Go to Great Inagua On Your Way Through the Windward Passage!

[Jane.Joy]

Great Inagua is a GREAT stop for anyone traversing the Windward Passage. Off the beaten track, Morton salt, pink flamingoes, snorkeling/diving. Four thumbs up.

When researching for our July 2012 visit, I didn't find much info available, either on the internet or in our cruising guides. Here's a google map with some waypoints and details from our week-long stay. I'm working on a blog post too, but I'm a bit slow....

Anyway, this is a start. If you've been to Great Inagua and would like to contribute to the map, PM me.

Great Inagua

[Cheechako]

Cool, thanks! Now I have pics to dream about!

[belizesailor]

Damn! Skipped it on the way down back in 2004, went straight from Acklins to Jamaica.

Guess I'll have to go back and do it again!

[FSMike]

Deeper anchoring than usual for the Bahamas, shelter mainly from prevailing winds, but still worth while. At least half the flamingos on the planet live here. Seeing a pile of salt bigger than your house is cool.

[Captain Bill]

We spent about 10 days there last spring. Great diving, though it helps to be self contained with scuba. Man of War Bay is a good anchorage in the prevailing winds but gets a bit sporty in westerlies. The anchorage off of Matthew town is an open roadstead, but not bad in the prevailing wnds. The people are extremely firendly. Henry Nixon is the park warden and will give you a 2-3 hour tour of the park for $50. We shared the trip with another couple so it was only 12.50 per person which is a good deal. Groceries are limited unless you are there the day the boat arrives. There is free wifi at the library with your own laptop or $2.00/hr on their computers. There's also an ecotourism resort on the south side of the island that does guided snorkeling trips. A number of the guide books blow this place off, but it was one of the most enjoyable places we have been in the Bahamas. Maybe they just wanted to save it for themselves.

[Jane.Joy]

Captain Bill, so true! I started this thread because I agree that Great Inagua gets short shrift in the guidebooks. Of course it's not as easy to get to as Bimini , but well worth the effort. Henry Nixon was our tour guide as well - interesting dude! The flamingoes were surreal.

I wrote a report for noonsite.com: Great Inagua on noonsite

And for anyone considering a visit, here's some motivation:

[tbodine88]

I enjoyed my visit to Great Inagua in 2002. The people were pleasant and helpful. It was definitely off the beaten track.

[Canibul]

Nice info. Matthew Town is only a hundred miles from here. We'll have to check this out.

[Jane.Joy]

Here is a blog post about our visit to Great Inagua, with a few good pics, if anyone is interested:

more JOY everywhere!: Operation Go Great Inagua!

[Jane.Joy]

And here's another blog post about Great Inagua. (Since I'm President of the GI Fan Club, I gotta keep up with the layest GI news.) I fervently hope the planned dinghy dock, mentioned in this post, actually happens - those beach landings can be a bit... gritty

Welcome! Great Inagua Embrace

[JoeM128]

Has anyone reading this been to Great Inagua more recently? What’s the current status of infrastructure ie marina, checkin, provisioning, etc? I’m leaving Samana DR next Tuesday and planning my first stop from here to be at Great Inagua. Seemed like a natural for anyone heading NW from the DR. Even has an airport for my crew to get home! From there single handing up the Bahama chain of islands.

Any info would be much appreciated
Joe Murli
SV Sirena Bella

[earthbm]

Was there last Sunday. Think a 1900s mining company town in Colorado. A few places calling themselves “night clubs”. But, to be fair, the only store in town (Inagua General or something like this), was closed on Sunday. Mosquitoes.

[capn_billl]

Now that Covid is over, can you clear out of Matthew town again?

Last time I was down there you had to go back to Georgetown to get your Covid test, and you only had 3 days to clear into Turks & Caicos before it expired.

[dcareri]

Yes, just there this week. You can easily clear in and out in Matthew Town. Very pleasant and helpful harbor master and C&I people.

[capn_billl]

Thanks, good info.