Gazing out from the top of Elbow Cay’s 120-foot-tall Elbow Reef Lighthouse, I’m looking at perhaps the prettiest view in the Bahamas. Sailboats are bobbing in the bay and green fingers of land are stretching into glimmering water that shifts from neon turquoise to midnight blue.
I wonder if this day of island-hopping in the Abacos has peaked on our very first stop. Luckily my concern is unfounded. Next, we anchor on Lubbers Quarters where we order one serving of smoked fish dip from delightfully divey Cracker P’s Bar & Grill, then another. Bellies full, we set a course for Great Guana Cay to play bocce ball on the sand at Grabber’s Bed, Bar & Grill. As the sunset turns the sky creamsicle-orange and I finish my umpteenth goombay smash, I know I’m done for—the Bahamas has me head-over-heels.
I’m not the first to swoon over this archipelago of 700 islands that are known worldwide for its sugar sand and superlatively clear water. Snorkelers, divers, beachcombers and seclusion seekers flock here to find quintessential island bliss. From bustling Nassau to the Out Islands you never knew you needed, here are some of the best resorts in the Bahamas.