Boats and charters
Crewed yachts, bareboat sailing in the Abacos and Exumas, day boats with a captain, and fishing charters across the islands.
Request boats and charters on ExumaThe Exumas
The Exumas are what most people picture when they think of The Bahamas: a long chain of small cays strung across water so clear and shallow that it reads turquoise from space. Great Exuma, with the main town of George Town, is the inhabited anchor; the Exuma Cays to the north are the playground, best explored by boat.
Great Exuma and Little Exuma are joined by a bridge and share a single road running the length of both. George Town, on Elizabeth Harbour, is the commercial centre and the site of the National Family Island Regatta each April, when traditional wooden sloops race and the town fills up. Across the harbour, Stocking Island has long beaches and a handful of beach bars. Towards the southern end, Tropic of Cancer Beach on Little Exuma is a long curve of fine sand on the line of latitude it is named for.
The Exuma Cays stretch northwest for over a hundred miles. Staniel Cay is the hub for day trips: Thunderball Grotto, a cave you swim into at low tide that appeared in two James Bond films, is just offshore, and Big Major Cay, home to the famous swimming pigs, is a few minutes away by boat. Further north, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, established in 1958 and managed by the Bahamas National Trust, is a no-take marine reserve of exceptional reefs and sandbars.
Most visitors see the cays on a full-day boat excursion from Great Exuma or by flying into Staniel Cay. Day trips also run from Nassau, though the crossing is long and the time in the cays correspondingly short. For sailors and charter guests, the Exumas are the country's most popular cruising ground.
Getting there
Routes change by season. We describe how arrivals work and leave schedules and fares to the carriers.
- Exuma International Airport (GGT) has direct flights from Nassau and from several cities in the United States and Canada, with more frequency in winter.
- Staniel Cay has a small airstrip served by charter and scheduled small-aircraft flights, useful for reaching the northern cays directly.
- Fast ferry and mailboat services connect Nassau with George Town; sailing times are several hours.
What we can arrange on Exuma
Tours and experiences
Swimming pigs, reef snorkelling, blue holes, fishing, cultural tours and Junkanoo: the experiences that define a Bahamas trip, arranged with trusted operators.
Request tours and experiences on ExumaStays
From large resorts on Paradise Island to beach cottages on Eleuthera and villas in the Exumas, matched to the island that suits your trip.
Request stays on ExumaTransport
How to get between the islands and around them: domestic flights, fast ferries, mailboats, rental cars, taxis and airport transfers.
Request transport on ExumaPlanning a trip to Exuma?
Send us your dates and what you have in mind. We will come back with real options for this island and honest advice about what fits.
Questions about Exuma
Where are the swimming pigs?
On Big Major Cay, also called Pig Beach, next to Staniel Cay in the northern Exuma Cays. Visitors reach it by boat, either on an excursion from Great Exuma or Nassau or from Staniel Cay itself.
Do I need a boat to enjoy the Exumas?
Great Exuma has excellent beaches reachable by road, but the cays, the pigs, Thunderball Grotto and the Land and Sea Park are only reachable by boat. Most visitors take at least one full-day excursion or charter.
Is Exuma good for families?
Yes, particularly for families who enjoy the water. Most excursions welcome children, and the shallow, calm beaches on the lee side are well suited to young swimmers.
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Often planned with Exuma
Nassau and New Providence
The capital and main gateway: colonial streets, Cable Beach, Junkanoo, and the easiest connections to every other island.
Eleuthera
A long, thin island of pink-sand beaches, pineapple fields and small settlements, with the Glass Window Bridge where the Atlantic meets the bank.
Harbour Island
Three miles of pink-sand beach, pastel cottages in Dunmore Town and golf carts instead of cars, a short water taxi off Eleuthera's north end.