The Delphi Club, Rolling Harbour
16
Sleeps 16 /
The Delphi Club on Abaco is a small luxury hotel and fishing lodge in an idyllic wilderness location. Its guests enjoy the best of Bahamas bonefishing, brilliant birding and a wide range other activities in one of the Bahamas’ hidden beauty spots.
The Delphi Club on Abaco is a small luxury hotel and fishing lodge in an idyllic wilderness location. Its guests enjoy the best of Bahamas bonefishing, brilliant birding and a wide range other activities in one of the Bahamas’ hidden beauty spots.
Its top quality accommodation and food and its beautiful, unspoiled location attract nature lovers from all over the world. Add in world-class bonefishing, a stunning deserted beach, and charming pool garden, superb food and a great wine cellar, and you have the perfect tropical hideaway.
Surrounded on three sides by dense and pristine woodlands and coppice, the Delphi Club is a haven for wildlife. In the nearby mangrove wetlands may be found a huge expanse of unspoiled bonefishing flats and superb habitat for a wide array of wading birds and other wild life.
Designed in the style of an 18th century colonial plantation house, with large wrap-around verandahs, the 8-bedroom hotel stands on a high ridge to catch the sea breezes and panoramic ocean views. It’s a romantic getaway, a luxury bonefish resort and a birder’s paradise all rolled into one.
It is also available as a fully-staffed, luxury rental property for those seeking a private retreat away from the limelight and it has hosted private house parties of every kind, from small weddings to corporate retreats to special family celebrations.
The Delphi Club has attracted consistently favourable reviews from guests and from the press since it opened in 2009. As one guest commented: “It’s payback time for the fishing widow; she’ll love it just as much as him.” So bonefishers with non-fishing wives or partners to pacify need look no further.
This elegant beachfront retreat is half an hour south of Marsh Harbour, which has an international airport with many direct flights to and from the US and Nassau each day.
Most guests come for a week, but shorter stays are possible. There is a very high level of repeat visits.
The Club is close to the world-class bonefishing flats of the Abaco Marls, where large numbers of uneducated bonefish provide fantastic sport for fly-fishermen in uncrowded waters. There are also superb white-sand wading flats at Cherokee Sound, where larger and more seasoned bone fish and occasional permit present a special challenge, and at Cross Harbour. With the right conditions, there can also be great fishing off the Club’s beach.
For birding, Abaco offers a wide range of avian habitats – an extensive coastline that attracts many migrants, then miles of mangrove wetlands, ancient pine forests and dense hardwood coppice. Over 280 species of birds have been recorded on the island. The Club has published a large photo-book in the birds of Abaco.
There are many options for non-fishers and non-birders, both active and inactive. Diving over spectacular coral reefs; golf at Treasure Cay; guided snorkelling; big game fishing and miles of beachcombing along Abaco’s amazing sandy coastline.
For the less active, boat trips to the charming outer islands, with their picture-postcard colonial villages; massage and beauty treatments; shopping for local crafts in Marsh Harbour; or guided trips on sea or land to explore the amazing wild life and scenery of the Abacos.
Or guests can just completely chill out in the pool garden, on the beach or on one of the Club’s large verandahs, perhaps with a cool glass of Meursault, enjoying one of the world’s most pleasant climates and most beautiful seascapes.
Note that the Club is not a hotel in any conventional sense. Its atmosphere and the way in which it is run are more akin to a private country house party, elegant yet informal – and very relaxed. It’s the initiative of Peter Mantle, who created the multi-award-winning Delphi Lodge in Ireland – a glorious country house and fishing lodge that is listed in “A Thousand Places To See Before You Die”. The Delphi Club at Rolling Harbour is designed to bring the same standards of comfort, atmosphere, dazzling location and culinary excellence as its Irish counterpart, albeit with a tropical twist.
