By May the mornings in the Exumas start early, with pale light on the water at George Town and fishing skiffs already moving across Elizabeth Harbour. The cays feel settled into summer: long evenings, a sea that has lost its winter edge, and sandbars that look their brightest at midday. It is a month for boat days, snorkeling stops and slow dinners on the dock.
What is the weather like in the Exumas in May?
May in the Exumas is hot and bright, with a sea that has warmed noticeably since April and days that keep stretching toward June.
| Month | Sea at the Exumas (°F) | Daylight on the 15th (hours and minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| April | 80.0 | 12 h 45 min |
| May | 83.6 | 13 h 20 min |
| June | 85.6 | 13 h 37 min |
In Nassau, highs average about 86°F in May, which gives a fair idea of the heat on the water: strong sun from late morning, a breeze that matters on the deck of a boat, and shade that becomes something you plan around. Mornings are the gentlest hours for walking a beach or paddling, and early light is lovely on the flats.
Rain in the Exumas tends to come as passing showers rather than gray, all-day weather. A shower can sweep across a cay, soak the dock for a few minutes and leave the sky clear again. The days run long, so a squall at midday still leaves plenty of afternoon for a swim or a late lunch.
Evenings stay warm enough to eat outside in a T-shirt, and sunsets drag on well into the dinner hour. Light, breathable clothes and a hat do most of the work in May, with a thin layer for the wind on a moving boat.
Can you swim in the Exumas in May?
Yes, the sea is warm enough that you can stay in for a long time, and May is one of the more comfortable months to spend hours in it.
The shallows around the cays are where most people spend their time, drifting off a sandbar, snorkeling around a grotto or wading along a beach. Little Exuma’s Tropic of Cancer Beach, which people also call Pelican Beach, runs longer than any other beach on the island, so it is a fine place to stroll before choosing your spot for a swim. Around Pig Beach on Big Major Cay, visitors swim with the pigs in shallow water.
The water changes with wind and tide, and a beach on the open Atlantic side does not behave like a sheltered spot inside the cays, so what you find on a given morning can differ from the day before. Pack a mask, reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard for those long sunny hours. Thunderball Grotto has marine life such as yellow-tail snappers and Sergeant Majors, which makes a mask worth carrying.
What to do in the Exumas in May
May is a month for the water: boats, sandbars, grottoes and long lunches on a beach. With the longer days, an outing can start after breakfast and still end with a sunset from the deck. The big Bahamian sailing events and regattas belong to the calendar of the islands, and in the cays the mood in May is that of a boating season in full swing, with sailboats anchored in the harbors and conversations about wind and tide at every dock.
Food follows the water. Cracked conch, conch salad made with lime and pepper, grilled snapper and fried fish with peas and rice turn up at the waterfront shacks, usually with a cold local beer or a rum punch. Johnnycake, a dense, slightly sweet bread, shows up on plates in the morning and at dinner.
Swimming pigs at Big Major Cay
Pig Beach on Big Major Cay is the Exumas postcard, a small beach where pigs wade into shallow water to meet boats. Visitors swim with them in those shallows, and it is a favorite stop of boat days for the sheer oddness of it.
The cays are reached by boat, either chartered or with a local guide, and a trip here is usually folded into a longer island-hopping day. Keep your distance from food and bring a camera in a waterproof case, as splashing is part of the scene. It suits families and anyone who likes an animal encounter with a good story attached.
Thunderball Grotto and Staniel Cay
Staniel Cay is a small island, home to fewer than 118 full-time residents, and it works as a base for the cays around it. Just west of it lies Thunderball Grotto, an underwater cave system where you can snorkel, dive or wade among reef fish, with coral colors that show up best in bright light.
The sun in May is high and the light inside the grotto is dramatic around midday. Visitors come by boat from Staniel Cay, and a mask makes all the difference. Plan the grotto for the middle of the day, then move on to a quieter beach for lunch.
Little Exuma and the long beach
Tropic of Cancer Beach lies along the coast of Little Exuma, a long, open shore that feels spacious compared with the small coves of the cays. It is the place for a slow walk at either end of the day, when the sand is cooler and the light is soft.
Bring water and a hat, since shade is limited along an open beach. A picnic with fruit and cold drinks suits it better than a restaurant lunch, and the pace is quiet, which is the point.
Stocking Island and Highbourne Cay
Across Elizabeth Harbour from George Town, Stocking Island is a short boat hop away and holds white sand beaches that rank among the finest in the Bahamas. It is a place to spend a lazy half day with a swim and a beach meal.
