A boat noses toward a sandy beach on Big Major Cay, and before the engine is off, a pig wades into the shallows to meet it. Behind the pigs the water shades from pale green to deep blue, one color after another, and the only buildings in sight are a few small ones on a distant cay. That is the Exumas: a long, thin chain of islands made for people who want the sea at their doorstep, whether they arrive by plane to a quiet settlement or by sailboat to a protected harbor.
Where is the Exumas and what is it like?
The Exumas is a district of the Bahamas, a chain of more than 365 islands and cays strung out southeast of Nassau, with Florida farther off to the northwest. Great Exuma is the largest island and the one with the airport, the main settlement of George Town and most of the places to sleep. The smaller cays to the north, among them Staniel Cay, Compass Cay, Norman’s Cay and Highbourne Cay, are reached mostly by boat or by a small airstrip.
Nothing here is built on a big scale. Great Exuma runs about 37 miles from end to end, and a small bridge links it to Little Exuma, where the road runs past low houses, salt-whitened fences and roadside stands.
George Town, founded in 1793, sits beside Elizabeth Harbour, where the deep water draws sailors who anchor for weeks and come ashore for supplies, a meal and a chat on the dock. The Government Building, inspired by the Government House in Nassau, is the town’s best-known landmark.
The whole chain stretches roughly 130 miles, and the land adds up to very little, which tells you what the place is really about: water. Days here are organized around a boat, a beach or a table with a view of the harbor. The pace is slow, and evenings are quiet.
It suits couples, sailors, snorkelers, families who like a day on the water and anyone happy to trade nightlife for sandbars. It may feel thin for travelers who want a busy street scene, shopping and a long list of indoor sights. The best places in the Exumas sit apart from one another, so a trip here means making choices and sometimes spending a day getting from one to the next.
What is there to do in the Exumas?
The big reasons to come are animals, caves, beaches and protected sea, and almost all of them involve a boat. That is what sets the Exumas apart from its neighbors: the highlights are scattered across open water, so the outing itself is part of the pleasure.
Swimming pigs and nurse sharks
Big Major Cay, also called Pig Beach, is home to about 20 pigs and piglets, and it is reachable only by boat, whether private, chartered or on a booked tour. Visitors can swim with the pigs in the shallows and feed them approved foods such as fruit, vegetables, bread and pig feed bought locally. The cay sits near Staniel Cay, which is the usual jumping-off point.
Nurse sharks are the other animal encounter. At Staniel Cay Marina visitors may swim with them at their own risk, and the sharks can bite if hands go near their mouths. At Compass Cay you can hang out on the dock and share a moment with the gentle nurse sharks that live in the protected marina. Both are about patience and keeping your hands to yourself.
Thunderball Grotto
Just west of Staniel Cay, Thunderball Grotto is a limestone cave on the western coast that served as a setting for the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. The entrance is small and almost hidden, and inside, sunlight falls through openings in the roof onto yellow-tail snappers, angelfish, sergeant majors and bright coral.
Snorkeling, diving and wading are the activities here. The advice is to go in at ebb tide, meaning low or slack tide, and at that time snorkeling gear is optional. Many people pair the grotto with Pig Beach on the same boat day, since both lie close to Staniel Cay.
Tropic of Cancer Beach on Little Exuma
Also called Pelican Beach, this is the longest beach on Little Exuma, a graceful crescent of white-powder sand beside translucent blue-green water. It is named for the Tropic of Cancer, which runs across it, and it is considered the prettiest beach in the Exuma chain. Cross the little bridge from Great Exuma and you are there.
Little Exuma is also where you eat well. Santanna’s, at the southern end of the island on Queen’s Highway, became a destination because of the lobster Mr. Rolle caught and grilled himself. In William’s Town, Mommy’s Bakery is known for Mrs. Mary Doris Rolle’s homemade rum cake, a good thing to carry back to the beach.
Stocking Island and the Land and Sea Park
Stocking Island lies across Elizabeth Harbour from George Town and is reached by boat. It has some of the finest white sand beaches in the Bahamas, plus blue holes, coral gardens and undersea caves for snorkelers and divers. On the Atlantic-side beaches you find stromatolites, said to be the oldest known macro-fossils on the planet.
