Features and Photos
Shore Leave Cottage
Shore Leave Cottage is the perfect spot for taking in Green Turtle Cay’s natural wonders. If you enjoy solitude, beautiful views, and access to simple pleasures, this is the place for you.
The one room, air conditioned cottage offers creature comforts for two adults. Adventurous children can camp on the screened porch or in the gazebo using our air mattresses and mosquito netting. A king-size Murphy bed adds a note of luxury to the small space. The galley kitchen has an electric cooktop, microwave/convection oven, and frig/freezer with icemaker. Most days, we grill on the BBQ. Life is simple - we have no dishwasher or cable TV. We rely on nature’s fresh, clean rain water, stored in a cistern, to supply our water needs. Electricity interruptions are not uncommon on GTC, so we are equipped with battery and solar lights and have an especially quiet, efficient backup generator for extended outages.
There is no land access to the cottage. The ferry will drop you off right at the cottage pier. We go everywhere by boat. If you are not cruising, you will want to rent a small powerboat so that you can get to the shops, restaurants, resorts, and neighboring islands, or even venture out to the reef as sea conditions allow. Basic small boat skills are essential for getting around and for renting a boat. It is possible to arrange for the ferry to pick up and drop off from the cottage to local spots.
Gazebo @ Shore Leave Cottage
Cottage from the pier
Shore Leave Cottage floor plan
Dining table looking out to White Sound Channel
King-sized Murphy Bed
King-size Murphy Bed Down
Living area with bed up
Galley kitchen
Bathroom
Screened Porch
Porch lockers
Porch shelving
Porch with cushion chairs
View from screened in porch of pier
Sunrise from the porch
Sunset from the porch
Gazebo with deck
Inside screened gazebo
Sea of Abaco and swim ladder
White Sound
Shore Leave Cottage is located on the small point of land that forms the southwest side of White Sound. This protected harbor includes a small number of moorings, two boutique resorts (with excellent restaurants, shops, and marinas), a dive shop, and a number of private homes. A short, protected boat ride down White Sound channel will take you to White Sound boat harbor, where you can dock at the Green Turtle Club or Bluff House to enjoy live entertainment, great bars and good food. From there you can walk or golf cart ride to Ocean Beach or shallow, protected Coco Bay. It’s common to see dolphin, sharks, and sea turtles swimming into White Sound even though it is a busy, by island standards, boating route.
White Sound Channel from Shore Leave
Shore Leave Dock from Sea Fan
GTC Ferry Service
Green Turtle Club Marina - White Sound
New Plymouth Settlement
It takes just a few minutes by small boat, or golf cart run from White Sound Harbor, to get to New Plymouth where you can shop for supplies, explore, meet the local residents, and enjoy a meal. The grocery stores sell a variety of fresh, frozen, and canned goods that reflect the island’s British history. Breads and sweets are baked on the island and the seafood comes from, well you know, the sea. The markets are small so a bit of creativity and flexibility is best, especially if the weekly supply ship is due in the next day, but most things, from a nice bottle of wine to a ripe tomato, can be found on most days, somewhere on the island. If not, chose something else or dine at one of the many spots open on the island. You won’t starve!
For information on shopping and dining we suggest Green Turtle Bulletin on Facebook. This is also a good place to post if you lose something on the road because you didn’t listen when we told you to ALWAYS clip your gear to the cart and don’t trust your pocket unless it zips or buttons. Also check out The Abaco Sun for a comprehensive list of establishments.
Beach & Reef & Sea of Abaco
Ocean Beach - Green Turtle Cay
The GTC beach is long, wild, beautiful and on most days, deserted. There are no lifeguards, rental stands, or bathrooms. Just the beach and you. It’s lovely.
We suggest wearing water shoes the first few times until you figure out where the coral boulders are.
We arrange well in advance of our trip to rent a golf cart from D&P Cart Rentals which is located at the GTClub. When headed to the beach, we leave our small boat tied up at the Green Turtle Club pier (Be sure to use a stern anchor and don’t block the ferry spot.) and take the cart down the beach road.
The big reef runs in front of the island, trapping the sand and calming the waves, but it’s really too far to safely swim from the beach unless things are very calm. It’s an easy reach by small boat when the seas are moderate and the wind direction favorable. You can also schedule a snorkel or SCUBA dive trip. A local guide is a great option if the weather doesn’t cooperate or you’re not quite ready to be out there all alone. Always keep in mind that this is a wild place. No one will be coming by to check on you. Local guides offer trips to the reef where you will see the best spots and enjoy added safety and the chance to socialize. Be sensible about your skill level. Nature is not always forgiving.
There are a number of small live-coral outcroppings right off of Ocean Beach that are surprisingly nice. If the big reef isn’t an option, or you want some extra beach fun, bring your gear to the beach and have a look.
The Sea of Abaco is the body of water between the large Great Abaco Island to the west and the chain of small out-islands which include Green Turtle Cay. The Sea is your front yard when you are sitting in Shore Leave’s screened porch, swim deck or gazebo. Snorkeling right off of our swim ladder is quite entertaining. When the weather is good, even a 12 foot boat can go exploring to nearby islands. Just to the north is Munjack Cay (also called Manjack and Nunjack). There is a super cool mangrove channel where juvenile turtles spend their early years, and rays are often spotted. Watch your draft!
Juvenile Green Turtle in Manjack mangroves
