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Classic Bahamas Island-Hopper: Nassau, Eleuthera, the Exumas, Cat Island & Long Island

A 12-night, five-island run down the spine of the Bahamas — Nassau, Eleuthera and Harbour Island's pink sand, the Exumas' swimming pigs, monastic Cat Island and Long Island's Dean's Blue Hole — linked by short inter-island flights and one fast ferry, never by road between islands.

✈Plane⛴Ferry⛴Boat
  • Trip dates 31 Jul – 12 Aug 2026
  • Length13 days · 12 nights
  • TransportPlane + Ferry + Boat
  • Countries1 · Bahamas

Overview

This is the full Bahamas island-hopper, mirroring the classic north-to-south chain: you start on Nassau and Paradise Island, cross to Eleuthera and Harbour Island for the country's most photographed beach, fly south to the Exumas for the swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto, then push on to two quieter Out Islands — Cat Island, with the little stone monastery on the highest hill in the country, and Long Island, home to the deepest blue hole in the world. It is a genuine hopper: five islands in twelve nights, each stop two or three nights, moving on by a short flight or a fast ferry. Because the Out Islands don't connect to each other, most hops route back through Nassau — honest, quick, and the reason you keep your bags light. There is no rental car dragged between islands; you pick one up only where the sights are spread along a road, on Eleuthera, Cat Island and Long Island. It suits a confident traveller who wants the range of the archipelago over a single beach, and it leads on where you sleep — each island's stay is the anchor booking, with the boat days and the pigs excursion as add-ons.

The route

12 overnight bases, numbered in order. Tap a pin to jump to that day.

© OpenFreeMap · OSM contributors · straight-line route (not turn-by-turn)

13 days, day by day. Open any day for the morning-to-evening plan, where to eat, and where you sleep that night.

  1. Day 1 Fri 31 Jul Arrive Nassau & Paradise Island Base day

    Arrive Nassau & Paradise Island

    Morning. Land at Lynden Pindling International (NAS), taxi ~20 minutes to the hotel and drop bags.

    Afternoon. First swim at Cable Beach, the long resort strand west of downtown.

    Evening. A relaxed welcome dinner near the resort strip.

    Eat. Cracked conch and a cold Kalik — the Bahamian starter kit.

    Where to stay. Base on Cable Beach or Paradise Island — a Baha Mar or Atlantis-area resort keeps the beach and the sights close and is the primary booking of the leg. First-night priority is an easy pool-and-beach arrival, not sightseeing.

    Optional / swaps. A sunset stroll to Junkanoo Beach, the lively local town beach with its beach bars, if you land early.

    Practical. The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and USD is accepted everywhere; carry cash for taxis and the Fish Fry.

    🛏 Nassau & Paradise Island · 1 night · 2 guests

  2. Day 2 Sat 1 Aug Nassau & Paradise Island Base day

    Nassau: forts, staircase & Fish Fry

    Morning. Downtown Nassau for the Queen's Staircase, the 65 steps cut through solid limestone up to Fort Fincastle, then Bay Street and the Straw Market.

    Afternoon. Lunch and conch salad chopped to order at Arawak Cay (the "Fish Fry"), then Junkanoo Beach or the resort pool for the hot part of the day.

    Evening. Dinner at Marina Village on Paradise Island; harbour lights.

    Eat. Conch salad at Arawak Cay, chopped raw with citrus, onion and Scotch bonnet; guava duff for pudding.

    Where to stay. Same base — no moving before the ferry south.

    Optional / swaps. Atlantis Aquaventure for the slides and marine habitat, or John Watling's Distillery for a rum tasting in a colonial estate.

    Practical. Downtown is packed on big cruise-ship days — do the forts and staircase early.

    🛏 Nassau & Paradise Island · 1 night · 2 guests

  3. Day 3 Sun 2 Aug Nassau & Paradise Island → Harbour Island (Eleuthera) ~110 km Ferry

    Nassau → Harbour Island

    Morning. Board the fast ferry from Nassau across to Harbour Island (or fly the 15 minutes to North Eleuthera and take the five-minute water taxi across).

    Afternoon. Check in and walk straight out to Pink Sands Beach for the light — the three-mile strand whose coral-pink tint is real and best in soft morning and evening sun.

    Evening. Golf-cart into Dunmore Town's pastel lanes for dinner.

    Eat. Fresh catch at a Bay Street table; Bahamian mac and cheese on the side.

    Where to stay. Harbour Island is the Eleuthera anchor — a Dunmore Town cottage or a Pink Sands / Coral Sands-style beachfront room steps from the pink beach. Book the room first; the island runs on golf carts, so rent one on arrival.