Getting There
Abaco is easily reached by air. There are regular direct flights, often more than once a day, into Marsh Harbour from the following:
Nassau – Bahamasair & SkyBahamas
Miami – American Eagle
Fort Lauderdale – Silver Airways
West Palm Beach – Silver Airways & Bahamasair
Orlando – Silver Airways
White Plains, NY – Wild Cat Touring (regular charter, twice a week)
All these options allow great connectivity with all the major US airlines’ domestic networks. Most flights are under one hour in duration.
From Europe, there are regular transatlantic flights into both Nassau and Miami. British Airways flies from London to Nassau five times a week, while there are daily flights to Miami by BA, American and Continental or, four times a week, by Virgin.
Airline schedules are subject to change, but the easiest route from Europe at present is the morning BA flight from London to Nassau, which allows for a comfortable connection to a BahamasAir flight to Marsh Harbour. You can be sipping cocktails at the Club before 7pm (local time) that same day. Return flights to London from Nassau are normally overnight. The Bahamas are 5 hours behind UK/Ireland.
The frequently cheaper Miami route (linking with flights to Marsh Harbour) currently requires an overnight stop in Miami on the way out (only). Within the Bahamas there is a well-developed internal flight network via BahamasAir and a large number of smaller airlines and inexpensive private charters.
Cars may be hired in Marsh Harbour, subject to advanced booking. The current rate is approximately $75 per day. However, it is envisaged that most guests will not require the use of a car. Club vehicles will distribute the fishermen each day and will make regular visits to Marsh Harbour. Taxis are plentiful in Marsh Harbour.
Accommodation
The Delphi Club overlooks an idyllic beach called Rolling Harbour on the east coast of Great Abaco, about half an hour south of Marsh Harbour.
Secluded, tranquil and surrounded by dense vegetation, the Lodge stands some fifty feet above sea level and offers panoramic views over the Atlantic.
The Great Room at the centre of the house features an enormous dining table (which can seat twenty-four people), a discreet honesty bar, abundant comfortable seating and, again, stunning views from its many glass doors. With fine antiques and an overhead gallery full of fishing paraphernalia, the Great Room is full of character and atmosphere.
The adjacent library is well-stocked with a wide choice of books and features (with some reluctance) the Lodge’s only TV in case of sporting emergencies or global financial melt-down.
Six of the Club’s eight bedrooms are on the ground floor. There are two more on the third floor. All have lovely ocean views and there is a choice of super-kingsize beds or queensize twins.
Outside, the landscaped gardens feature bougainvillea, frangipani, oleander, hibiscus, ficus and a wide variety of palms and other shrubs. There’s an attractive infinity pool and patio with comfortable sun loungers.
The Club’s food is some of the best in the Bahamas. The head chef has worked in several top restaurants in Europe and the Caribbean. His food is simple, fresh and delicious, making optimal use of local ingredients. And the Lodge has an exceptional wine list that is very fairly priced.
The general manager of the Delphi Club is Max Woolnough, who has spent more than a decade in the hospitality industry. He is also a fanatical angler with extensive experience of flyfishing around the world.
The Lodge is run in the style of a country house party, where the characters change from time to time. Everyone generally eats together at one big table from a set menu, with limited choices. There are no bell hops or room service – it’s just a relaxed gathering of kindred spirits in a spectacular location with the best of everything.
The Club is also popular with family or corporate groups wanting to take the whole lodge for a private but fully catered house party, perhaps to mark a special occasion. This can be a remarkably inexpensive option for a group of 12 to 16 people.
Due to its highly secluded location (it can only be accessed by a mile-long forest laneway and there is only one other house within a one mile radius), the Club is also an ideal hideaway for those wishing to escape the glare of public life. The small staff is reliable and discreet.
Activities
Conventional wisdom suggests that fishing lodges offer little to do apart from fishing. In the context of Abaco and the Delphi Club, that is complete bunkum. Abaco is one big unspoilt wilderness, with pristine seascapes, virgin forests, a fascinating history, tremendous wild life and a vibrant colonial heritage. It is unspoilt by mass tourism and yet it’s a thoroughly civilised island with good infrastructure, plentiful air links, friendly people and a wide variety of activities for the restless, the curious and the bone idle.
