About the Island of Green Turtle Cay

Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, The Bahamas, lies 160 miles off the South Florida Coast, due East of Palm Beach. The village of New Plymouth, located on the southern tip, is home to hundreds of people. There are three grocery stores, a post office and other government buildings, hardware stores, gift shops, restaurants, bars and grills, a seafood market, bakery, liquor store, bank, historic sites and a sculpture garden. There is also a variety of churches.
Many of the people living in New Plymouth can trace their ancestral roots to the Revolutionary War Loyalists who first settled the island. New Plymouth is home to Alton Lowe, a Bahamas Premier artist, who opens his private museum to the public periodically during the year. Key West, Florida is the Sister City to New Plymouth and many of the residents there can trace their roots to early settlers from New Plymouth who left the Cay, with their homes on sailing barges, in the 1830’s. As late as 1912, 60% of the residents of Key West were Bahamian seafarers. New Plymouth, with its pastel painted clapboard cottages with white picket fences and stone walls, is reminiscent of a New England fishing village of the past. The early settlers became skillful seamen and boat builders, and passed these crafts down through the generations.

Green Turtle Cay is aptly named for its numerous Atlantic-side coves, once the breeding grounds for hundreds of green turtles, now scarce and on the protected species list. Pirates once know these gentle creatures as “belly timber” because, as a convenient source of fresh meat during long weeks at sea, turtle meat gave strength and energy to the crews of the pirate vessels.

New Plymouth closes down on Sundays, so make sure you have all you need before then, because on Sunday the only places open are the Churches (with the exception of the small store at the Green Turtle Club and Marina). The Green Turtle Club restaurant, and The Bluff House serve lunch and dinner, also the Bluff House is open on Sundays for meals. They are both on White Sound on the opposite end of the island from town.

“Pirates’ Rest” is located on the north end, in the White Sound area on this 3 mile long island. We are a short golf cart commute from the village of New Plymouth, home to just under 500 persons. Most of the inhabitants can trace their ancestors back to the revolutionary war loyalists who first settled here. This fascinating history can be traced at the Albert Lowe Museum in New Plymouth.  The village has a wide variety of galleries, restaurants and shops where gold jewelry manufactured in Abaco and beautiful Bahamian art work are among some of the treasures that can be bought. New Plymouth is home to world renowned artist, Alton Lowe, who opens his private museum to the public periodically during the year.

Key West, Florida, is the sister city to New Plymouth. Many of the residents of Key West can trace their roots to early settlers from New Plymouth who left the cay with their homes on barges in the 1830s. Key West's historic Curry house was built in New Plymouth and William Curry, Florida's first millionaire, was a 15 year old boy when his family made the move from Green Turtle Cay. As late as 1912, 60% of the residents of Key West were Bahamian seafarers.

The early settlers of GTC became skillful seaman and boat builders passing these crafts on through the generations.

No visit to GTC is complete without a visit to Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar, the birth of the “Goombay Smash”, a rum punch served throughout the Caribbean.

For Availability Contact

Nancy and Larry Fitzgerald
3164 Withers Ave.
Lafayette, CA. 94549
 piratesrestgtc@yahoo.com

OR CALL (925) 933-2473

For other rental villas on Treasure Cay, Abaco