Farther north, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was established in 1958 as the first marine reserve in the Bahamas, and it covers 112,640 acres of land and sea. It is a no-take reserve, so no fishing, shelling or conching of any kind is permitted within its boundaries. Wardens and Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers stationed at Warderick Wells patrol it constantly.
| Site | Open |
|---|---|
| Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park office | Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 9am to 12pm |
How many days do you need in the Exumas?
A long weekend is enough to taste the Exumas, and a week lets you actually settle into it. Because getting between islands takes boat time, fewer places seen well beats a long list ticked off.
With three or four days based on Great Exuma, you can spend one morning in George Town walking the harbor front and seeing the Government Building, then take an afternoon on Little Exuma for Tropic of Cancer Beach and a grilled lobster dinner. A second day goes to a boat across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island, with time for its beaches and snorkeling. The remaining day can be a plain beach day, which is perfectly in the spirit of the place.
With a week, the northern cays open up. Base yourself at Staniel Cay, or join a boat day from Great Exuma or from Nassau, and the pigs, the nurse sharks and Thunderball Grotto fit together in a single outing. Visitors staying in Nassau or the Exumas can book a day trip to see the swimming pigs that includes a boat tour through the Exuma Cays.
More time lets you add the Norman’s Cay plane wreck, a crashed cargo plane lying in shallow water in the lagoon of Norman’s Cay. Without your own boat you can reach it by a tour from Staniel Cay or Nassau. A stop at Compass Cay for the nurse sharks, a visit to the Land and Sea Park, and perhaps a day at the Highbourne Cay marina with its well-stocked store round out a longer trip.
Anglers and free-divers should plan for rules. Visitors planning to fish in the Bahamas should obtain a recreational fishing permit before heading out. Spearfishing with scuba gear is prohibited, while free-diving spearfishing is permitted with a valid permit. Inside the Land and Sea Park, all fishing is off the table.
Where to stay in the Exumas
The main places to stay are George Town and its surroundings on Great Exuma, Little Exuma, Emerald Bay, and Staniel Cay in the northern cays. Some travelers skip land altogether and live on a boat, which suits this chain well.
George Town is the practical base. It has the harbor, the Government Building, the hotel that locals call iconic, and the departure points for boats to Stocking Island. Sailors anchor in Elizabeth Harbour, so the waterfront has a lively, easygoing feel, and the Exuma Sailing Club trains local boys and girls on the same water, which adds to the sense of a town that lives by its harbor.
Little Exuma suits people who want quieter days. It is joined to Great Exuma by the small bridge and puts you near Tropic of Cancer Beach, Santanna’s grilled lobster and the rum cake at Mommy’s Bakery. Emerald Bay, on Great Exuma, has villas with private terraces and ocean views, and a spa where couples can book a massage. That makes it the natural choice for a honeymoon or a slow beach week.
Staniel Cay is the base for the pigs, the grotto and the nurse sharks. It is a small island with fewer than 118 full-time residents, so it has the feel of a village. Staying here saves boat time on the northern highlights, though it also puts you far from George Town.
For yachtsmen, Highbourne Cay Marina is a favorite outpost in the cruising guides, with fuel, power, ice, water and a store. It is a place to tie up, rather than to stay on land.
How do you get to the Exumas and get around?
Most visitors fly into Exuma International Airport on Great Exuma, the primary gateway, which has daily domestic and international flights. It lies near Moss Town, northwest of George Town, a few miles from the main settlement. Air Canada offers seasonal flights from Toronto, and Odyssey Aviation runs a fixed-base operation there for private aircraft.
For the northern cays, Staniel Cay Airport serves as an official Port of Entry in the Exuma Cays, with Customs and Immigration. Sailors and private boaters can also arrive by sea, and Elizabeth Harbour at George Town is a gathering point for them.
Getting around is mainly a matter of boats. The cays are explored by boat, either by chartering your own or hiring a local guide. From Nassau, Pig Beach is 89 miles away, a trip of about 2 hours by speedboat, and the day trips that start there or on Staniel Cay include a tour through the Exuma Cays. Stocking Island is reached by boat from Elizabeth Harbour.
On Great Exuma, Queen’s Highway is the road that runs through Little Exuma and the settlements, and the bridge connects the two islands. Beyond that, how you move on land depends on where you stay, so look at where you sleep and where the boat leaves from before you settle on a base.
When is the best time to visit the Exumas?
