We went to Great Guana due to Caribbean Travel and Leisure's Ultimate Beach Issue in February 2005. It was a truly unique experience. The 1st place we've ever been to that you cannot fly into. You can only get to Great Guana by boat. You land at the airport in Marsh Harbor, bGreat Abaco and take a 10 minute taxi ride to the dock where you catch the ferry to the island. Thank you to all the travelers who advised us to do all of our shopping in Great Abaco. HUGE price difference!!! Buy the food and spirits you'll need for your stay BEFORE you get on the ferry otherwise, you'll pay a lot more for the same items with significantly less selection. There's a huge US type market close to the ferry, the taxi will take you and wait. Arriving at the Great Guana dock, we were met by a driver from the Dolphin who got us to the property in about 8 minutes. The property was a dream come true. Quaint, small, the walkways, laced with foliage. It was sooooooo lovely which is why I take the time to write this review almost a year later. Our home away from home, "Rory's Cottage" named for the owner's son was on a glorious beach with an incredible view of the sea and sky. You don't use keys here, the island is that safe. It was like living in a studio cottage. The bathroom left a lot to be desired, but if you want a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton, go there instead.The housekeeping is definitely indifferent. I could do a much better job but something is better than nothing. We wanted peace and tranquility, to be off the beaten path and that's where you are at the Dolphin. Our cottage had it's own kitchen, porch facing the ocean, barbeque grill and private entry to the beach with a sign at the landing at the top of the stairs marked, "Private". We made our own breakfast every day and I started each morning with a dip at the pool at about 6AM when no one is in sight but the resident pelican. We rented a golf cart and had a real blast tooling around the island. Rebecca and the other woman who ran the office were always very helpful. The video library on site is really good, I saw a few movies I'd meant to catch in theatres and missed. Sunrises were breathtaking. You get to know folks as there are less than 150 who live on the island year round. Folks wave as they pass your golf cart. Troy, Maria, Bella and their other daughter, a real sweetie, made us feel so at home. We did 3 excursions with them, the full day to Harbor Island (do climb to the top of the ligthhouse) and Man-o-War Cay; a drop off on Baker's Bay where we had the beach all to ourselves for a totally romantic afternoon and saving the best for last, a trip where we went snorkeling over the remains of a shipwreck. I saw things I've never seen in the sea. Nurse sharks, barracuda, huge manta rays, beautiful reefs and schools of pretty fish in and out of the remains of the shipwreck and reefs. Everyone everywhere was so nice. Locals and tourists will ask you for a lift on your golf cart and it's fun to help out. Sunday at Nippers was surreal, suddenly there are dozens of people on the beach and boats anchored off shore for the weekly boar roast. Brendel, a famous divemaster from Green Turtle Cay was holding court. It was like a celebrity sighting. The food is good at Nippers, the Saturday barbeque at Guana Seaside Village where my husband loved the ribs is another must. The island Blue Water Grill is pretty tasty, but go early as they run out of things and don't serve very late. The view of the water is really pretty and they have good bar service. There's another great restaurant whose name I can't remember, but the food was the best on the island. It's in a gated community with it's own marina. Great food, great drinks, extremely slow service!!!! Ask it's down the road from the main street in The Settlement, the town on the island. This island is for true island lovers who don't want crowds, all inclusives or all the comforts of homes. From the upper level of Nippers you can see the Atlantic and the Sea of Abaco at the same time. This is a special haven, if you're looking for a slice of paradise lost plan to make a trip to Great Guana Cay. Just be prepared for seeing sharks in the water and be very very cautious on where you swim and the time of day!!!! Everyone we met had a shark tale, so swimming in these waters is not for the faint hearted. Nurse sharks are what you'll encounter primarily, but as I learned here, barracuda are more likely to bite you and they can get pretty large, so don't swim to close to them. Be sure not to wear anything shiny when you're in the water as well. I wish you a wonderful trip we extended our stay we were so enthralled by the island but I want your trip to be a safe one. Each cottage has a jornal for opinions from anyone who's ever stayed there and I was happy to share my thoughts on what a wonderful holiday our time on Great Guana had been. Bon chance!