At the northern end of the chain, Highbourne Cay is a long-standing stop for yachts, with a marina that has back-in slips and a long face dock. Sailors know it well, and it gives a taste of the cruising life even if you are only passing through.
A two-day itinerary for the Exumas in May
Day 1 begins in George Town with an early breakfast of johnnycake and eggs while the air is still soft. Head across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island for a swim and a stroll on its white sand before the sun gets strong. By midday, retreat to shade for a lunch of conch salad and grilled fish.
In the afternoon, once the heat eases a little, drive or ride toward Little Exuma and walk Tropic of Cancer Beach. The days are long, so sunset comes late and gives plenty of time for a slow dinner at a waterfront restaurant. If a shower arrives, wait it out with a drink and a local snack, as it rarely lasts.
Day 2 is a boat day to the northern cays. Leave in the morning for Staniel Cay, where Thunderball Grotto is best around midday when the light reaches inside. Keep Pig Beach on Big Major Cay for the afternoon, when the beach is warm and the shallows are bright.
Return in the early evening, with the light low over the water, and have dinner at a dockside spot on Staniel Cay or back in George Town. If the weather turns, the rain card is a long lunch, a market stop for local crafts and a quiet afternoon on a porch.
Is the Exumas busy in May?
May in the Exumas is moderately lively on the water and quiet on land, with boats and cruising yachts the main presence rather than big crowds.
The cays are small and the population is tiny, so a handful of visitors changes the feel of a beach or a dock. Pig Beach and Thunderball Grotto draw the most boat traffic, mainly around midday. Mornings and late afternoons are calmer, and a quieter beach is never far away in a chain this spread out.
As a habit, book rooms, boat outings and any special dinner early for holiday weeks and long weekends, and a little later for ordinary weeks. In the cays, lodging is limited, so a small place can be full while the next island over is empty. Arrange your boat or guide ahead of time too, since getting between cays depends on them.
Restaurants on the smaller cays are few and have limited tables, so plan dinner rather than hoping for a spot. In George Town, there is more choice and more room to be spontaneous.
What to pack for the Exumas in May
May calls for clothes that handle sun, salt and spray, plus a few items for the water.
- A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, since the sun is strong on open water.
- Reef-friendly sunscreen and a rash guard for long hours of snorkeling.
- A mask and snorkel for Thunderball Grotto and the shallows.
- Water shoes for sandbars and rocky entries.
- A light rain jacket for passing showers on a boat day.
- A waterproof bag for phones and cameras.
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.
May falls just before the Atlantic hurricane season, which starts on June 1 and ends on November 30, so the month sits outside the official season. Getting around the cays means boats, so plan your sea days first and build the rest around them.
Lodging on small cays is limited, so settle where you will sleep before the outings. Entry for U.S. citizens needs a passport, a return or onward ticket and, if asked, proof of funds.
The Exumas in May vs April and June
Going four weeks earlier brings a cooler sea, a bit less rain and shorter days. April suits people who prefer the sun a little gentler and the water more refreshing than warm, and it is easier on those who feel the heat quickly.
Going four weeks later means the warmest sea of the three, the longest days and more frequent rain, with June also opening the hurricane season. Afternoons are heavier and showers more common, though the water is most inviting. Choose April for comfort on land and a crisper swim, May for the balance of warm water and manageable showers, and June for people who want the warmest sea and do not mind a wetter, stickier afternoon.
Is May a good time to visit the Exumas?
Yes, May is a good time for anyone who wants warm water, long days and a boat-centered trip, and less so for those who dislike heat.
It will suit snorkelers, beach walkers, sailors and families who want pigs and grottoes in bright light. Travelers who wilt in strong sun, or who want cool evenings for hiking, may prefer an earlier month.
On arrival, sort out your boat for the cays first, then pick a beach for the first afternoon. What is special about May here is the combination: a sea already warm, daylight stretching toward summer and the cays moving at their own pace.
Sources
- Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 10, 2026
- sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, 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
- Wikipedia, National Family Island Regatta (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Family_Island_Regatta), 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
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Island FAQ (https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/island-faq), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Department of Immigration, Entry requirements (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Department of Immigration, Before your arrival (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/before-your-arrival/), 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
To plan your stay
- Things to Do in the Exumas: Swimming Pigs, Thunderball Grotto, Beaches and Fresh Lobster
- Where to Stay in the Exumas: George Town, Little Exuma, Staniel Cay and How to Choose
- The Exumas from Miami: Flights, Connections, Boats and Making a Day of It
- Know Before You Go to the Exumas: Entry Rules, Money, Getting Around and Sun