By Misti Guertin
Scheduled service launches February 14 and kicks off with one lucky couple winning a complimentary Valentine’s Day three-night stay at the historic Abaco Inn, Hope Town, Bahamas.
For those hopeless romantics who have dreamed about flying to The Bahamas in a seaplane, watching the sea below change from deep blue to emerald green, turquoise and all the shades in between, and then landing in White Sound Harbour just steps away from a white powdered sandy beach, you’re one step closer to making that dream a reality. Beginning February 14, IJet Charters begins scheduled charter seaplane service from Fort Lauderdale International Airport with direct service to Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas.
Partnering with Tropic Ocean Airways, IJet Charters will initially offer Friday and Saturday scheduled charter service in a comfortable brand new eight-passenger Cessna Caravan Turboprop, which flies out of Sheltair Aviation at Fort Lauderdale International (FLL) and can literally drop off guests directly on the beaches of Hope Town. The new service also greatly streamlines TSA screening processes and custom checks, not to mention eliminating the need for taxi and ferry transportation from the Marsh Harbour airport. And in March, scheduled two-day-a-week service from Galaxy Aviation at Palm Beach International Airport begins.
First Hand Encounter
On January 25, a beautiful clear and blue-skied day, I had the opportunity to tag along on a test run from Fort Lauderdale to Hope Town, Abaco, along with seven other journalists and PR representatives. We departed Sheltair at 9 a.m. and enjoyed a smooth water landing 1 hour and 20 minutes later just outside of White Sound, Elbow Cay (experience the water landing and takeoff here). Upon taxing into the harbour, the group disembarked directly onto the white sandy beach, and we crossed over the road to the Abaco Inn for quick and painless clearance by Bahamas Customs and Immigration. Full disclaimer needed—before crossing the road for customs processing, Tom Hazel, the manager of the Abaco Inn, greeted us on the beach with a tray loaded with the Inn’s signature rum drink. (It’s five o-clock somewhere, right?)
After customs clearance, which was conducted on the picturesque deck of the Abaco Inn overlooking the pool and the Atlantic Ocean, we met with members of the Ministry of Tourism, the Abaco Chamber of Commerce, IJet Charter’s Jim Swieter, the staff of the Abaco Inn, local artisans, business owners, and homeowners.
Gary and I have visited and stayed at the Abaco Inn before, and actually did a live Talkin’ Tourism radio broadcast from the Inn. One very welcome change Tom has made at the Abaco Inn since he joined the property back in 2012, is opening up the bar area with a series of folding French doors, which makes the whole area appear roomier and brighter. The oceanfront dining room has also undergone a face lift, seeming lighter and brighter with new table linens, decor and fresh paint. The resort grounds looked great, and well, the pool? How can you improve this spectacular location overlooking the surfing grounds of Garbanzo Reef?
For those of you with boats, five transient slips are available here. Reported minimum depth at low tide along the dock is 5 feet. Use Bahamian style dockage with a stern anchor. Larger vessels can lay alongside to load and unload, and dockage is generally used for in and out use of the restaurant and bar. Fuel and power are not available. Sea Spray Resort & Marina, which is nearby, does offer full services and can accommodate vessels up to 120 ft LOA and drawing up to 7 ft. at mean low tide.
After the quick meet and greet at the Abaco Inn, the group was whisked away by “Abaconian ambassador” Micheal Albury for a whirlwind five hour boat tour, traveling over the Sea of Abaco, past Tahiti Beach and over to Lubbers Quarters to Cracker P’s Bar & Grill, owned by Bahamian chef Patrick Steward and his wife, Linda.
The views from Cracker P’s puts one in an island frame of mind rather quickly. Available activities, other than eating and drinking, include board games, volleyball, horse shoes, ping pong, darts, swinging lazily in a hammock or simply sitting in a chair on the beach watching the birds and an occasional boat go by. Bird watchers will love this spot. While sitting in Cracker P’s open air bar, bananaquits and humming birds played in the surrounding foliage, and I bet the nature trails on the property are probably home to lots of orchids and other tropical native plants I would have liked to have discovered.