My wife and I just returned from spending our first anniversary at Dolphin Beach Resort. We absolutely loved it and will undoubtedly return. Here are some things I wish I knew before I went:
- If you stay in the main lodge be aware that Seaview is the only one of the four rooms that does not have its own private screened in shaded porch. The room is fine but the sun is brutal so you need the shade if you plan on reading in the afternoon. All the other rooms are essentially identical.
-If you're travelling with another couple or family grab one of the larger cottages and you'll save tons by cooking in a few nights. Average dinner costs for 2 people having 2 beers each, and an entree each, and splitting an app were about $100.
-No need to rent a golf cart if you are even just somewhat fit. The beach cruisers they have are perfect for tooling around the whole island. We saw everything via the bikes and felt more connected using them. Bring a headlamp or a flashlight for night time biking.
-Bring some breakfast bread. There is basically nowhere for breakfast and the one bakery, while good, has a very limited selection and odd hours.
- Go to Nippers. We were a bit hesitant because it appeared raunchy but it's really not that bad. It was only sketchy on Sunday afternoon. Think of old ladies dirty dancing and drinking too much and you get the idea. But every afternoon we went for lunch it was perfect for families. The sandwiches are awesome, the cole slaw is great, and the beer is ice cold.
- Buy your beer on Marsh harbour. A case of Bud there is $40, but a case on Guana is $64. Basically, buy all your groceries before you get to Guana. The prices are outrageous on Guana and the quality and selection is pretty bad.
- Take a dive/snorkel trip with Troy from Dive Guana. We had never snorkeled before so Maria gave us a little lesson (free) in Fishers' Bay and sent us on the trip next morning. It was awesome. You see so many cool things out over the reef. They turned us into snorkelers!
-Go to Guana Seaside resort on Wednesday nights for their island potluck dinner.
- Most places request reservations for dinner so pop into potcake's (DBR's little giftshop) and ask Victoria or Rebecca to radio it in to the restaurant. This is key because we were turned away for lack of a reservation at one place.

That's about all I can think of. Enjoy your stay!

A girl week getaway. We felt like one of the locals when we left. One of the best trips ever. Each day was different and special. You don't even remember what stress is......This is were you go to hide away from the world and find yourself.

TIP1: Bring and conserve your CASH. It is extremely difficult to get cash on the island ... we tried at several spots and only Nippers would give us cash against our credit card and charges $10 per $100 in cash. Most every place takes credit cards but the ferry ($15 pp) does not and you need cash for taxis and the departure tax.
TIP2: We bought groceries at Marsh Harbor (raw chicken, milk, cereal, wines, beer, etc.) and had to buy a cooler since we didn't plan correctly ... next time we will buy groceries about 1/2 hr before the ferry leaves that way we don't have to continue to donate decent coolers to Dolphin Beach. The distance between the grocery store and the ferry is a maximum of 4 minutes and there are MANY taxis waiting in both places.

We stayed at the Buttonwood Feb 12 thru Feb 16 and the weather was glorious, everyone was very friendly. We loved the complimentary kayaks at Dive Guana (just behind the Blue Water Grill) (Maria at the dive/gift shop is extremely NICE--go visit her she's great!))...Becca from Dolphin Beach was wonderful. I went deep sea fishing with a recommended local named "Mike" (who also works at Nippers) and his dog "charley"...let's just say "don't do it". He was not prepared with the right tackle or bait and we spent 5 hours crusing around "trolling" in the wrong waters and I ended up having to pay hime $200 for nothing. Lesson learned...go see the person and the boat before BOOKING!! One look in advance and I would have known. It's much harder to say "no thanks" at 7am in the morning at the dock in front of the boat. The Blue Water Grill had decent food but the staff was very rude. Take a pass. Unless you are very hungry. Nippers has a great drink that they pre-make called (originally) "The Nipper"...it's good booze for the price...$5 for a plastic cup on the rocks and guarantees a major buzz. Overall we would go again, me, my husband and our 3.75 yr old daughter. We had a LOT of fun. Rent a golf cart!