Guana Cay Beach

Great Guana Cay is a long, wild sliver of land facing open Atlantic north of Great Abaco, and its western Atlantic beach is everything the Out Island Bahamas stands for: ungroomed white sand, consistent wave action, and a horizon that stretches to the open ocean without interruption. The beach runs for several kilometres without commercial development — it's exactly the kind of undiscovered paradise that Abaco old-timers guard jealously.

What makes Guana Cay Beach legendary, however, is Nippers Beach Bar and Grill — a hillside institution perched on a dune above the beach with panoramic views across the Atlantic to the distant cays. Nippers is famous throughout the Bahamas for its eponymous rum cocktail (the "Nipper"), its Sunday pig roast drawing boaters from across the northern Abacos, and its pure, celebratory beach bar spirit. The view from the terrace — white sand, turquoise then deep blue stretching to infinity — is one of the Bahamas' great vistas.

The surf is the attraction for those who bring boards: consistent beach-break waves arrive from Atlantic groundswells, particularly in winter. At 3–6 feet, the waves are fun and hollow, breaking on a sandy bottom. No surf hire exists on the island, so visitors must bring their own equipment from Marsh Harbour or Nassau.