Bahamas
A chain of 365 islands and cays with shallow, clear water, the original swimming pigs, the Thunderball Grotto snorkel cave and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, protected since 1958.
Pigs paddling out to meet the boats at Big Major Cay, a swim into Thunderball Grotto at low tide, and the pale sandbars and mangrove creeks of Shroud Cay, inside a marine park that has been protected since 1958.
The Exumas are a chain of 365 islands and cays in the central Bahamas. Great Exuma and Little Exuma, joined by a bridge, hold George Town, the international airport and most of the places to stay; the Exuma Cays run north towards Nassau, most of them uninhabited. Nearly everything people come for, from the swimming pigs to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, is out on the water, so we plan an Exumas trip around the boat days first and the bed second.
The Exumas are a chain of 365 islands and cays in the central Bahamas, south-east of Nassau. The Ministry of Tourism divides them into three parts. Great Exuma is the largest island, with most of the hotels, Exuma International Airport and the main town, George Town, on the sheltered Elizabeth Harbour. Little Exuma is joined to it by a small bridge and is quieter, home to the Tropic of Cancer Beach. The Exuma Cays run north towards Nassau, most of them uninhabited and reached by boat, with Staniel Cay the main settlement among them and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park covering 112,640 acres in the middle of the chain.
Boats define the place. Almost every headline sight, from the pigs of Big Major Cay to Thunderball Grotto and the nurse sharks of Compass Cay, lies out in the cays rather than on Great Exuma, which is the most useful thing to know before booking. The Exumas suit boaters, snorkellers, couples and independent travellers who want space and clear water more than resorts and nightlife.
The swimming pigs of Big Major Cay are what most people have seen, but the reason to come is the water. A day out in the Exumas means threading between uninhabited cays, walking out onto sandbars, swimming into Thunderball Grotto at low tide and drifting over the reefs of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which the Bahamas National Trust has protected since 1958 and describes as the first marine reserve in the Bahamas and the wider Caribbean.
Ashore, George Town is a small working town on Elizabeth Harbour, Stocking Island is a water taxi away, and Little Exuma has the long Tropic of Cancer Beach. The food is simple and good: conch salad chopped to order, cracked conch, and grilled rock lobster in season. If what you want is nightlife and big resorts, Nassau suits better; if it is water, wildlife and quiet, the Exumas are hard to beat. Nassau is also the usual connection, so a night there at either end fits naturally.
A day in the northern cays — The classic Exumas day is a full day on a boat through the cays north of Great Exuma. The usual stops are Big Major Cay, where around 20 pigs and piglets swim out to meet the boats; Thunderball Grotto off Staniel Cay, a cave you swim into through an underwater entrance at low tide; Compass Cay, where nurse sharks gather at the marina dock; and Bitter Guana Cay, home to endangered Bahamian rock iguanas. Lunch is usually at Staniel Cay. Tours run from Great Exuma and from Nassau; we prefer starting from the Exumas, which leaves more time in the water.
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park — Set up in 1958 and run by the Bahamas National Trust, the park covers 112,640 acres of cays, reef, mangrove and seagrass, and the Trust describes it as the first marine reserve in the Bahamas and the wider Caribbean. Nothing may be fished, shelled or taken. Shroud Cay's mangrove creeks and sandbars, the trails and moorings at the Warderick Wells headquarters and the reefs between them are the reason sailors linger here for days.
Elizabeth Harbour and Stocking Island — From George Town, a water taxi crosses the harbour to Stocking Island for beach days, starfish in the shallows and conch salad at Chat 'n' Chill, which holds a pig roast on Sundays. At the island's eastern end, the Bahamas National Trust's trails in Moriah Harbour Cay National Park climb to lookouts over the harbour, and the reefs at Fowl Cay are the park's snorkelling stop.
Sloops and the regatta — The Ministry of Tourism calls the Exumas the regatta capital of the Bahamas. Every April the National Family Island Regatta fills Elizabeth Harbour with Bahamian workboats, hand-built wooden sloops with canvas sails, racing for the islands, and George Town turns out on the shore.
Little Exuma by car — Drive south over the bridge to Little Exuma for the Tropic of Cancer Beach, a long crescent of white sand named for the line of latitude it sits on, and stop at the communities on the way. It is the easiest day on the Exumas that needs no boat at all.
