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Sailing To Green Turtle Cay: What You Need To Know

ByJill Bockenstette

Sailing to Green Turtle Cay

On our first trip to the Abacos, we nearly sailed on past Green Turtle Cay. Boy, that would have been a mistake! Sailing to Green Turtle Cay Abacos was one of the highlights of our Bahamas trip. With clear sandy beaches, golf cart trips across the island and fun restaurants and bars to visit, we had a great time. The locals here are very friendly and welcoming, and the entire island has a hometown feel to it.

In this article, I’ll talk about everything you need to know about how to get to Green Turtle Cay Bahamas. I’ll cover topics such as:

  • Green Turtle Cay recovery from Hurricane Dorian
  • Sailing routes to Green Turtle Cay
  • Customs and Immigration on Green Turtle Cay if coming from out of country
  • Arrival by Ferry
  • Marinas and Mooring Balls
  • Anchorages
  • Things to do on Green Turtle Cay
  • Top restaurants and bars

Green Turtle Cay Recovery From Hurricane Dorian

Sign at docks that says "We Remember" and verbiage that dedicates this sign and post next to it to the volunteers who helped rebuild the Abacos after Hurricane Dorian. The sign is blue and white. The post has several colorfully painted wooden signs on it with locations of the volunteers (where they came from). The background are docks and boats anchored on a sunny day.

Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas on September 1, 2019, reaching a category 5 with winds over 180 mph. It hovered over the Abacos for three days causing massive destruction to the area.

When we visited the Abacos in Spring of 2023, I was surprised how well the area has come back in 3.5 years. While there is still evidence of the hurricane with empty lots and abandoned buildings here and there, the majority of the businesses have rebuilt and reopened. Green Turtle Cay has rebounded quite well, with plenty of things to see and do.  

Sailing Routes to Green Turtle Cay

Sailing to Green Turtle Cay, you should follow the pink lines, as shown on this map from the Association of Bahamas Marinas. There are several pink lines that run from multiple places from Florida to multiple places to the Bahamas, and multiple pink lines within the islands of the Bahamas. These pink lines show length in nautical miles and the best routes from point A to B to avoid shallow waters.
Map produced by the Association of Bahamas Marinas

Sailing from the United States

If you are starting out in the United States, I would recommend sailing to Green Turtle Cay from Florida out of West Palm Beach or further south. This way you can avoid traveling south against the north flowing Gulf Stream current that runs between the United States and Bahamas. From West Palm Beach, it is approximately 53 nautical miles (nm) to the edge of Little Bahama Bank, shallow shoal waters off the Bahamas. From there, it is another approximately 96 nm to Green Turtle Cay.

Tip

Follow the pink links on your charts when you are sailing in the Bahamas to ensure you stay away from shallow areas where you could potentially run aground.

Customs and Immigration

Bahamas regulations state that all visiting boaters must clear Customs and Immigration at the nearest designated Port of Entry.

If you stop once in the Bahamas on your way to Green Turtle Cay from West Palm Beach, there are official Ports of Entry with Customs and Immigration officials on Bimini and Great Bahama Island. For a list of the official Ports of Entry, please refer to the list on the Bahamas Customs website.

If you do not plan to make any stops and head straight for Green Turtle Cay, they do have a Customs Official on the island, located at the Green Turtle Public Dock (near Green Turtle Club Resort and Marina) in White Sound.

You will also be required to follow their online process, Click2Clear, for clearing Customs. To learn more about this process, and a tutorial on how to clear in, read Guide to Click2Clear.

Sailing from the Bahamas

Once you are in Bahama waters, for the best sailing to Green Turtle Cay I recommend following the pink lines on your charts when navigating. You can also view them at Bahamas Marinas website.

There are two main sounds to enter when arriving to Green Turtle Cay from the Sea of Abaco. White Sound is to the northwest and Black Sound is to the southeast.

Both have shallow channels, with White Sound slightly deeper than Black Sound. Be sure to check your charts! Our boat drafts 5.5 feet, and we entered White Sound near high tide to ensure we did not bump the bottom. After the fact, we learned that we could have also gotten into Black Sound with our 5.5-foot draft at high tide.

White Sound is where you can find the Customs Official, a couple of marinas, mooring balls, and nice beaches and restaurants.

Black Sound also has several marinas, mooring balls, and is near the main town of New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay.

