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The Exuma Islands are made up of 365 cays and islands, beginning just 35 miles southeast of Nassau. The islands have gone through many changes over the years. Today, they’re divided into three major areas—Great Exuma, Little Exuma and The Exuma Cays. Each offers its own unique Bahamian experience. Great Exuma and Little Exuma are known for their laid-back surroundings, while The Exuma Cays act as a playground for the rich and famous, boasting numerous private homes, luxury resorts and beachside condos. The Exumas are also rich in history, as they were settled by British Loyalists with their slaves following the American Revolution.
The Exuma Islands are made up of 365 cays and islands, beginning just 35 miles southeast of Nassau. The islands have gone through many changes over the years. Today, they’re divided into three major areas—Great Exuma, Little Exuma and The Exuma Cays. Each offers its own unique Bahamian experience. Great Exuma and Little Exuma are known for their laid-back surroundings, while The Exuma Cays act as a playground for the rich and famous, boasting numerous private homes, luxury resorts and beachside condos. The Exumas are also rich in history, as they were settled by British Loyalists with their slaves following the American Revolution.
The Hurricane Hole Marina boasts one of the strongest locations on Paradise Island, within walking distance to restaurants, shopping, championship golf, casinos, nightclubs, and the Atlantis resort. Or you can stay at the Atlantis Marina which is located next to Hurricane Hole Marina and has every resort amenity you can imagine including a casino.
Highbourne Cay was a refuge for escaped slaves during the colonial era and home to a stunning, scarcely visited beach along the east side. The Island sits at a slightly higher sea level than is found on most Bahamian islands, so it shouldn't be hard to spot. Peer over the dock to see a swarm of nurse sharks flocking to one spot like birds seeking bread as the local dockhands throw unwanted conch—aka “slop”—into the water.
Stretching 20 miles from Wax Cay Cut to Conch Cay Cut, Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park was a pioneering initiative established in 1958 to protect and preserve the marine environment, the park is pristine—no one is permitted to remove anything, living or dead, from the area. The Warderick Wells park office offers a gift shop, ice, wireless Internet service, and visitor information. The moorings are first-come first-serve, hail VHF Channel #9.
The marina at Compass Cay, located in one of the rare totally protected harbors in the Exumas, is accessible from the Exuma Banks and the Exuma Sound through channels marked with buoys and range markers. Boats with up to six foot draft at low tide and eight foot at high tide can enter the harbor from the Bank by following the channel marked with buoys and a range. At low tide, vessels of up to six feet may also enter the marina from the Exuma Sound through Joe Cay Cut by following a series of channel markers.
Sampson Cay offers some of the finest facilities in the Exumas. By now, you are about 220 miles from Fort Lauderdale and 50 nautical miles southeast of Nassau. Be sure to book your slip in advance—the marina is one of only a handful in the Exumas that offers wind and wave protection.
Jimmy Buffett listed the Staniel Cay Yacht Club in his Top 10 Island Bars and most will agree it is the “Shangri-La” of the Exumas. One of the tourist attractions is diving into the cave where parts of the James Bond movie Thunderball were filmed. It’s also possible to visit a small local cay called Big Majors, where there are swimming pigs. Take your dinghy and motor to Big Majors, where the wild swimming pigs love leftover conch fritters or any food you want to give them.
