Abaco National Park

The southern end of Great Abaco is covered in Caribbean pine, and around eighty square kilometres of it is protected for one bird: the Abaco parrot, a subspecies of the Cuban amazon found only here and on Inagua, and remarkable because unlike every other amazon parrot in the world it nests underground, in cavities and solution holes in the limestone beneath the pines. That habit protects the chicks from hurricanes and fire but exposes them to feral cats and raccoons, and the population has needed active predator control to recover. The park also holds the Bahama yellowthroat and the Bahama swallow, and a rough track runs south to the Hole-in-the-Wall lighthouse.

The landscape

• The Abaco parrot - the only ground-nesting amazon parrot in the world.
• The pine forest - Caribbean pine over limestone across the park.
• Endemic birds - Bahama yellowthroat, swallow and warbler.
• Hole-in-the-Wall - the lighthouse at the island's southern tip.

When to go

December to May is drier. Early morning is essential for parrots, which are most active and vocal at first light and again before dusk. A local guide makes the difference between seeing them and not.

Before you go

The track south is very rough and needs four-wheel drive; the road to Hole-in-the-Wall is worse and has been impassable at times. There are no facilities, no signage and no marked trails. Parrots are heard far more often than seen. Hurricane Dorian in 2019 hit the pine forest hard and the recovery is ongoing.

Nearby

Marsh Harbour is an hour north; Sandy Point is on the west coast.

Key facts