Calico Jacks - anything like it?
- Thread starter tkaelin
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ScottsdaleSteve
Contributor
Never been to Calico Jacks, so can't compare, but a little bit north of 7MB is "Cracked Conch". We stopped in for a drink a couple days ago. Great beach bar atmosphere and scenery, right on the water. The public bus (yellow route if you're coming from 7MB) will get you there for $2.50USD each way - they run every 5 minutes or so Monday through Friday. Just wave them down when you see them coming and they stop. The buses are small vans that hold maybe 12 people.
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Thanks. Macabuca is well known to us and we will definitely be going there. We are staying next door. As much as we like Macabuca and while it is on the water, its all ironshore and cement. I am asking about a place on the 7mb beach like Calicos where you could get a drink and sit in a chair with your feet in the water. Very casual, reasonably priced, where locals and tourist alike frequent.
I have no idea. My last trip to GC was 2018 and the only thing I know about GC these days is what I read on SB. Last couple times on GC we stayed up on West Bay near Turtle Reef and only ventured down to 7MB on our last day when we were done diving and the cruise ships were out. I agree with I think one of your posts that GC is getting too built up, at least for me. This could be our last trip to GC staying on the west side. I could still see going to the east end diving with Oceanfrontiers.
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Hi @tkaelin
Unfortunately, I 'm with you. I've been to GC 11 times. My last two visits on the west side were back in 2007 and 2008 at the old Cobalt Coast in the northwest. My last 2 visits to GC were on the east end at Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers. I've thought about returning there but have not made it back yet.
Unfortunately, I 'm with you. I've been to GC 11 times. My last two visits on the west side were back in 2007 and 2008 at the old Cobalt Coast in the northwest. My last 2 visits to GC were on the east end at Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers. I've thought about returning there but have not made it back yet.
I just checked google earth and the land between the cracked conch and coconut bay condo where we stay has been completely cleared with what looks like another big condo development. We shall see. Looking forward to 5 days diving hepps and turtle reef and cracked conch platters at macabuca
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Alucard
Contributor
You will find that Sunset Point development (between Coconut Bay and Cracked Conch) to be quite the eyesore, believe me! Work was still going on with it last week, and they are nowhere near finished - you will be hearing the noise from your unit, and it starts early in the morning and they work weekends!
Hepps and Turtle Reef took a massive hit in the February Nor'Wester - a lot of the tube sponges and sea fans on top of the mini wall were knocked off and the hardpan in the shallows was scoured clean, including the sand-filled dips where the rays used to feed. The good news it that the algae growing on the hard pan has brought in some big schools of fish - 7 Rainbow Parrotfish were hanging out just north of the Turtle Reef buoy for a few weeks. Eagle rays were feeding off the mini walls due to the garden eels being stirred up. Bottom of the mini wall was looking same as usual. Still decent dives, but they remind me more of Cobalt Coast and Lighthouse Point shore dives than what they used to be. The summer bleaching that was everywhere last year seems to have recovered really quickly - didn't see much at all this winter.
Boat diving off the west side is as good as ever - reefs look healthy with lots of stuff to see. Definitely worth it, in my opinion.
The dive shop at Turtle Reef is now InDepth Watersports who back in November bought it off Olin who has retired (he still comes and visits once in a while) - the dive shop got gutted during the storm and they are in the process of a slow rebuild (Macabuca came first, then Cracked Conch, now it's the dive shop's turn).
There is nothing even close to Calico Jack's on Seven Mile Beach right now. They are in the process of gutting it and rebuilding after some tussles with the planning board. No estimate on what form that's going to take, what it's going to be called, or when it will be open. It's a Dart project as I understand and not affiliated with either the Kimpton or the new Indigo hotel that should be opening during the next couple of weeks.
There are two real options for "toes in the sand" adult beverages on SMB - Coccoloba at the Kimpton, or the Coconut Club at the Palm Heights hotel, but the latter is only open to non-residents after 6:30, and is even more upscale than Coccoloba.
Enjoy your stay!
Hepps and Turtle Reef took a massive hit in the February Nor'Wester - a lot of the tube sponges and sea fans on top of the mini wall were knocked off and the hardpan in the shallows was scoured clean, including the sand-filled dips where the rays used to feed. The good news it that the algae growing on the hard pan has brought in some big schools of fish - 7 Rainbow Parrotfish were hanging out just north of the Turtle Reef buoy for a few weeks. Eagle rays were feeding off the mini walls due to the garden eels being stirred up. Bottom of the mini wall was looking same as usual. Still decent dives, but they remind me more of Cobalt Coast and Lighthouse Point shore dives than what they used to be. The summer bleaching that was everywhere last year seems to have recovered really quickly - didn't see much at all this winter.
Boat diving off the west side is as good as ever - reefs look healthy with lots of stuff to see. Definitely worth it, in my opinion.
The dive shop at Turtle Reef is now InDepth Watersports who back in November bought it off Olin who has retired (he still comes and visits once in a while) - the dive shop got gutted during the storm and they are in the process of a slow rebuild (Macabuca came first, then Cracked Conch, now it's the dive shop's turn).
There is nothing even close to Calico Jack's on Seven Mile Beach right now. They are in the process of gutting it and rebuilding after some tussles with the planning board. No estimate on what form that's going to take, what it's going to be called, or when it will be open. It's a Dart project as I understand and not affiliated with either the Kimpton or the new Indigo hotel that should be opening during the next couple of weeks.
There are two real options for "toes in the sand" adult beverages on SMB - Coccoloba at the Kimpton, or the Coconut Club at the Palm Heights hotel, but the latter is only open to non-residents after 6:30, and is even more upscale than Coccoloba.
Enjoy your stay!
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