The Exumas neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
The chain's main town, on the sheltered water of Elizabeth Harbour on Great Exuma: a small grid of shops, banks, bars and the dock for water taxis, with the international airport to the north.
The long, narrow island that shelters George Town's harbour, with beaches on both sides, a handful of small resorts and the trails of Moriah Harbour Cay National Park at its eastern end.
The stretch of Great Exuma north of the airport, built around a marina and a white-sand bay with resort villas.
The smaller, quieter island over the bridge from Great Exuma: a few settlements, rental houses and the beach the chain is best known for on land.
A tiny settlement in the middle of the Exuma Cays, with an airstrip, a yacht club and a marina, a short boat ride from the pigs and the grotto.
Exuma food is Bahamian Out Island cooking: simple, seafood-led and generous. Conch is everywhere, cracked (battered and fried), in fritters, and as conch salad, chopped raw to order with onion, pepper, tomato and citrus at a dock or shack. Rock lobster (crawfish) is in season from 1 August to 31 March, grilled or in salads. Expect grouper and snapper, peas 'n' rice, johnnycake and guava duff.
Chat 'n' Chill on Stocking Island is the place for conch salad and its Sunday pig roast, and Staniel Cay Yacht Club is the lunch stop on most trips through the cays, with conch fritters and lime pie. Kalik is the local beer; rum punch is the default cocktail. Because so much is imported, eating out is not cheap and menus can be short, so many visitors on Great Exuma self-cater from George Town's shops.
Menus lean heavily on seafood, and the choice shrinks on the small cays. Vegetarians manage with peas 'n' rice, macaroni, salads and fruit, but ask about meat stock and pork in rice dishes; vegans will do best self-catering from George Town's shops. Halal and kosher food are effectively unavailable. Cracked conch and fritters are battered; grilled fish and conch salad are the naturally gluten-free choices. Tell staff about shellfish allergies clearly, as lobster and conch turn up in many dishes.
Decide first whether the trip is about the town or the cays. George Town on Great Exuma has the shops, the restaurants, the water taxi to Stocking Island and the shortest ride from the airport, with Emerald Bay to the north for resort stays and Little Exuma to the south for quiet beach houses. Staniel Cay puts the pigs and Thunderball Grotto a short boat ride away, but rooms are few and everything comes in by boat. Many people split the stay. For the April regatta, book months ahead.
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On Great and Little Exuma a hire car is the practical choice: the islands are long and thin, joined by the Queen's Highway and a bridge, and public transport is minimal. Traffic drives on the left, but most hire cars are left-hand drive US imports, and a UK photocard licence is valid for up to three months. Taxis wait at the airport; agree the fare before you set off.
The Exumas are above all a boat destination. The pigs, Thunderball Grotto, Compass Cay, the iguana cays, the sandbars and the Land and Sea Park are all out in the cays and reached only by water, on a full-day boat tour, a private charter or, if you are based on Staniel Cay, a short ride. From George Town, a water taxi crosses Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island. These boat days are the heart of the trip and most of the cost.
There is no meaningful bus network in the Exumas. Getting around means a hire car, a scooter or a taxi on Great and Little Exuma, and a boat for the cays. Taxis meet flights at Exuma International and can be booked for longer runs, such as out to Little Exuma; agree the price first. There are no everyday public ferries between the cays: transfers are by boat tour, charter, water taxi (George Town to Stocking Island) or light aircraft to Staniel Cay.
Ready-made day plans for The Exumas — from a single day to a long weekend.
Fly in to Exuma International and settle in George Town. Take the water taxi across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island for a swim, the starfish shallows and conch salad at Chat 'n' Chill, then walk the Bahamas National Trust trail at the eastern end for the view back over the harbour. Dinner in town.
Give day two to the northern cays on a full-day boat trip: the pigs at Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto at low tide, the nurse sharks at Compass Cay, the iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay and lunch on Staniel Cay. Back in George Town by late afternoon.
Hire a car and drive south over the bridge to Little Exuma for a long morning at the Tropic of Cancer Beach, then explore the creeks and flats of Moriah Harbour Cay National Park by kayak or with a bonefishing guide.
Split the stay: three nights on Great Exuma for the harbour, the beaches and Little Exuma, then a short flight or boat transfer to Staniel Cay for two nights among the cays, with a day exploring Shroud Cay and Warderick Wells in the Land and Sea Park.