We ended up staying in White Sound during our stay and rented a golf cart to get to New Plymouth as it is not walking distance. You could also take your dinghy from White Sound to Black Sound; it is approximately 2 nautical miles from one to the other.

Arrival By Ferry

I wanted to include how to get to Green Turtle Cay by ferry in case you have people flying in or out for a visit, or crew member pick up or drop off.

There is one ferry on the island, Green Turtle Ferry Service, that will take you to and from Treasure Cay on Great Abaco Island. This is a 15-minute ferry ride that runs several times each day.

Once in Treasure Cay, you can get a taxi ride to the main airport in Marsh Harbour, Leonard M. Thompson International Airport.

Green Turtle Cay Marinas and Mooring Balls

Photo of White Sound in Green Turtle Cay. Sailboats are in the bay on mooring balls, as well as in slips at marinas in this photo. There is also a private dock with white railings in the photo. It is a calm day, showing blue waters and puffy white clouds in the otherwise clear sky.
White Sound in Green Turtle Cay

White Sound

As I mentioned, we stayed in White Sound during our visit, at the Bluff House Beach Resort and Marina. We enjoyed their restaurants and beautiful beach while we waited for some heavy weather and winds to pass through. To learn more about the marina, and our visit, check out Sailing the Abacos Chain.

Green Turtle Club Resort and Marina is across White Sound from the Bluff House. This is where you can find the Customs Official if you are clearing in on Green Turtle Cay. It is also home to the famous Yacht Club Pub, which is covered in dollar bills and burgees (flags representing yacht clubs) from around the world.

Brendal’s Dive Center rents out mooring balls in White Sound. They are also a great place for dive excursions and water sport rentals.

Black Sound

The most well-known marina located in Black Sound is Donny’s Boat Rentals and Marina. Donny’s is also a great place for Green Turtle Cay boat rentals to adventure on nearby islands, and mooring balls in Black Sound. It is located within walking distance to downtown New Plymouth.

If you are looking for a yacht service, check out Abacos Yacht Service in Black Sound. They have a large haul out yard, and a supply store too.

Anchorages

The holding is poor in both White Sound and Black Sound. If you plan to stay in either of those, I recommend a mooring ball instead of anchoring.

There are anchorages on the outside of both White Sound and Black Sound, near the channel inlets. There were boats anchored out here when we were there, even during the heavy winds. Just check on the wind direction to ensure a comfortable anchorage.

Things To Do In Green Turtle Cay

We spent a total of five days in Green Turtle Cay and found plenty of things to do.

Photo taken from the back of our golf cart as we are driving down a narrow, paved road. There is rock about 20 feet tall on either side of the road, no shoulder on the road, and trees on top of the rock walls.
Riding through Green Turtle Cay on our golf cart

Rent A Golf Cart

Since we were staying in White Sound, we rented a golf cart to explore the island! It was fun driving through the sometimes-narrow streets and finding beaches to pull off to.

Explore New Plymouth

We drove down and explored New Plymouth, the main town on the island. There are several shops and restaurants we checked out, as well as stocked up on a few groceries at Sid’s.

Sid’s was a smaller grocery store compared to Maxwell’s in Marsh Harbour, but we found everything we were looking for, including fresh fruits and vegetables on certain days. If you need to provision for your trip to the Abacos, check out Provisioning for the Bahamas, which includes an itemized list of grocery items we bought while there, the location we bought them, and the price we paid for each item. (Unfortunately, I do not have the few items I bought at Sid’s on this list, as I didn’t get an itemized receipt at checkout).

Go To The Beach

Photo of Scott, me and Liz on the beach at Green Turtle Cay. The beach and waves are behind us and it is a clear sunny day.
Scott, Jill, and Liz on the beach at Green Turtle Cay

We found a small, beautiful beach near Green Turtle Resort when driving on our golf cart. It was quiet and peaceful there.

There is another great beach near the Tranquil Turtle Beach Restaurant and Bar near the Bluff House. This is a larger beach with chairs, hammocks and even a swing in the water. On a calm day, there is great snorkeling off this beach.

Green Turtle Cay Restaurants and Bars

There are several wonderful places to eat and drink here on Green Turtle Cay. The list here is in no particular order, but we have tried most of them and they are each amazing in their own ways.

Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar

Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar is known for inventing the famous Goombay Smash drink that is popular all across the Bahamas. Having tried it myself, I can say it is the best one that I have tasted. They have indoor and outdoor seating and are located in the downtown area of New Plymouth.

QM5F+468 Blackwood Village, Bahamas

+1 242-577-0516

Pineapples Bar & Grill

Photo of Pineapples Bar & Grill taken from the beach. The bar is yellow, and there are yellow awnings covering the pool and sitting area. There are trees along the beach blocking the view of the pool.
Pineapples Bar & Grill

If you are in the mood for conch fritters, some of the best in the Bahamas can be found at Pineapples Bar & Grill. In the warmer months, you can even take a dip in the pool, right next to the bar. They are located right on Black Sound with a wonderful view.

Brooklyn Road, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

+1 242-365-4039

Tranquil Turtle

Sunset photo taken at Tranquil Turtle on the Sea of Abaco. The sun is bright orange and there is a big cloud in the sky above the sun, just before it is setting.
Sunset at Tranquil Turtle

Tranquil Turtle is the Bluff House’s beach bar located right on the Sea of Abaco. You can lounge at the beach in the beach chairs or hammocks, go swimming and snorkeling, and enjoy some wonderful lunch and drinks. This is the ultimate for relaxation. It is located just over the hill from the Bluff House Resort, a short walk from the marina located on White Sound.

QMG6+728, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

+1 242-699-3047

Ballyhoo Bar & Grill

Ballyhoo Bar & Grill is the restaurant located right at the Bluff House Marina. They serve breakfast and dinner (head over the hill to Tranquil Turtle for lunch) with wonderful views of the marina and White Sound.

QMG6+728, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

+1 242-699-3047

The Liquor Store

Yes, this is on the correct list for dining and entertainment! They are also called Plymouth Rock Liquor & Café, but locally known as the liquor store. Not only can you buy liquor here, but they serve amazing breakfasts as well, and at a reasonable price. They are located across from the public dock in downtown New Plymouth.

Parliament Street, Bahamas

+1 242-699-1330

Two places we did not get to during our visit, but will definitely check out on our next visit are the Dollar Bar and the Wrecking Tree.

The Dollar Bar (also known as Yacht Club Pub)

The Dollar Bar is decorated with dollar bills and yacht club burgees (flags). It is known for its famous Tipsy Turtle rum drink and has been known to have been visited by several celebrities and even a former US President. It looks like a real cool place to have a rum drink!

The Wrecking Tree

The Wrecking Tree is a Bahamian-style seafood restaurant and bar that just looks like a real cool place to check out. They are also located in downtown New Plymouth, just a couple blocks in from the public docks.

New Plymouth, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

+1 242-824-6378

Come Sail to Green Turtle Cay

Sailing to Green Turtle Cay

Sailing to Green Turtle Cay was one of the highlights of our sail through the Abacos Chain.

If you plan to stay inside White Sound or Black Sound, be sure to check the tides before entering. With our 5.5-foot draft on our sailboat, we learned we could make it into Black Sound (White Sound is a little deeper), but would need to enter and exit the sound at high tide. This is typical for us for several places within the Bahamas.

We enjoyed taking a few days exploring the island by golf cart and checking out the bars and restaurants in New Plymouth. We also relaxed at the Tranquil Turtle’s beach and enjoyed beautiful sunsets there.

I hope you check out Green Turtle Cay on your next sail to the Abacos. What do you like to do on Green Turtle Cay? I’d love to hear from you and learn about your favorite places there.

Live your dream,

Jill signature

Related Articles

If you plan to cruise the Bahamas, check out these related articles:

Click 2 Clear Guide

Do I Have To Clear Out Of The Bahamas

Helpful Tips For Provisioning For The Bahamas

Sailing The Abacos Chain

Smooth Sailing Itinerary From Bimini To The Abacos

Top 10 Things To Do In Hope Town

Free Things To Do In The Bahamas

Crossing the Gulf Stream

Favorite Weather Apps for Sailing

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Jill Bockenstette has been sailing for over 10 years and has lived aboard her 1998 Hunter 450 Passage, Pelagia, full-time for more than 3 years. She has logged over 5,000 nautical miles across Mobile Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the east coast of the United States, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean, where she is currently exploring the vibrant waters. Jill enjoys sharing her passion for sailing and the lessons learned from her salty, adventurous lifestyle on the water.