After enjoying Cracker P’s signature rum drink and sampling a great smoked fish dip (thank you Michael for the treat), the group walked over to the adjacent property of Lubbers’ Landing, Abaco’s Eco Resort. Proprietors Austin and Amy greeted the group and led us down a raised wooden walkway, shaded and made much more private and adventurous with lush tropical landscaping, to tour one of their comfortable and cool island-infused cottages. Fully air conditioned, romantic four poster beds, organic mattresses and cotton pillow top and featherbeds, large glass tile showers for two, Sirius satellite radio, and finished with books and eclectic finds from around the world, make this an ideal and very romantic island hideaway. Green materials are used throughout the property, drinks are served in glass, not plastic, and organic supplies are sourced at the bar and in the restaurant whenever possible. Kayaks and paddle boards are complimentary for cottage guests. Provisioning, boat rentals, yoga, kiteboarding, spearfishing and other activities can be arranged. This is definitely something out of a Tommy Bahama ad and it’s a retreat I’d like to head back to as an overnight guest sometime in the near future.
Our next stop was to Firefly Sunset Resort, back across the Sea of Abaco on Elbow Cay. Opened since 2010, the family-friendly resort is comprised of seven fully-equipped cottages and villas, a beautiful restaurant, and tropically landscaped common grounds and pool areas. Proprietor and general manager Lorenzo Barigelli led us on a tour of two of the resort’s cottages. Both were handsomely appointed and one even had a plunge pool on a very private deck overlooking the Sea of Abaco. This is definitely a property to consider when considering a stay on Elbow Cay. If you have your own boat, free dockage is offered with a cottage or villa rental. If you don’t have a boat, a rental can be arranged. Firefly’s signature and spiked Arnold Palmer’s are definitely not to be missed as well! Though we didn’t taste anything from the menu, Beth Watson from IJet Charters said the food is excellent. Definitely put lunch, dinner or cocktails at Firefly on your Abaco “to do list.”
The last stop of the day was Hope Town Inn and Marina, situated on Hope Town Harbour directly across the water on the lighthouse side from the historic Hope Town Settlement. Due to our scheduled departure time of 3:30 p.m., there wasn’t time to tour the inn, suites or villas. We did see the marina, swimming pool with a swim up bar, and restaurant area—all exuding a colonial West Indies elegance amidst tropically appointed grounds. The property, inside and out, is beautifully appointed and impeccably maintained.
Hope Town Inn & Marina features a 50-slip surge-free marina, and offers deep water slips up to 125 feet and moorings for boats up to 45 feet. Amenities include 30/50 AMP service, fresh water, bait, lockers, freezers, laundry and showers.
If a private home is more to your liking, check out Hope Town Hideaways. Christopher and Samara Albury, who were members of the seaplane welcoming committee at the Abaco Inn, represent a wide collection of private homes (many with docks or slip rights) for rent or purchase. They can also help arrange provisioning, boat and golf cart rentals and more. If you give them a call, please tell them Coastal Angler Magazine sent you.
And, for those of you who like to travel with your pet(s). Hey, our pets like to go on vacation too! IJet and Hope Town are very pet friendly. Good mannered pets are permitted to travel on board the Caravan, and many rental properties throughout Abaco welcome your furry family member. Just ensure you check with your host property before departing and don’t forget you’ll need an import certificate and veterinary health certificate to take Fido to The Bahamas.
Roundtrip airfare via IJet Charters scheduled charter service to Hope Town begins at $599 per person. Check in 30 minutes prior to flight. No TSA, free parking, and customs and immigration in Hope Town, White Sound. Group rates and private charter service available. To reserve your seat to Hope Town, call (888) 462-0462 or email bwatson@IJetCharters.com.
Last, don’t miss signing up for the Valentine’s Day Giveaway—three nights in Hope Town at the Abaco Inn. The trip includes room accommodations for two, and round trip seaplane service from Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach. Sign up here: http://www.ijetcharters.com/giveaway.html.
Hope you check out my January 25 trip photos below!