We plan around the boat, not the bed. A night or two on Staniel Cay means reaching the pigs and Thunderball Grotto before the day-trip boats arrive, and early mornings at Big Major Cay are calmer for people and pigs alike. Thunderball Grotto is entered at low tide, so let the tide set the day. Look beyond the pigs: the endangered Bahamian rock iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay and the creeks of Shroud Cay are easy to fold into a day in the cays. On Little Exuma, the Tropic of Cancer Beach is worth a full morning; take water and shade, as facilities are few. If a charter is beyond budget, a shared full-day tour still covers the main stops. And carry some cash: once you leave George Town, small places may not take cards.
Yes. Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto, Compass Cay, the iguana cays and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park are all out in the cays and reached only by water: on a full-day boat tour, a charter, or from a base on Staniel Cay. The boat days are the biggest cost of an Exumas trip, so we budget for them first.
There are no direct flights. British Airways flies direct from London to Nassau in about 9 hours 30 minutes, then Bahamasair flies Nassau to Exuma International (GGT) in about 45 minutes. The alternative is a connection through a US hub such as Miami or Atlanta, which needs an ESTA. Many people spend a night in Nassau at one or both ends.
December to April, the drier months with average highs of about 25 to 27°C. The hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October, when storms and rough water can cancel trips to the cays.
The Bahamian dollar is fixed at par with the US dollar. Hotels and bigger restaurants take cards; we carry cash for water taxis, small bars and tips. The Exumas are not a budget destination: food is largely imported and boat trips add up quickly.
Usually not for stays of up to 30 days, according to the UK Foreign Office; the passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you leave. Check the FCDO entry requirements before you travel.
George Town on Great Exuma has the airport, shops and restaurants, but the famous sights are a long boat ride north. Staniel Cay puts them close by but is small and costs more. A split stay gives you both.
20 APR 
2 JUN The 4 shores actually worth the trip on The Exumas — ranked, with the vibe of each and where to stay nearby. Tap a card to fly the map to it.
A long crescent of white sand and shallow blue-green water on Little Exuma, named for the line of latitude it sits on.
Best for a lazy beach day by car
Across Elizabeth Harbour from George Town by water taxi: calm water, starfish in the shallows and a beach bar with a Sunday pig roast.
Best for an easy half day from George Town
The uninhabited cay where around 20 pigs and piglets swim out to the boats; reached only by water, close to Staniel Cay.
Best for the swimming pigs
Sandbars and mangrove creeks inside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, where nothing may be taken and the boats anchor off.
Best for sandbars and creeks by dinghy or kayak
The landmarks, museums, viewpoints and shores worth your time on The Exumas — filter by what you're into. Tap a card to fly the map to it.
Landmarks © Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) The famous barefoot beach bar on Stocking Island, a short water-taxi hop across Elizabeth Harbour from George Town — home of the Sunday pig roast, fresh conch salad and Volleyball Beach.
Best for Beach bars
A private northern-Exuma marina where habituated, harmless nurse sharks gather at the dock, and you can wade and swim among them in clear, shallow water.
Best for Wildlife
Landmarks © Craig Stanfill / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) A 176-square-mile no-take marine reserve — the Caribbean's first, founded in 1958 — of pristine cays, coral and sea life, run by the Bahamas National Trust.
Best for Snorkelling
A hollow limestone islet off Staniel Cay whose sunlit interior cavern — a James Bond film set — you snorkel into through a low opening.
Best for Snorkelling
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The Exumas · Around the island · 1 island · 4 beaches · 4 attractions
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View & book →December – April (drier months, before the hurricane season)
Units
What to expect — Warm and mostly dry. Average highs climb from about 26°C in March to 28°C in May, and March and April see under 50 mm of rain a month before May turns wetter at about 96 mm.
What's best — Settled weather for boat days, and the National Family Island Regatta in Elizabeth Harbour in late April; book George Town rooms early for regatta week.
What to expect — Hot and humid, with average highs of about 29 to 31°C and the longest sunny days of the year. The hurricane season starts on 1 June.
What's best — Long, sunny days on the water (about 11 to 12 hours of sunshine a day on our data); the rock lobster season reopens on 1 August. Keep plans flexible and insurance in order.
What to expect — Still hot in September (about 31°C), easing to about 27°C by November. October is the wettest month on our data at about 104 mm, and most Atlantic hurricane activity falls between mid-August and mid-October.
