Elbow Cay, Caribbean island in Hope Town, Bahamas.
Elbow Cay is an island in the Abaco chain, stretching roughly 5 miles and ringed by white sand beaches and clear turquoise water. A protected harbor on the western side provides shelter and anchors the main settlements where visitors spend most of their time.
British loyalists founded the first permanent settlement in 1785 when Wyannie Malone led a group from Charleston. These early arrivals laid the foundation for Hope Town and the communities that developed afterward.
Hope Town's harbor served as the heart of fishing and shipbuilding, and this maritime tradition still shapes daily life on the island today. Residents maintain their connection to the sea through practices and stories that reflect their ancestors' way of living.
Most visitors arrive by ferry from Marsh Harbour and can then walk or use golf carts to get around Hope Town and the wider island. The flat terrain and compact size make walking manageable, though golf carts remain the most common way to travel between places.
Hope Town's red-and-white striped lighthouse was built in 1863 and remains one of the last manually operated kerosene-fueled beacons in the world. Its distinctive appearance and rare working method make it a notable survival from an earlier era of maritime navigation.
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