    Optional / swaps. If the ferry lands late, keep the evening to a beach walk and an early night.

    Practical. The fast ferry runs to a fixed schedule — book ahead and confirm the day's sailing, as weather can move it.

    🛏 Harbour Island (Eleuthera) · 1 night · 2 guests

  4. Day 4 Mon 3 Aug Harbour Island (Eleuthera) Base day

    Harbour Island: Pink Sands

    Morning. A slow morning on Pink Sands Beach; snorkel the reef offshore or walk the quiet northern end.

    Afternoon. A cart tour of Dunmore Town — the clapboard churches, the pastel colonial houses and the harbour side.

    Evening. Sunset drinks on the harbour, then dinner in town.

    Eat. Conch chowder and grilled snapper; a slice of guava duff.

    Where to stay. Same Harbour Island base.

    Optional / swaps. A couples-style spa afternoon or a lazy pool day if the beach has worn you out.

    Practical. Reef-safe sun cream only, and go easy at midday — the pink sand throws the light back at you.

    🛏 Harbour Island (Eleuthera) · 1 night · 2 guests

  5. Day 5 Tue 4 Aug Harbour Island (Eleuthera) Base day

    Eleuthera day: Glass Window & Governor's Harbour

    Morning. Water taxi across and a hired car or driver to the Glass Window Bridge, the narrow neck where the deep navy Atlantic meets the pale bank waters side by side.

    Afternoon. South to Governor's Harbour — the island's pretty colonial capital — and French Leave Beach for a long lunch and a swim.

    Evening. Back to Harbour Island for dinner.

    Eat. A Governor's Harbour lunch of fresh fish; pineapple anything (Eleuthera is pineapple country).

    Where to stay. Same base — this is a mainland Eleuthera day trip, bags stay put.

    Optional / swaps. The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve boardwalk, or the Queen's Bath rock pools in calm seas only.

    Practical. Only approach the Queen's Bath in calm conditions — the Atlantic side is dangerous in swell.

    🛏 Harbour Island (Eleuthera) · 1 night · 2 guests

  6. Day 6 Wed 5 Aug Harbour Island (Eleuthera) → The Exumas (George Town) ~315 km Fly

    Harbour Island → the Exumas

    Morning. Fly from North Eleuthera, connecting through Nassau (the Out Islands don't link directly), to Exuma International (GGT).

    Afternoon. Settle in on Elizabeth Harbour, where the winter yachts anchor, and a first swim.

    Evening. Dinner in George Town.

    Eat. Fresh rock lobster in season (Aug–Mar) or grilled grouper; peas 'n' rice.

    Where to stay. George Town on Great Exuma is the practical base — Grand Isle Resort at Emerald Bay for full service, or a harbour guesthouse in town near the restaurants and car hire. Book the room as the anchor and add the boat days.

    Optional / swaps. A sundowner across on Stocking Island if a water taxi is running.

    Practical. Connectivity thins out here — download anything you need and carry cash.

    🛏 The Exumas (George Town) · 1 night · 2 guests

  7. Day 7 Thu 6 Aug The Exumas (George Town) Base day

    The Exumas: pigs, grotto & the cays

    Morning. A full-day powerboat run up the cays — Big Major Cay for the swimming pigs, then Thunderball Grotto, the James Bond snorkel cave off Staniel Cay.

    Afternoon. On to Compass Cay for the tame nurse sharks at the marina dock (note: Compass Cay is not yet a page in our catalogue — referenced by name), and the protected reefs of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park.

    Evening. Back to George Town, tired and salted.

    Eat. Conch fritters and a Goombay Smash at a beach bar.

    Where to stay. Same George Town base.

    Optional / swaps. Break the day at Bitter Guana Cay for the rock iguanas.

    Practical. Feed the pigs only from the water, never hand-to-mouth; snorkel the grotto near low tide and mind boat traffic overhead.

    🛏 The Exumas (George Town) · 1 night · 2 guests

  8. Day 8 Fri 7 Aug The Exumas (George Town) Base day

    The Exumas: Chat 'N' Chill & Stocking Island

    Morning. Water taxi across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island and Chat 'N' Chill, the famous Sunday-pig-roast beach bar on the sandspit (not yet in our catalogue — referenced by name; nearest catalogued spot is the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park).

    Afternoon. Swim the sandbar, watch the stingrays at the conch shack, and walk the ocean-side beach.

    Evening. Last dinner in George Town.

    Eat. Cracked conch and rum punch at Chat 'N' Chill, feet in the sand.

    Where to stay. Final Exuma night at the same base.

    Optional / swaps. A Great Exuma ATV tour of caves, beaches and historic sites for a land-based change of pace.

    Practical. Sea state governs the harbour crossing; keep the day flexible if it's windy.

