We love sailing I the BVIs and the Abacos. Here are the differences:


- Abacos can be chilly in the wintertime, and hotter in the spring and summer - same latitude as South Florida.
- winds not nearly as good in Abacos, on average, as the BVIs, although last year we had rippin' sustained 35 knot winds for 6 days. But prepare for very light winds also
- Abacos has much better beaches and incredible snorkeling.
- our whole crew bought a week's WiFi package from Bahamas WiMax and none of us could get connected the whole week. Total ripoff.
- restaurant selection and quality are way better in the BVIs.
- the shallow water at low tide in the Abacos just requires more attention to the charts and tide tables, not a big deal for a good skipper.
- same with anchoring.
- visually, the mountains and scenery in the BVIs is much superior, but the water clarity and color in the Abacos is spectacular.
- flights from West Palm Beach are much less expensive and easier than getting to and from Tortola.

Hope this helps. both places are great.