Top 10 Things to do in Hope Town, Bahamas

Visiting Hope Town on Elbow Cay in the Abacos, Bahamas was on my list of things to do when we sailed to the Abacos this spring. We were fortunate enough to spend a full week on a mooring ball in Hope Town Harbour and found so many things to do in Hope Town Bahamas.

After exploring this quaint little town, here are my top 10 things to do in Hope Town, Elbow Cay in the Abacos, Bahamas:

1. Elbow Reef Lighthouse

Elbow Reef Lighthouse is the last active kerosene burning lighthouse in the world. It is manned by two lighthouse keepers who keep the lighthouse lit throughout the night each and every night. The lighthouse is located in Hope Town, near the entrance into Hope Town Harbour.

While we were walking Mangaux one evening, we met Jackson, one of the lighthouse keepers. Jackson invited us to the lighthouse the next evening to partake in the nightly lighting of the lighthouse.

This was a once in a lifetime experience for my husband Scott, who serviced lighthouses during his time with the US Coast Guard. Jackson allowed us, and another couple, to assist him in removing the daytime shades (this prevents the sun from shining through the Fresnel lens and inadvertently catching trees or even houses on fire at the right angle!). They also got to sit inside the Fresnel lens when Jackson lit the flame.

After that, we all took part in cranking the weight attached to a cable that turns the Fresnel lens at the appropriate speed to allow the lighthouse to flash at the appropriate times. Check out more about this visit and more Elbow Reef Lighthouse photos on our Facebook page SV Pelagia.

We also visited the Elbow Reef Lighthouse during the day to check out the incredible views from the top of the lighthouse.

If you are trying to figure out what to do in Hope Town Bahamas, put a visit to this lighthouse at the top of your list.

2. Beaches in Hope Town

There is a beautiful and big beach on the Atlantic Ocean side of Hope Town Abacos Bahamas. It was easy to walk to from town, with a path to the beach from the main road.

Mangaux loved coming here for his walks and he would run far and fast! This is by far my favorite thing about bringing a dog to Bahamas!

All the times we visited this beach, there was hardly anyone else there. I think Mangaux thought it was is own beach!

There is another beach on Elbow Cay called Tahiti Beach, located southwest of Hope Town. This beach has a huge sandbar to wade around in and often a floating bar and grill if you get hungry or thirsty! This beach is much more crowded than the beach at Hope Town.

3. Bingo at Cap’n Jacks

Cap’n Jacks is a local restaurant in Hope Town right on the harbour. They have a great dinghy dock to tie your dinghy up to for those of us on a mooring ball. I actually heard about their Monday Night Bingo night in our Abacos Cruisers Guide, however, it didn’t take long for word to get out on the streets of Hope Town that that was the place to be on Monday nights.

We had some drinks there on Monday afternoon, and inquired about this Bingo night. The staff told us to be there at 4:00 PM for bingo that started at 5:00 PM. We thought that was a bit crazy, but when we showed up at 4:15 PM, we almost didn’t get a table!

As this is a popular night, the pot for winning a game of bingo was around $300! Each game cost $2 a card. Unfortunately, we didn’t win any games, but we did have a lot of fun and met some great people!

4. Downtown Hope Town

Hope Town has really made a come back after Hurricane Dorian ravished the Abacos in 2019. The downtown shops are alive and well. I loved checking out Hope Town Canvas (where we also did a load of laundry), and getting breakfast at Skoops (Also, Skoops Hope Town has great ice cream!)

There are also several other Hopetown shops with items for sale by local artists to fill up an afternoon of shopping in Hope Town Bahamas.

I honestly thought as we made our way through the Abacos and hit larger towns such as Marsh Harbour and Green Turtle Cay, that there would be more opportunities for shopping. While there is some shopping scattered across the other islands, I would have bought more gifts in Hope Town had I known they had the best variety of things for sale, such as shirts, hats, and souvenirs.

5. Hope Town Inn & Marina

There are several mooring balls in Hope Town Harbour owned by several different companies. The ball we secured for the week was owned by Hope Town Inn & Marina.

With the use of the mooring ball also came the use of their swimming pool! Boy did we score on this one. They have a beautiful pool and pool bar along with a restaurant on-site. We also did a load of laundry here (same price as Hope Town Canvas – $7 washer and $7 dryer – the most expensive laundry we came across in the Bahamas!) and could take showers here for $7 a shower. Something to consider as you cannot make water using a water maker in the harbour.

6. Hope Town Boat Tours & Charters

We were on a ball directly across from Cats Paw Boat Rentals in Hope Town Harbour. While we didn’t charter a boat during our stay, we saw several other boat charters in and out of the harbour as well.

Renting or chartering a boat offers additional activities like fishing, snorkeling and wading in the crystal clear waters at Tahiti Beach.

7. Hope Town Weekly Farmers Market

On Saturday mornings, Bahamas Hope Town holds their weekly farmers market. Here you can find everything from homemade desserts, healthy smoothies, and conch salad (which was delicious!). While a bit on the small side compared to what you might be used to in the USA, it was great to support local businesses and eat local foods.

8. Paddle Boarding

This is an easy one for us, as we have our two paddle boards onboard with us. Nonetheless, it is fun to paddle around the mooring field and say hi to the fellow cruisers on mooring balls. It is also great exercise and a way to get off the boat and move around without spending any money! Paddle boarding is also listed as one of my top favorite free things to do in the Bahamas.

9. Ferry Rides

G and L Ferry offers ferry rides around the Abacos. If you are looking to explore more than just Hope Town, you can catch a ferry to Marsh Harbour, Man-O-War and Guana Cay. No reservations are needed and you can get a one-way ride for $15 USD or $20 USD for round-trip with an open return. Check out the G & L ferry website for the ferry schedule.

10. On Da Beach Bar & Grill

On Da Beach Bar & Grill is about a 1 mile walk (or golf cart ride if you choose to rent a golf cart) from downtown Hope Town. If you are looking for things to do in Elbow Cay, it is definitely worth the trek. It is a great bar and grill directly on the Atlantic Ocean with a great beach vibe. We went there to listen to live music by fellow cruisers Brian Dale and Andy and had a great time with everyone there. There was great music and dancing and great drinks and service. This is another must do when we return to Hope Town.

Our Top 10 Things to do in Hope Town

During our week visit, there was no shortage of fun things to do in Hopetown Bahamas. The town has made a great come back from Hurricane Dorian and had fun activities for families staying on land, and cruisers alike. If you plan to visit, be sure to check out Provisioning for the Bahamas before your trip.

Live your dream,