What's best — November, as the rain eases and the hurricane season ends on 30 November; September and October are the riskiest months for storms and cancelled boat trips.
What to expect — The mildest, driest time, with average highs of about 25 to 26°C 32 to 46 mm of rain a month and night-time lows of about 21 to 22°C.
What's best — The most reliable months for the cays, yachts filling Elizabeth Harbour, and Exuma's own Junkanoo parade in George Town in early January.
Skip a day trip to the pigs from Nassau if you are already in the Exumas → go from Great Exuma, or spend a night on Staniel Cay, a short boat ride from Big Major Cay and the grotto.
Skip a car for Stocking Island → the water taxi from George Town gets you there, and everything on the island is on foot.
Skip hand-feeding the pigs on the sand → let the guide lead, keep fingers clear and leave the piglets space.
Skip the shells as souvenirs → nothing may be taken inside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park; buy a carving or straw work in George Town instead.
The cays fill up as the day-trip boats arrive; an early start, or a night on Staniel Cay, gets you there first.
Thunderball Grotto is entered at low tide, so the tide sets the timing of most boat days.
Regatta week in late April fills George Town; book rooms and boats early.
The hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and wind can cancel boat trips in any month, so we leave a spare day.
No fishing, shelling or conching anywhere inside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park; the wardens patrol from Warderick Wells.
Never get into water that has been baited to attract marine life; FCDO links several shark attacks in Bahamian waters to baiting.
Cover up away from the beach, and treat the island churches as places of worship.
Same-sex relations have been legal since 1991, but public affection is uncommon and can draw unwanted attention.
The Bahamian dollar has been fixed at par with the US dollar since 1973, so prices in either read the same.
Carry some cash for water taxis, small bars and tips; hotels and larger restaurants take cards.
VAT of 10% applies, including to Land and Sea Park mooring fees.
British citizens can usually stay up to 30 days without a visa, with extensions possible up to 8 months.
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you leave.
If you route through the US, you will need US permission to travel (an ESTA for most), and FCDO notes that time in the Bahamas counts towards its 90 days.
The Out Islands, the Exumas among them, have lower crime rates than Nassau and Grand Bahama, according to the UK Foreign Office, though petty theft and drink spiking rise during regattas and festivals; lock rental houses and keep an eye on your drink. The real hazards are on the water. Go out only with established operators, accept weather cancellations and wear a life jacket on open-water runs. FCDO warns that the water-sports industry is poorly regulated, so we check equipment before hiring.
At Thunderball Grotto, swim in at low tide, watch for boat traffic overhead and be honest about your swimming. The pigs are large animals and can be pushy when food is about, so keep fingers clear and follow the guide. The nurse sharks at Compass Cay are wild animals; do not grab or corner them, and never get into water that has been baited. Sun and dehydration are constant risks on all-day boat trips. Emergency medical facilities on the Family Islands are limited, and serious cases are flown to Nassau or Miami, so travel insurance with medical evacuation matters.
The Exumas are quiet, church-going islands where a courteous, unhurried manner goes a long way. A 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' before getting to business is expected. Dress is casual, but beachwear belongs on the beach: cover up in shops, restaurants and the churches, which are places of worship. Sunday is observed, and some businesses close or open shorter hours. Boats, meals and repairs run on island time. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a no-take reserve where fishing, shelling and conching are banned, and the same low-impact habits are expected around wildlife across the chain. Sloop sailing is a living tradition here, and regatta week is the best time to see it.
Expensive: boat days, imported food and inter-island flights are the main costs (see budget notes)
911 or 919 (police, fire, ambulance); VHF channel 16 for emergencies at sea
There are no direct flights from the UK to the Exumas. British Airways flies direct from London to Nassau (NAS) in about 9 hours 30 minutes, and from Nassau Bahamasair flies nonstop to Exuma International (GGT), north of George Town, in about 45 minutes, typically twice a day. The other option is to connect in the US: the Ministry of Tourism lists nonstop flights to George Town from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte and Atlanta, plus Toronto, some of them seasonal, so check the airline's own schedule. A US routing needs US travel permission (an ESTA for most British passport holders).
For the northern cays, Staniel Cay Airport is a small airstrip for small-aircraft flights. There is no regular passenger ferry from Nassau: Bahamas Ferries' George Town sailing carries freight only. Search fares on our Exuma flights page.
Flights, airport transfers and car hire to GGT — search and compare without leaving the page.
