigs by bringing food and water on a daily basis. It is quite a commitment and he welcomes all the help others want to give him. You could call this ecotourism as you would be helping to care for this wildlife by your gift of food, water and monetary donations. What a great way to spend time on your Bahamas day trip!
Another incredible experience on your Bahamas tour is swimming with the Green Turtles. These turtles are large, measuring up to four feet long and weighing between 300 and 350 pounds. The shell is called a carapace. The carapace of the Green Turtle is heart shaped. The turtle is beautifully colored in greens, browns and yellows. They have large flippers and they are strong swimmers. They mainly eat sea grasses found in shallow waters.
Enhance your Bahamas day trip experience by coming prepared to snorkel so you can watch these graceful creatures glide through the water. A Bahamas day trip to swim with the endangered Green Turtle is another ecotourism activity. You will learn about the sea turtles and what you can do to help save the Green Turtles. The gentle giants can be seen at Coco Bay on Green Turtle Cay and can be accessed by boat or via Green Turtle Cay rentals of golf carts if you are staying at a hotel or resort on Green Turtle Cay Bahamas. Bahamas Air Tours has packages that include a swim with the turtles.
A fantastic Bahamas day trip is to boat to Manjack Cay (also known as Nunjack) which lies just northwest of Green Turtle Cay and is an undeveloped, privately owned island. The northern tip of this small island has beaches and superb shark fishing. The beaches are fabulous with plenty of places to stretch out for a sunning session, a picnic, or beach combing. Manjack Cay is perfect for a couple’s getaway or a family shelling adventure. Kayaks and small boats can go up the creek into the heart of Manjack Cay for exploration. The creek is home to turtles. The best time to explore the creek is during high tide. The best way to get to Manjack Cay is via boat. Small boats (15-17 feet) can handle the trip, but be aware of the tides so you don’t get yourself stranded until the next high tide. See Green Turtle Cay and the surrounding isles by boat is a quintessential Bahamas tour
Another “once in a lifetime” experience is swimming with stingrays, Nurse Sharks and Lemon Sharks. You will be extremely popular if you bring along some squid to feed them. Watching them gracefully glide through the water or nudge you when they are ready for a “treat” is exhilarating. While these marine animals are wild, they have been socialized by people visiting and feeding them. National Geographic says Nurse Sharks and Lemon Sharks pose little to no danger to humans. They typically bite only when provoked. Nevertheless, a shark is a shark, friendly or not, so be gentle, but be sure to include this excursion on your Bahamas tour.
For the historians in your Bahamas Island hopping group, be sure to visit New Plymouth. This quaint village has all the history and architecture that is fitting an 18th century Loyalist settlement. New Plymouth is known as the center of the Abacos and is deserving of a Bahamas day trip. Its main industry was boat building. For a period of time during the mid to late 1800s, the residents were known for growing pineapples. The community is mainly known as a fishing village today and you will find Abaco Island hotels, stores, restaurants, pubs, shops, galleries, and other establishments that are attractive to tourists. Bahamas tours can be fun and educational.
New Plymouth, named after the town of the same name in Massachusetts is a sister city to Key West in Florida. This Florida-Abaco connection is celebrated annually at the Island Roots Heritage Festival. The festival seems like to schedule Florida air charters and join in the celebration. Bahamas Air Tours offers many flight options and multi-day trip packages. Miami day trips to Bahamas are also popular.
Located in New Plymouth, the Albert Lowe Museum would make a perfect addition to any Bahamas day trip. It was established in 1976 to preserve history and development of Abaco dating back to the time of the Loyalists. Albert Lowe was a wood carver; he was an expert as carving ship models. The museum is located in a restored Victorian family home that is over 100 years old. Among the ship carvings are historical artifacts, writings, and artwork including photographs and paintings along with a variety of other exhibits.
An interesting place to visit with Bahamas Air Tours is the Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden. This garden contains 24 busts of important figures in Bahamian history; each bust representing a different island of the Bahamas. It is located in New Plymouth right across the street from New Plymouth Inn. At the center of the busts are the figures of two girls, one white and one black. The black girl is holding a conch shell and the white girl is holding a Union Jack flag. The girls symbolize a new beginning for the Loyalists in the Bahamas after the American Revolution. This stop can be easily incorporated into your historical Bahamas day trip.
Spend any length of time in the Bahamas and you will discover that celebrations are a big part of their culture. The Island Roots Heritage Festival is an annual party that celebrates the African roots and Loyalists heritage of New Plymouth and its sister city Key West, Florida. This weekend event features speakers, parades, displays, and some of the best Bahamian cuisine you will ever find. There is also a large focus on genealogy and the Genealogy Research Center. Whether you have roots in Green Turtle Cay or are just visiting you will enjoy the music, cuisine and educational focus of the Festival. Visiting during a festival celebration is a great Bahamas day trip experience.
Is any Bahamas tour complete without a trip underwater? No! And, Bahamas Air Tours is not any different. Snorkeling and scuba diving are excellent opportunities to see marine life and the beauty of the reefs and fish that live in them. There are several locations that offer dive services: Brendal, Caribya, and Green Turtle Club.
From the beginner to the expert, there are dives just waiting for you to explore, Brendal has several different dives he and his crew can take you on including coral reefs and canyons, catacombs, sponge valley, ledges and pillars. Let his experienced crew help you find the joy in diving. A Miami day trip to Bahamas for a dive is an excellent idea for a way to spend the day on the Bahamas tour.
