Introduction. This is intended for first-time visitors to the island. It was prompted by the dearth of information on the Internet. Some of it is factual, some of it is my opinion, and therefore biased. All errors are mine. Because this is a work in progress, suggestions are encouraged. Telephone numbers for many of the entities appear in the "Telephones" section. The "Search" or "Edit / Find" feature of your Internet browser is a useful tool to find things on this page (like "beer", "clothing", "ice" or "mechanic").

Overview. Great Harbour Cay ("GHC", pronounced Great Harbour Key), only 126 nautical miles from Miami, is a secluded out-island 6.7 miles long by 1.5 miles wide. It had its heyday in the 1960's, after being developed as a luxury resort and attracting such vacationers as Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Brigitte Bardot (more info). Ten years later the development stopped and over the years some of the resort's opulent facilities deteriorated; however, key infrastructure elements (e.g., roads, airport runway, electrical power, telephone service, marina) are in good condition and well maintained. Today the island is a quiet, simple paradise, with beautiful beaches (click picture above), great fishing and a well-protected marina. More importantly, it is blessed with wonderful people (about 500 live on the island). There is very little shopping and virtually all transactions are cash (both U.S. and Bahamian currency circulate) -- no credit cards, no ATMs.

Arrival. Gulfstream International Airlines started scheduled service to GHC on November 15, 2007, with two weekly non-stop flights from Fort Lauderdale; it now has flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning and on Sunday afternoon (more info). In addition, several FAA-Certified Air Carriers provide charters from South Florida and some of the carriers will accomodate individual passengers (try Sapphire Aviation or AirSwiss). For private aircraft, the airport has a jet-sized runway and it is a one-hour flight from South Florida. You can also fly to Nassau and take one of the two daily flights to the island by Cat Island Air. U.S. citizens need whatever documents they would need to re-enter the U.S.

Features. The largest of the Berry Islands in The Bahamas, GHC's features can be seen in the satellite figure below (a more detailed, zoomable picture from Google Earth, with cars visible, may be seen here). The airport is near its southern end. Virtually the entire east coast is beach and that is where most of the non-Bahamians have their vacation homes. The "Village" (officially Bullock's Harbour) is where most of the locals live and where you find most of the shops (well, sort of). A secure hurricane hole, near the center of the island and accessed from the west, offers excellent protection for boats, as well as a marina and fuel dock. Caves near the northern end of the island (click for pictures) and a south-to-north drive by the island's highest point (see satellite figure) are worthwhile.

Near the southern end of GHC, just north of Haines Cay, is a shallow area which the Cuban-Americans (many of whom have houses on the island) call the "Bajito" (pronouced bahitoh). Roughly a square mile in size, this sand bank comes out of the water at low tide and is a treasure trove of sand-dollars and shells for children of all ages (click for picture). Because from a satellite GHC and Haines Cay appear to be a single island, separated only by narrow Shark's Creek, the satellite figure above has been edited to show more separation (click to see unedited picture).

Note also Cistern Cay, which lies very close to GHC to the west. Also shown are the Stirrup Cays to the north. The remainder of the Berry Islands, offering great boating destinations, lie to the south.

Weather. Daytime weather is typically sunny and temperatures are moderate (80s in the summer and 70s in the winter are the norm). For a 15-day forecast (hour-by-hour for the next 3 days) click here. If you're about to leave for the island in your boat or airplane, click here to see current weather (from an automated weather station provided by "Frenchie").

Activities. This is a quiet, laid-back place. Aside from excellent fishing and some great boating, it's a place to rest, enjoy a good book on the beautiful beach, pick sand-dollars at the "Bajito" or nurse a tropical drink (here are my recipes for Margaritas and Piña Coladas, perfected on the island). Games range from golfing on the 9-hole course to Mexican Train dominoes. Fairs, art exhibits and other activities are posted here. Clothing is informal, with T-shirt, shorts and sandals welcome everywhere; bathing suits (no top, no shoes) are OK only on the beach or the boat.

Fishing. Snapper, grouper and most other fish abound in the waters off GHC. Deep-drop fishing with electric reels is popular. Only Hawaiian slings may be used to spear fish. Lobsters also abound and some are huge (see picture below). Salt-water flats fishing in the shallows west of the Ambergris Cays (the small cays at the extreme south of the satellite figure) is superb, and Percy Darville -- a renown master -- is available to take you out. It's easy, even at a moment's notice, to get locals to clean the fish for you, in exchange for the heads, the spoils and a small tip. See the precautions in the "Boating" section below. (This section would be longer if I fished, or if my fishermen friends gave me valuable data instead of boasting of their catch or the size of their fish.)

Boating. You can rent boats from Elorn at Happy People, at the marina. Whether rented or your own boat, it's essential to have up-to-date marine charts, in order to safely navigate the many shallows; generally, deep ocean lies to the east of the island, shallower water to the west (the Bahama Bank).

Although GHC itself has a limited number of attractions (only the caves and the "Bajito" spring to mind), there are lots of things to do and see in day trips to the surrounding Berry Islands. Click here for information and directions to my favorites, including the enigmatic Blue Hole (which some believe is a "must" stop for anyone visiting GHC), Flo's and the Ambergris Cays.

