The Bahamas & the Exumas
A hundred miles of uninhabited cays over banks so shallow you can watch the seabed pass beneath the tender, swimming pigs, snorkel grottoes, and private islands owned by names everyone knows.
- Season: Nov–May
- Nearest jet: NAS / GGT
- The vibe: Bright
A 100-mile chain of uninhabited cays strung across the Great Bahama Bank between Nassau and George Town, the Exumas run on a different scale to the Med — shallow, sun-lit banks in every shade of turquoise, empty anchorages, and a roster of private islands owned by illusionists, actors and Silicon Valley founders. Nassau’s Albany and Atlantis anchor the glamour and the fuel dock; the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park protects the reef and the reputation.
“You don’t need a bigger yacht in the Exumas. You need a shallower one — and a very good tender.”
Signature anchorages
Draft, not LOA (length overall), decides where you swing here — the mothership anchors off, the tender does the work.
- Big Major Cay (Pig Island)An open roadstead — unsheltered by land, not a bay — off Staniel Cay, with good holding on sand; exposed to the west. The original swimming pigs, a privately owned beach with no facilities — tender-only.
- Staniel Cay & Thunderball GrottoSheltered off the Yacht Club; the Bond-film grotto is a tender/swim-in at slack tide — best light near low water.
- Warderick Wells (Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park HQ)Moorings only, no anchoring in the mooring field or on reef; requested daily by VHF (Ch 16 announcement, Ch 9 requests). Deep, current-swept, some of the clearest water in the chain.
- Compass CayPrivate marina and anchorage famous for its resident, hand-fed nurse sharks — shallow, sand-bottomed, family-run.
- Allen’s CayShallow sand anchorage and the first stop north of Nassau — home to the endemic Allen’s Cay rock iguana, found nowhere else on earth.
- Elizabeth Harbour, George TownThe southern hub — broad, well protected, full provisioning ashore, and the finish line of the Family Island Regatta.
The scene
Golfers, illusionists and one very famous beach.
Albany
The 600-acre resort community co-founded by Tavistock Group’s Joe Lewis with Tiger Woods and Ernie Els — Justin Timberlake is among the other partners — its Els-designed course and 71-slip mega-yacht marina draw a roster of touring pros and A-listers.
Depp & Copperfield’s cays
Johnny Depp’s Little Hall’s Pond Cay sits inside the Land & Sea Park beside islands owned by Eddie Murphy and David Copperfield, whose Musha Cay — profiled in full on privateisland.pro — hosted Sergey Brin’s 2007 wedding.
Family Island Regatta
Elizabeth Harbour, George Town — the Bahamas’ longest-running sailing regatta, contested since 1954, last full weekend of April.
Table & stay ashore
Marcus at Baha Mar
Fish + Chop House, chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Caribbean-Bahamian room at Rosewood Baha Mar, Nassau.
Café Boulud
Daniel Boulud’s French-Bahamian dining room, Rosewood Baha Mar.
Dune
Jean-Georges Vongerichten at One&Only Ocean Club, Paradise Island.
One&Only Ocean Club
35-acre Versailles-inspired estate on Paradise Island, a mile of private beach, butler service.
Fowl Cay Resort
Private 50-acre island in the mid-Exumas, six villas each with their own powerboat, overlooking the swimming-pigs beach.
Sandals Emerald Bay
500-acre Great Exuma resort with a Greg Norman course, adjoining the 240ft-capable superyacht marina.
The week, sketched
Nassau
Base at Albany or Atlantis Marina; provision, fuel and settle before the bank crossing.
Nassau to Highbourne Cay
Cross the Yellow/White Bank (about 30–35nm) to Highbourne Cay at the top of the Exuma chain; afternoon at the marina beach.
Allen’s Cay & Warderick Wells
Tender ashore for the rock iguanas, then move south into the Land & Sea Park and pick up a mooring at Warderick Wells.
Staniel Cay, the Grotto & the pigs
Snorkel Thunderball Grotto at slack tide, then tender to Big Major Cay for the swimming pigs; dine at Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
Compass Cay
Short hop north to swim with the resident nurse sharks; quiet sandbank anchorages through the day.
South to George Town / Emerald Bay
Run the chain south to Elizabeth Harbour or the Marina at Emerald Bay for provisioning and a change of scene ashore.
Fly out or return north
Depart via Exuma International (GGT) or cruise back to Nassau for the flight home from Lynden Pindling (NAS).
The long weekend
The mid-chain highlights only, for a shorter charter that skips the run south to George Town.
Nassau
Board at Albany or Atlantis Marina, Nassau's main hubs; a last full provision and fuel-up before the crossing onto the bank.
Nassau to Highbourne Cay
Cross the Yellow/White Bank, about 30–35nm, to Highbourne Cay at the top of the chain; the afternoon belongs to the marina beach.
Allen's Cay & Staniel Cay
A short run south to Allen's Cay, first stop for the rock iguanas found nowhere else on earth, then on to Staniel Cay to swim the Grotto at slack tide — best light near low water — before supper at the Yacht Club.
Big Major Cay & Compass Cay
Tender across to the swimming pigs while the open roadstead is settled, then a short hop to Compass Cay for the resident nurse sharks in the shallows.
Return to Nassau
Retrace the bank crossing for the flight home from Lynden Pindling — the whole loop done inside five days.
The naturalist's traverse
The full run south, with extra time given to the Land & Sea Park and a finish at Emerald Bay.
Nassau
Board at Albany or Atlantis; a slower first day for provisioning, fuel, and clearing the last marina comforts before the crossing.
Nassau to Allen's Cay
Cross the Yellow/White Bank, about 30–35nm, direct to Allen's Cay, anchoring on sand among the endemic rock iguanas.
Warderick Wells
A full day inside the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park — request a mooring by VHF, Ch 16 to announce and Ch 9 to ask; anchoring isn't permitted in the mooring field or reef zones, but the water here is some of the clearest in the chain.
Staniel Cay & Thunderball Grotto
South to Staniel Cay; swim into the Grotto at slack tide, then dinner at the Yacht Club overlooking the anchorage.
Big Major Cay & Compass Cay
A morning tender to Big Major for the swimming pigs, then on to Compass Cay where the nurse sharks come hand-fed and shallow enough to touch.
Elizabeth Harbour, George Town
Run the chain south to the broad, well-protected harbour for a change of scene and full provisioning ashore.
Marina at Emerald Bay
A short hop on to Sandals Emerald Bay's 240ft-capable marina, with a Greg Norman course ashore for anyone who wants a day off the water.
Depart
Fly out from Exuma International (GGT), or cruise back to Nassau for the flight home from Lynden Pindling.
The destination. David Copperfield’s Musha Cay & the Islands of Copperfield Bay lies within the chain — profiled in full on our sister site, privateisland.pro.
Pair with
The year, measured
Monthly means at the heart of this water — daily maxima averaged, wind as mean daily peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air, day °C | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 26 |
| Sea °C | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
| Wind, peak kt | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo · 2019–2023 means · sea temperature 2022–2023
The yachts that run these waters
Profiles from the record — introductions via the harbour desk.
Read on: WAKE — the magazine · the guides · the glossary