The Club was designed to be one of the world’s great fishing lodges. But from the outset it also aimed to please the non-fishing fraternity just as much, with its emphasis on superb food, a beautiful location and a wide-range of options for passing the time on this most charming and cosmopolitan of the Bahamian islands.
FOR THE RESTLESS
• Scuba diving over wonderful reefs*
• 2-mile jogging circuit through the woods
• 1.5-mile beach walk
• Guided snorkeling trips*
• Body-boarding on the Club beach
• Sea kayaks on the Club beach
• Golf at Treasure Cay and maybe Winding Bay*
FOR THE CURIOUS
• Boat charters to the colonial settlements on the outer cays*
• Ferry trips to Hope Town or Green Turtle Cay*
• Day trips to the famous beach at Treasure Cay for lunch at Treasure Sands
• Guided birding nature tours by minivan (limited walking)*
• Shopping and lunch in Marsh Harbour
• Scuba lessons*
• Birdwatching – everywhere
• Snorkelling off the Club beach
• Private sailboat and powerboat charters*
• Offshore sportfishing charters*
• Private flyfishing tuition (if you can’t beat them….)*
• Self-drive trips in the Club car
FOR THE IDLE
- Lunch at Pete’s Beach Bar & Gallery (30 mins)
- Lounging by the pool (heated when necessary)
- Massage in your room by a brilliant masseuse*
- A very well-stocked & eclectic library
- Miles of beachcombing on beautiful sandy beaches
- Multi-channel satellite TV in the library
- Universal free wi-fi and guest computer/printer
- Sun beds on the all-but-private beach
…and there’s a very well-stocked bar & wine cellar
* Extra charges will apply and some activities/trips may be subject to sea conditions, but all recommended external activity providers are quality professional operators.
Sporting
The Bahamas are the bonefishing capital of the world.
The fishing on Abaco is of top quality and far less crowded than on the better-known island of Andros. The famous Marls on the west side of the island offer over 200 square miles of first-class bonefishing flats which also give anglers an occasional shot at permit and tarpon in the summer. On the east side the sandy flats at Cherokee Sound provide more great bonefishing options, including some gorgeous white-sand wading flats.
Whether wading alone on the flats, paddling a kayak or poling gently through the mangroves in a guided skiff, fishermen will enjoy many opportunities to cast to these most powerful but stealthy of fish.
The Delphi Club’s guides are all experienced professionals and there will be few excuses for anglers not nailing a handful of bonefish from two or three pounds and up. While blank days can happen (in cloudy or windy conditions spotting the fish can be tricky), the bonefish are always there, year-round and feeding. And unsuitable weather rarely lasts for long.
The excitement and anticipation of bonefishing has no equal in the flyfishing world. Stalking these spooky fish in beautiful shallow waters, casting delicately to a cruising shadow and then trembling with tension as the reel screams out line to a fantastically powerful five-pounder is one of the most complete fishing experiences.
And visually bonefishing is a glorious enterprise, with diverse wildlife on the flats, stunning colours and frequently exquisite weather. Even if the fish are moody and disinclined to play, the whole experience of being out on the water, far away from civilisation, is deeply rewarding.
Bonefishing is a year-round activity, although it is generally best in good sunny weather, with not too much wind, when visibility is optimal. The Bahamas has a very benign climate throughout the year, with average monthly low/high temperatures ranging between 65 and 88 degrees farenheit.
As with any fishing, one can be unlucky with the weather for a few days, but cool, overcast or windy spells rarely last long in the Bahamas. Difficult weeks are possible, especially in the winter, and there are occasional hurricane threats in the summer. But for the great majority of the time the conditions for bonefishing are good or excellent
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