The Green Turtle Club is the only resort with direct access to Brendal’s dive center on Green Turtle Cay. The convenience of having a dive operation on site makes it more convenient for the guests to the island and allows you to see and do more on your Bahamas day trip. Plus, the resorts usually have reefs and other cool dive sites right off their own shores. A dive resort can put together a package deal that includes transportation to the dive site, a picnic lunch, the equipment, and training for those who have never taken a dive before.
Green Turtle Cay hotels are inviting and quaint. Take the Bluff House Beach Resort for example. Colorful cottages with decks or patios line the beach and over look the beautiful crystal clear water. Activities at this resort in diving, swimming, beach combing, and picnicking. Boat rentals are available to visit the surrounding cays such as No Name Cay and Manjack Cay. There are also fishing guides to take you out to catch a “big lunker”. The resort has a full service marina as well. There is a wedding director that will help set up your destination wedding.
This is paradise, where you can find just about anything you could ever want. On site dining includes two bars, one that has a deck over the water – The Tranquil Turtle Beach Bar. They present local music and have special events throughout the week. The second is the Ballyhoo Bar& Grill. They host theme nights throughout the week and are set overlooking the water. Ballyhoo also has a fresh water pool where you can enjoy your beverage poolside. Bluff House Beach Resort is a perfect spot for any Bahamas tour.
Another Abaco Island hotel is the Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina. There are plenty of accommodation styles from which to choose; from a single room up to a 3-bedroom villa. There is flexibility in that you can get just a hotel room or you can get a room with living space that includes kitchen, dining and living rooms. There is something to meet your needs. The Green Turtle Club offers destination weddings, island excursions and fishing, diving and Green Turtle Cay rentals of golf carts and boats. The Yacht Club Pub is a fun venue that has a tradition of collecting signed dollar bills. The walls are covered with them! Grab a dollar and take Bahamas Air Tours to the Yacht Club Pub. The pub also features live local music each evening. The Club Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and presents local cuisine and some traditional favorites. The full-service marina offers everything you could need for boating and more.
When it comes to Green Turtle Cay hotels, this small island has a lot to offer. A Bahamas Air Tours multi-day package will include lodging at one of the local hotels. There is also the Coco Bay Cottages on the north. On the south of the island are Linton’s Beach & Harbour Cottages, Long Bay House and New Plymouth Inn. Coco Bay Cottages is a collection of six lovely cottages that include a secluded cottage for a private honeymoon up to a 4-bedroom cottage that can accommodate a large family or a group of friends. Linton’s Beach & Harbor Cottages offer three cottages that are fully loaded with all the amenities you could want including a 2-seat kayak and touring bicycles. These cottages are set on 22 acres of undeveloped land giving you a private, secluded vacation hideaway. The Long Bay House is a vacation rental property offering 2½ bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and all the amenities you want. If you are looking for a bit of history, a visit to the 170-year old Plymouth Inn is in order. This property offers swings, hammocks and other beach side things. The onsite restaurant serves tasty Bahamian cuisine plus many other selections.
There are two Bahamas airports on Great Abaco Bahamas, with Treasure Cay airport right next to Green Turtle Cay. The 80-minute Bahamas Air Tours flight will land at Treasure Cay Bahamas, one of the Abacos Bahamas airports. Marsh Harbour Airport is also convenient and is situated on the southern end of Great Abaco Bahamas.
Your Bahamas tour can start with a private Bahamas air charter and may be from Fort Lauderdale to Bahamas or a Miami day trip to Bahamas. Getting to the Bahamas is easy. Florida air charters are ready to fly you from Fort Lauderdale to Bahamas or a number of other locales such as Miami, Palm Beach, Vero Beach and Orlando.
Bahamas Air Tours provides you options so you can depart from one of a number of cities at your convenience. Also you can decide if you want choose a multi-day tour, a Bahamas day trip, or create your own Bahamas itinerary. No matter how many days you choose to spend in Bahamas; you will have a blast and will want to stay longer. There is so much to do in the Abacos Out Islands of Bahamas.
Plan your visit to Green Turtle Cay today. Be prepared to soak up the sun while you visit beaches like you have never seen before. Bahamas Air Tours has packages that will fit your needs and style whether it be adventure sports, history lovers, or romantic getaways; we can put together a multi-day package that will touch everything you want to see and do. Or maybe Miami day trips are more suitable for you. Whatever you are looking for, Bahamas Air Tours can help plan the trip of a lifetime.
Green Turtle Cay is made for fishing, snorkeling and diving. It is loaded with history and local art galleries. The food is divine – fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, and spices are ready to delight your palate. The accommodations at the Abaco Island hotels are comfortable and inviting. This provides all the setups for a fabulous Bahamas tour. Green Turtle Cay is a great place to start, then island hop Bahamas and see how many different isles you can visit: Treasure Cay, Green Turtle Cay, No Name Cay, Manjack Cay and maybe others, time permitting. As you do, you will find many adventures to remember.
Select images courtesy of the Bahamas Ministry Of Tourism.
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Day trip to Staniel Cay, the jewel in the crown of the Bahamas Islands. One of the most beautiful places in the world and home to the swimming pigs.
Take a day trip from Nassau to Staniel Cay in the Exumas and visit the famous Swimming Pigs, Sharks, Iguanas, Sand Bars and Thunderball Grotto.