    🛏 The Exumas (George Town) · 1 night · 2 guests

  9. Day 9 Sat 8 Aug The Exumas (George Town) → Cat Island (New Bight) ~123 km Fly

    Exuma → Cat Island

    Morning. Fly back through Nassau to Cat Island's New Bight Airport (TBI).

    Afternoon. Settle in on one of the island's long empty beaches; nothing scheduled.

    Evening. A simple local dinner; Cat Island is the home of rake-and-scrape music if any is playing.

    Eat. Fresh fish and peas 'n' rice at a local spot; Cat Island is known for its bush-medicine traditions and honest home cooking.

    Where to stay. Base near New Bight — Fernandez Bay Village or a small beach cottage; this is a quiet, low-rise island, so the room and the beach are the point. The primary booking of the leg.

    Optional / swaps. A first look at the foot of Mount Alvernia if you land early.

    Practical. Cat Island is spread out and quiet — arrange a hire car or a driver for tomorrow's Hermitage visit.

    🛏 Cat Island (New Bight) · 1 night · 2 guests

  10. Day 10 Sun 9 Aug Cat Island (New Bight) Base day

    Cat Island: Mount Alvernia & The Hermitage

    Morning. Drive to Mount Alvernia and climb the short pilgrim path — carved with the Stations of the Cross — to The Hermitage, the tiny stone monastery built by Father Jerome on the highest point in the Bahamas (63 m), with the whole island laid out below.

    Afternoon. A long beach afternoon on the island's Atlantic or bank side, or a look at the ruins of the old plantations.

    Evening. Sunset and a quiet dinner.

    Eat. Land-crab dishes when in season; Cat Island grows much of its own food.

    Where to stay. Same New Bight base.

    Optional / swaps. The Deveaux plantation ruins or a stop at a rake-and-scrape gathering.

    Practical. The Hermitage climb is short but rocky and hot — go early with water and proper shoes.

    🛏 Cat Island (New Bight) · 1 night · 2 guests

  11. Day 11 Mon 10 Aug Cat Island (New Bight) → Long Island (Clarence Town) ~181 km Fly

    Cat Island → Long Island

    Morning. Fly via Nassau to Long Island (Deadman's Cay, LGI).

    Afternoon. Settle in and a first swim; Long Island's Atlantic cliffs and calm bank beaches are both close.

    Evening. A quiet dinner in Clarence Town, with its twin hilltop churches.

    Eat. Fresh fish and Long Island's famous rock-oven bread.

    Where to stay. Base near Clarence Town in the south, close to Dean's Blue Hole — a small guesthouse or Winter Haven; or Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort in the north for a beach-resort finish. The room is the anchor booking.

    Optional / swaps. Cape Santa Maria Beach for a long sunset walk if you're basing north.

    Practical. Long Island is genuinely long and thin — a hire car makes the blue hole and the beaches reachable.

    🛏 Long Island (Clarence Town) · 1 night · 2 guests

  12. Day 12 Tue 11 Aug Long Island (Clarence Town) Base day

    Long Island: Dean's Blue Hole

    Morning. Down to Dean's Blue Hole, the deepest known blue hole in the world at 202 m, ringed by a crescent of beach — swim, snorkel the rim or just watch the freedivers train.

    Afternoon. A run up the island to Cape Santa Maria's white sand, or the Atlantic cliffs at the south.

    Evening. A farewell dinner.

    Eat. Grilled catch of the day; a last slice of guava duff.

    Where to stay. Final night at the same base.

    Optional / swaps. A bonefishing flat or a snorkel at one of the reefs if you want one more water day.

    Practical. Dean's Blue Hole is calm and safe to swim at the surface, but the drop-off is sudden — mind small children at the edge.

    🛏 Long Island (Clarence Town) · 1 night · 2 guests

  13. Day 13 Wed 12 Aug Long Island (Clarence Town) Base day

    Depart

    Morning. Fly from Long Island back to Nassau to connect with the international flight home.

    Afternoon. Long-haul home.

    Evening. —

    Eat. A last conch fritter at the airport if there's time.

    Where to stay. —

    Optional / swaps. A final morning swim before the flight.

    Practical. Build a comfortable Nassau connection — clearing US pre-clearance there takes time.

Flights

Fly into and home from NAS. Each search opens pre-filled with your travel dates and party.

Outbound home → NAS Fri 31 Jul · 2 travellers Search flights → Return NAS → home Wed 12 Aug · 2 travellers Search flights →

Powered by the Travelpayouts flight search on /flights.

Book your attractions & tickets

Skip-the-line tickets for the highlights on this route . 7 are visited on the ground, with official-site links.

