6 Best Sights in The Abacos, Bahamas

Abaco National Park was established in 1994 as a sanctuary for the endangered Bahama parrot. The mission has been a success as the population at the time was just 1,500, and today there are nearly 9,000 documented. Many other birds call the park home, including the pine warbler and the Bahama yellowthroat.

A 15-mile dirt track passes through the 20,500 protected acres, ending at the Hole in the Wall Lighthouse, a starkly beautiful and desolate location overlooking the ocean. The drive from the paved highway all the way to the lighthouse takes about 1½ hours and can only be done in a 4x4 vehicle. The lighthouse is technically not open to visitors, but people still do climb the rickety stairs to the top, where views of the island and the sea are mesmerizing.

Tucked away toward the northwestern end of the Treasure Cay development are the ruins of the very first settlement in Abaco, founded by the Loyalists who left the Carolinas during the American Revolutionary War. The sight is not well marked, but a local can point you in the right direction.

One of the tiniest museums in the world is located under the communications tower in Cherokee Sound in a small building that used to house the community telegraph office. Most locals know it as the "Shell Museum" because inside you'll find a collection of more than 200 shells identified by both their Latin and common names. Many of these shells are ones you may find yourself (if you're lucky) as you walk the island's beaches.

The past is present in this garden across the street from The New Plymouth Inn (note that it's laid out in the pattern of the British flag). Immortalized in busts perched on pedestals are local residents who have made important contributions to The Bahamas. Plaques detail the accomplishments of British Loyalists, their descendants, and the descendants of those brought as enslaved people, such as Jeanne I. Thompson, a contemporary playwright and the country's second woman to practice law. This is an open garden, free to the public.

A half-hour drive south of Marsh Harbour is a crudely marked electric pole directing you to turn right onto an old logging trail. A short drive down this road takes you to an incredible blue hole. It was featured by National Geographic in 2010 for the fossils found deep within it. Though you cannot dive this hole, you can swim in it.

You'll need a car or at least a bicycle to visit this natural wonder, but it's worth the trek. Scientists believe the Treasure Cay Blue Hole is 200 feet deep, but feel free to dip your toes into the crystal-clear blue waters or make a splash swinging from one of the rope swings tied to surrounding pine trees. The water is both salt and fresh, and there is no known marine life in the blue hole.