Once here, one never has to go far to find excellent marinas, guides and boats for hire, with or without crew. All found a quick ferry ride from 19th century towns. Walking around Hope Town, with its candy-striped lighthouse, small wooden cottages and white picket fences, it's hard to believe people once made a living by salvaging wrecked ships. But the proof is right here in the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum.
Some boats are still handmade without plans, in a tradition that has been passed down for centuries.
This is wonderful natural harbour. The tidy settlement here is akin to New England, save for the palm trees and tropical breezes, and prides itself as much on what it has as what it doesn't. There are no jails, police or high-rise hotels although cottages are for rent. Farther north, there's a colonial fishing village on Green Turtle Cay, New Plymouth. Here, salt-box houses are brightly painted and people are proud of their heritage.