Lodging. There is a small hotel on the island, which caters principally to Bahamians. Most other visitors stay at the Beach Villas, right on the beach (click for picture), or the Townhouses. The latter, directly opposite the marina, are interesting because each has its own dock and each is on stilts, hanging over the water; smaller boats fit entirely or partially under the house and larger boats on the private dock (you can see this by enlarging the picture below). Beach Villas start at about $100 per day for the one-bedroom units (more for larger units), and Townhouses (which are larger) start at about $180 per day. In addition to these two choices, new Golf Villas are available across from the street from the Beach Villas at about $180 per night, and larger homes are generally available for rentals of seven days or more. Contact Cindy at Tat's Rental or Tropical Diversions for reservations.

Restaurants. The Beach Club, right on the beach, across from the airport, is the place for great breakfasts (superb grits, with eggs and bacon) and lunches (conch fritters, bacon cheeseburgers and sandwiches are specialties). You can also take out (perfect for the boat) and they're now open at night on weekends. For dinner there are several options but my favorites are Coolie Mae's new restaurant in the Village, where you can watch the sunsets, and the Pool Bar at the marina. At the latter, conch bits and panfried fish with capers are extraordinarily good (while this is only my opinion, it's based on trying top restaurants in most major U.S. cities and in dozens of trips throughout Europe).

Marina/Fuel. The large marina is well kept (click on picture above to enlarge aerial view). A slip costs 90 cents per foot (boat length) per night. For boats under 60 feet, electricity is $15 per day and washdown water $10 per day. Fuel is available at a separate dock west of the marina; it is also the only source of fuel for cars and trucks (driving from the airport and Beach Villas to the marina, pass the marina on your right, keep driving for about a half mile and the station road will be on your right). At the time this was written gasoline was around $5 per gallon and diesel over $4 -- and remember, cash only. Fuel has sometimes become spotty, with the station runnning out every couple of months and having to wait several days for a new shipment; if you're coming by boat, make sure to call the station or the marina to check for both availability and price.

Transportation. Looking at the satellite figure you can see that lots of things are within walking distance (marina, beach, airport), so a car is not a necessity. Taxi service is available and can be called from the airport. Bicycles, golf carts and cars can be rented from Elorn at Happy People, by the marina. Drive on the left side of the road (these had been in disrepair, but were repaved a couple of years ago and are in good condition).

Groceries. Considering its small size, GHC has lots of grocery stores. There are at least five in the Village and one at the marina. They are small, but one of them is likely to have what you want -- and they'll tell you who has it if they don't. Do not, however, expect the selection and prices to compare with supermarkets in the U.S. None of the stores sell ice, which must be bought from the dockmaster at the marina. Similarly, it's hard to find freshly baked Bahamian bread (only Whitewater Grocery, on your left as you approach the Village, carries it sporadically), but it can be ordered from several people (my favorite is Mrs. Pople).

Liquor. There is a small liquor store at the marina, one by the airport and several in the Village; the largest is Bristol (the green building 50 yards off your right as you approach the Village). Prices for spirits are equal or better than in the U.S., but beer is higher than in the U.S.

Shopping. Basically none. There are a couple of shops in the Village that sell crafts (e.g., wood carvings), and both the Beach Club and Happy People sell GHC T-shirts, hats and visors. The latter, with two stores at the marina, also sells crafts and is the closest there is to a hardware store on the island.

Services. Surprisingly, given the island's size, you can get just about any work or service on the island -- well, the legal ones anyway. Coolie Mae can cook for you to take out. Several people can provide cleaning and cooking at your place; the best, Alsada, is generally not available but she can recommend someone. If you need a mechanic, call "Blue" for car repairs, and for boat repairs ask for "Junior" at the marina or call Emerson. If you don't find it here, just ask around (Elorn is always helpful); that's what I did when a seam on my bimini top started to come apart, and I got it repaired overnight.

Medical. The island has a well-equipped clinic with a defribillator. Residents and visitors are fortunate that the clinic is headed by an experienced French nurse ("Frenchie") who used to be with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

More Info. If you want additional information, please send me an e-mail. Time permitting, I will try to answer. I may be reached at .

Telephones. Cingular (now AT&T) cell phones will function in GHC. A list of useful phone numbers follows (area code is 242 for the Bahamas).

AirSwiss 305-861-0077	Fuel Station 367-8113
Alsada 464-4317	Gulfstream Airlines 877-226-2040
Beach Club 367-8108	Happy People (see Elorn)
"Blue" 367-8009 or 464-4156	Marina 367-8005
Cat Island Air 367-8021	Percy Darville 367-8119
Clinic/Nurse 367-8400/359-9131	Pool Bar 367-8051
Coolie Mae 367-8730	Pople (Mrs.) 367-8889
Elorn 367-8117	Sapphire Aviation 800-472-5070
Emerson 367-8187 or 464-4226	Tat's Rental 464-4361 or 367-8123
Flo's (Chester Darville) 457-3969	Tropical Diversions 954-921-9084

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Last update February 27, 2008