George Town

George Town is known as the cruisers' paradise. Up to 300 boats can be anchored in Elizabeth Harbour during the winter and early spring. Some people like it so much they just stay here all the time.

We got there late in the season and therefore only saw about 100 boats. It looked like a small lighted city from the distance at sunset.

Elizabeth Harbour with "only" 100 anchored boats.

The following day, a Sunday, we decided to check out the town. We got there at noon, hoping to find a nice and cheap restaurant but everything was closed. So we quickly changed destinations and decided to go to the beach. The popular Volleyball Beach is very nice. Not only do people play volleyball but there's also a nice pub/restaurant. There's also a place that sells conch salad and the remains of the conch are fed to sting rays that are so used to being surrounded by humans that they don't mind being there and being touched. We saw up to 5 of them and played with them for a while. Camila was really excited about this!

Cami touching one of the sting rays.

Walk to the monument (at the top of the hill). The monument is not very nice but the view up there is beautiful.

Kids from Perry, Shambala and Taia.

Marshmallows roasting at the beach.

Being there late, we missed pretty much all the other family boats. But we met the family living aboard Perry and re-united with Shambala, whom we had last seen in Vero Beach, Florida. These two families travel with two kids the same age as ours. As a result, the next few days were filled with kids activities: sand tobogganing, strolls up to the Monument, playing on the beach, playdates and even a bonfire!

I have to say that the city itself was a bit of a disappointment for me. I was expecting a nice and colorful city, similar to Hope Town, in the Abacos. But George Town is not as well kept as Hope Town. The area with the markets and the banks is not so bad, but if you walk a bit beyond that you start to see something that has become common on our strolls through different towns in the Bahamas: stalled construction sites. Lots of them.

But the natural scenery is worth an extended visit. And so is the opportunity to spend time with other cruising families.

Next in our travels are the Jumentos and the Ragged Islands. Looking forward to that.