The Berry Islands

Great Harbour Cay, at the northern end, is the largest and most populated of the chain, with the settlement of Bullock's Harbour, a marina, an airport and a long, sheltered beach on its eastern shore. It is quiet, with a handful of rentals and small lodgings, and it is the Berry Islands as most overnight visitors experience them.

Chub Cay, at the southern tip, is a marina and resort island that has long called itself the billfish capital of The Bahamas. The deep water of the Tongue of the Ocean begins almost at the marina entrance, so marlin, tuna and wahoo grounds are minutes away, and the cay is a traditional first stop for boats crossing from Florida towards Nassau and the Exumas. It has its own airport.

Between the two lie uninhabited cays, blue holes, bonefishing flats and anchorages used by cruising sailors. Great Stirrup Cay and Little Stirrup Cay, at the northern end, are leased by Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean respectively as private islands for their passengers and are not open to the public.

The Berry Islands reward travellers arriving by boat, or those who want fishing and solitude more than restaurants and sights. Day visitors from Nassau occasionally come by fast boat to the sandbars and beaches of the southern cays, and the chain is a regular stop for yachts heading between Florida and the Exumas.