Hike· Exuma Cays
Russell Family Loyalist Ruins Trail, Hawksbill Cay
24° 29.4′ N · 76° 46.0′ W · approximate
A marked trail inland to the stone bones of a 1785 Loyalist plantation - remains of about ten one-room houses and outbuildings, and a beehive oven that both baked bread and burned conch shells into lime mortar. Sobering, atmospheric, and completely deserted.
Practical
Dinghy north from the northern anchorage around a nub of land to a small beach; the trail starts there. Several dead-end paths precede the marked route - follow the cairns/markers. Steep and rocky in places with sharp weathered limestone; wear real shoes and long trousers, and learn to recognise poisonwood. About 1-1.5 hours round trip. Carry water. Take nothing - the ruins are protected.
Best for
History and a proper leg-stretch ashore
Nearby
- Adler Beach, Hawksbill Cay0.4 NM away
- Hawksbill Cay North Anchorage & Moorings0.4 NM away
- Camp Driftwood Lookout, Shroud Cay2.6 NM away
- Driftwood Beach / The Washing Machine, Shroud Cay2.6 NM away
- Shroud Cay north creek — the classic kayak and SUP run2.8 NM away
- Shroud Cay Mangrove Nursery Wildlife2.9 NM away
- Shroud Cay Mooring Field2.9 NM away
- Sanctuary Creek, Shroud Cay3.2 NM away