Green Turtle Cay Yacht Charter: New Plymouth, Beaches & Northern Abacos

Located in the northern Abacos, Green Turtle Cay is one of the most charming yacht charter destinations in the Bahamas, combining sheltered harbours, beautiful beaches, coral reefs, and the historic settlement of New Plymouth. The long, narrow island is accessible only by boat and has retained a distinctive character shaped by generations of Loyalist settlers, fishermen, and sailors.

New Plymouth is the cultural heart of the cay. Its narrow streets, pastel cottages, picket fences, restaurants, galleries, and museums resemble a small New England fishing village transplanted into the tropics. Many local families can trace their ancestry back to Loyalists who settled here after the American Revolution.

Beyond town, Green Turtle Cay becomes wonderfully relaxed. Yacht guests can move between White Sound, Black Sound, Coco Bay, Bita Bay, and the Atlantic beaches, spending the day snorkeling reefs, exploring by golf cart, dining ashore, or simply enjoying one of the most attractive cruising environments in the northern Abacos.

Yachts visiting Green Turtle Cay generally approach from the Sea of Abaco, with White Sound and Black Sound providing the principal protected harbours. As elsewhere in the Abacos, shallow banks, reefs, and changing bottom contours make updated charts, depth monitoring, daylight, and local knowledge important when approaching the island.

White Sound provides access to Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina. The marina reports that its entrance has been newly dredged to a controlling depth of approximately 7 feet at mean low tide, allowing vessels up to around 130 feet to use its 40-slip facility. Deeper-draft yachts should confirm current conditions directly with the marina before arrival.

Green Turtle Cay offers several anchoring options around New Plymouth, White Sound, and Black Sound. The anchorage between New Plymouth's government dock and Black Sound is especially convenient for guests wanting easy access to town. Depths are approximately 7 to 12 feet, with good holding in sand when grassy patches are avoided.

This settlement anchorage is well protected in prevailing easterly conditions but becomes more exposed when winds move outside those quadrants, and frequent ferry and local boat traffic can create wake during the day. Additional anchoring opportunities are available around White Sound, Black Sound, Gillam Bay, Joyless Point, and nearby northern bays, allowing captains to select the most suitable position according to wind, draft, and desired shore access.

Green Turtle Cay is roughly three miles long and is compact enough to explore easily by golf cart or bicycle. New Plymouth offers restaurants, shops, galleries, and historic attractions, while White Sound is home to the Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina, which provides fuel, water, electricity, Wi-Fi, dining, a pool, laundry facilities, and other yacht services.

History is an important part of the island's identity. The Albert Lowe Museum preserves photographs, artifacts, and traditional Abaco ship models, while the Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden commemorates the people who shaped the early history of the Abacos.