Abaco Islands Map
The Abaco Islands, based on Little Abaco in the north and Great Abaco contains some of the world's most fascinating geography, particularly in the hundreds of Abaco Sound cays and the maze-like mangrove wonderland known as the Marls.
Updated September 10, 2019
What are the Main Regions of the Abaco Islands?
The most important breakdown of the Abaco Islands is the separation of Little Abaco and Great Abaco. In the map, I used a yellow color to indicate Little Abaco.
Additionally, there is a long string of barrier islands that form the delineation between the the Atlantic Ocean and the Lucayan Sea. These include islands such as Spanish Cay, Walker Cay, Grand Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Scotland Cay, Man-O-War Cay, Elbow Cay, Tilloo cay and Lubbers Quarters. south of Abaco is Gorda Cay, where Disney keeps a private cruise ship island.
Unique Geographic Features in the Abaco Islands
The Marls
The region known as the Marls is a seemingly endless mangrove and mud flats filled with hammock islands and countless miles of shallow turquoise waters. Few travel in this area except for bonefishermen and the occasional ecotourist, but it is one of the great treasures of the Abacos as well as the entire Bahamas archipelago.
Cherokee Sound
Chereokee Sound is a large, shallow water lagoon and a small community in the south of Great Abaco. The lagoon is known for bonefish and green turtles.
Gorda Cay
Gorda Cay is a private island, which is used by Disney to bring cruise ship tourists. From towns in Southern Abaco, you can often see the large cruise ship docked on the island, towering above the flat horizon typical of the Bahamas. Before Disney acquired rights to port in Gorda Cay, they docked their Big Red Boat in Great Guana Cay. I wrote about the early environmental issues caused by this port, and the later golf course development that succeeded it. Gorda Cay was actually a drug runner's stop on the route from Colombia to the United States.
Moore's Island
Mores Island is a lonely island in the shallow sea west of the Abaco Islands. It is inhabited with two settlements: Hard Bargain and The Bight. The shallow flats of this island are vast, giving it some of the most beautiful white water in the Bahamas.
The Caves of Abaco
Deep, largely unexplored caves cover much of subterranean Abaco Islands. Some of these caves feature brilliant crystal rooms and labrynthines corridors. There are several places where you can get a taste of these caves without cave diving experience, particularly through the island chain's many mysterious blue holes.