With the last vestiges of winter still upon me I headed for an exotic escape to the Bahamas’ Abaco Island, located about 106 miles north of Nassau. I looked down from our small plane that had left Ft. Lauderdale only about 45 minutes before and glimpsed swirls of paint, which were actually shallow reefs, schools of fish and the multi-hued waters of the Caribbean as we prepared to land in Marsh Harbour before my final destination of the Abaco Beach Resort.

It has been said that this area is one of the best anywhere for boating, fishing or just relaxing, and I intended to do the latter. The friendly staff greeted me and took me to my room where I settled in. Each of the 82 ocean view rooms has terraces or balconies and offers spectacular views of the Sea of Abaco. Other amenities include a mini-refrigerator, wet bar, color satellite television, coffee maker and hair dryer.

As I walked to the restaurant for some refreshments, I took a deep breath of warm ocean air and thought how fortunate the locals were to actually live here. Lush tropical landscaping, including coco palms, brilliant hibiscus and fragrant bougainvilleas, lined the walkway. I also saw a hammock that I decided to break-in later on.

Angler’s restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and my favorite was the simple grilled lobster tail with drawn butter. Locally caught fish are also a specialty and the establishment offers these at breakfast as well.

Activities at Abaco Beach Resort include snorkeling, shelling (The nearby beach is loaded with these.), biking, and tennis. The resort’s on-site marina is a full service facility with 191 boat slips and a good place to charter a boat if you want to do some fishing, diving or island hopping.

Ferry boats also shuttle passengers to several nearby islands including Hope Town, a pastel colored settlement with small shops, white sand beaches and quaint restaurants. The UV rays of the sun can be quite strong here so bring some sunscreen and a hat.

One of the more striking landmarks at Hope Town is the red and white striped lighthouse built in 1863. You can climb the 101 steps to the top where you will have a commanding view of both Parrott and Elbow Cay. This is one of three lighthouses in the world that is powered by kerosene lights visible for almost 20 miles.

Shelling is one activity that both adults and kids will enjoy and nearby Shell Island makes it easy for anyone to find these flowers of the sea. I found that just scooping up a handful of sand yields hundreds of small, colorful shells.

As our ferry docked back at Marsh Harbour, I spent some leisure time in one of Abaco Beach Resort’s two pools overlooking the marina. I watched as fishing boats and trawlers came in and out of the harbor as the sunset turned from orange to bright, crimson red. My visit was almost at an end so I savored the colors of the sea and sky as the sun slowly set over the horizon.

This is one location that is still close to the U.S. and easy to reach but a world away. My only regret was my short stay but that can be remedied with another, longer visit.

Check out the resort’s website for more information and specials offered throughout the year at www.abacoresort.com.