Budget

A realistic planning budget for the whole trip — beds, food, fuel, the hire car and the extras. Change your party size, dates or comfort level and it updates to match.

€4,982≈ £4,258
  • Per person€2,491
  • Per day€383
  • SeasonPeak
  • TierMid

Estimate settings editable

Party2 travellers
CategoryHow it’s estimatedEstimate
Accommodationper-person/night (3–4★, min 2 sharing, £75 floor) × people × nights × season × tier€2,064
Meals & drinksper-country food/person/day × party × days × tier€1,104
Activities & admissionsper-country activities/person/day × party × days€696
Local transportper-country trains, buses & ferries/person/day × party × days€600
eSIM / ATMfixed one-off€65
Subtotal€4,529
Contingency (10%)€453
Grand total ≈ £4,258 · €2,491 pp · €383/day€4,982

How we estimate

  • Accommodation — per-person nightly by destination, minimum two sharing, × season × tier.
  • Standard (Mid) = 3–4★+ — estimates assume our audience’s baseline: 3–4★ or better, never below a ~£75/night room floor. Premium higher; Budget lower.
  • Meals — per person, per day, by country. Fuel — from the route distance. Season — from your dates.

These are planning estimates, not quotes. Premium properties and popular tourist hubs run above the country average, especially in peak season. Where live cost data isn’t available yet, some countries use representative figures.

Eat your way across

A taste of every country you travel through — the food culture worth going out of your way for, and the signature dishes to seek out.

Bahamas

Conch every possible way, washed down with an ice-cold Kalik at the Fish Fry.

In the Bahamas, the day revolves around conch — pronounced 'konk', and something close to a national obsession. Watch it cleaned straight from the shell at a roadside stand, then eaten a dozen ways: scorched conch scored raw and dressed with lime and bird pepper, cracked conch battered and fried gold, or diced ceviche-style into conch salad with tomato and sweet pepper. Across 700 low-lying islands the sea sets the menu — grouper, snapper and spiny lobster over any meat.

The spiritual home of it all is the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay in Nassau, a strip of open-air shacks where locals gather over fried fish, peas 'n' rice and cold Kalik, 'the beer of the Bahamas'. Order a sky juice — gin, coconut water and sweet milk, said to have been improvised here during Prohibition — and let a slow, salt-air lunch stretch out.

  • Cracked conch
  • Conch salad
  • Scorched conch
  • Rock lobster (crawfish)
  • Peas 'n' rice
  • Johnnycake
  • Guava duff (guava-filled pudding)

A little history

To understand what you see today, it helps to know the past — the civilisations and empires that shaped the culture, food and architecture of the places on this route.

Bahamas
  • The Arawak-speaking Lucayan Taíno settled the islands from around 500–800 AD, with conch already a staple
  • Columbus made his first American landfall here in 1492, and enslavement and disease soon wiped out the Lucayans
  • English settlers arrived from the 1640s, and Nassau grew into a pirate haven until 1718
  • a British colony reinforced by Loyalist planters, the Bahamas became independent in 1973 and now run on tourism and finance

Family activities

The stops, games and moments that land best with kids and teens on this trip.

Big wins: the swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto in the Exumas, the pink sand and golf carts of Harbour Island, the Hermitage climb on Cat Island and swimming at Dean's Blue Hole. The short hops keep travel days manageable, and the boat days are the trips everyone remembers.

Packing

What to bring for this trip — the easy-to-forget essentials.

Clothing

Beachwear, light breathable layers, one smart-casual outfit, a light jacket for air-conditioning, ferry decks and light-aircraft cabins.

Footwear

Reef shoes for the grotto and blue hole, sandals, trainers for the Hermitage climb.

Activity gear

Snorkel gear if fussy, dry bag for boat days, reef-safe sun cream, hat and sunglasses.

Documents / money

Passport, no-foreign-fee card, USD cash for taxis, ferries, the Fish Fry and beach bars.

Health

High-SPF reef-safe sunscreen, motion-sickness tablets for the flights, ferry and boat days, basic first-aid and after-sun.

Drone rules (sub-250g)

Where you can and can’t fly a small drone along the way — the rules change sharply from one country to the next, so check before you launch.

  • Bahamas
    Effectively no fly-on-arrival — the Civil Aviation Authority requires every drone, tourists included, to be registered in advance (about $30, valid 30 days) before flying, capped at 400ft. ⚠ Foreign visitors must register with CAA-B before travelling; drones over 249g also need a home-country registration copy, no flying within 5,000m of any aerodrome, and commercial or media filming needs a separate permit. Rules checked: Jul 2026

National parks, protected sites and religious/heritage venues often have their own rules and permits — always check the specific site before you fly.

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