The winter months, from about December through the spring, are the gentlest time for a first visit. In Nassau, January highs are near 79°F and rain falls on only a few days, and the sea near George Town is around 78°F that month, which is comfortable for a boat day with a swim stop. Evenings feel pleasantly mild.
Summer is hot and wetter. In Nassau, July highs average close to 91°F with showers on about twelve days, and the sea near George Town warms to about 87°F. It is a season for early starts on the water, long afternoons in the shade and swims that feel like stepping into a warm bath. Some travelers love that heat, others find it a lot.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so a trip in the later months of the year falls inside it. Spring brings the sailing world to George Town for regatta time, usually in the spring, when the harbor fills with boats and the town is at its liveliest. If you want crowds and music on the water, go then. If you want empty beaches, pick another week.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.
The currency is the Bahamian dollar. Plan your boat days around the tide if Thunderball Grotto is on the list, and keep in mind the park rules: nothing may be fished, shelled or conched inside the Land and Sea Park. Anyone who wants to fish elsewhere should get a recreational fishing permit first. The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
Sources
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), The Exumas (https://www.bahamas.com/islands/the-exumas), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Exuma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exuma), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikivoyage, Exuma travel guide (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Exuma), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, George Town, Exuma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Town,_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Exuma Sailing Club (https://www.bahamas.com/experiences/exuma-sailing-club), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Protecting The Exumas (https://www.bahamas.com/experiences/protecting-the-exumas), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Santannas Exuma (https://www.bahamas.com/experiences/santannas-exuma), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Official Home Swimming Pigs (https://www.bahamas.com/experiences/official-home-swimming-pigs), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Big Major Cay (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Major_Cay), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Exuma Cays Land And Sea Park (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/exuma-cays-land-and-sea-park), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas National Trust, Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (https://bnt.bs/explore/exuma/exuma-cays-land-sea-park/), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Thunderball Grotto (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/thunderball-grotto), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Highbourne Cay (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/highbourne-cay), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Stocking Island (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/stocking-island), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Tropic Of Cancer Beach (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/tropic-of-cancer-beach), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), travel blog, reasons to visit the Exumas (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/top-5-reasons-to-visit-the-exumas), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Staniel Cay (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staniel_Cay), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Geography of the Bahamas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
- Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 10, 2026
- NOAA NCEI, GHCN-Daily station BF000078073 (Nassau Airport), normals 1991-2020 computed from the daily record (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=daily-summaries&stations=BF000078073), checked October 10, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Advisory, Level 2 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 10, 2026
All our pages
When to go
- Best Time to Visit the Exumas: Weather, Sea Temperatures, Hurricane Season and Festivals
- The Exumas in January: Sea Temperatures, Staniel Cay Pigs, Crawfish Season and a Two-Day Plan
- The Exumas in February: Warm Sea, Crawfish Season, Pig Beach and a Two-Day Plan
- The Exumas in March: Last Lobster Weeks, Warming Sea and a Two-Day Plan
- The Exumas in April: Weather, Sea, Family Island Regatta and What to Do
- The Exumas in May: Sea Warmth, Long Days, Staniel Cay and Island Hopping
- The Exumas in June: Warm Sea, Pigs and Grottos, and a Two-Day Plan
- The Exumas in July: Warm Sea, Pig Beach, Staniel Cay and Two Days on the Water
- The Exumas in August: Weather, Crawfish Season, Pig Beach and a Two-Day Plan
- The Exumas in September: Peak Hurricane Season, Warm Sea, Swimming Pigs and Crawfish
- The Exumas in October: Warm Sea, Crawfish Season, Swimming Pigs and Thunderball Grotto
- The Exumas in November: Crawfish Season, Cooler Water and Boat Days
- The Exumas in December: Sea Temperatures, Swimming Pigs, Staniel Cay and a Two-Day Plan
Things to do
- Things to Do in the Exumas: Swimming Pigs, Thunderball Grotto, Beaches and Fresh Lobster
- Day Trips from the Exumas: Swimming Pigs, Thunderball Grotto, Norman's Cay Plane Wreck and Stocking Island
- 3 Days in the Exumas: George Town, Tropic of Cancer Beach, Staniel Cay and the Swimming Pigs
Where to stay
Getting there
- The Exumas from Miami: Flights, Connections, Boats and Making a Day of It
- Exuma Airport to George Town: Getting Oriented, Onward Islands and Arrivals