Bahamas — The Exumas
Ten days through the most photographed water on earth — Nassau to Staniel Cay and back through the cays.
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- DAY 01
Nassau
Embark in Nassau — provisioning, briefings, and a short shakedown out past Paradise Island. Evening cruise to anchor under the stars at Rose Island.
- Provisioning at Solomon's Fresh Market
- Last cocktails ashore at Graycliff
- Sunset cruise past Paradise Island
- Swim with stingrays at Sandy Toes Rose Island
- Anchorage
- Anchor at Rose Island, east of Nassau
- Dining
- Graycliff or Compass Point ashore in Nassau
- DAY 02
Highbourne Cay
Cross the Yellow Bank to the northern Exumas and Highbourne Cay. Tie up at the marina, snorkel with reef sharks at the marina dock, beach barbecue.
- Snorkel with nurse sharks at the marina pier
- Beach club lunch at the Xuma Beach Restaurant
- Bonefishing on the flats at low tide
- Sunset on the cay's east-facing beach
- Anchorage
- Berth at Highbourne Cay Marina
- Dining
- Xuma Beach Restaurant
- DAY 03
Allen's Cay
Tender across to Allen's Cay — uninhabited, home to a colony of endangered Bahamian rock iguanas. Bring lettuce, behave yourself, photograph from the beach.
- Photograph the rock iguanas on Allen's beach
- Snorkel the coral heads in the channel
- SUP between the two cays at high tide
- Anchor lunch on the foredeck
- Anchorage
- Anchor in the channel between Allen's and Leaf Cay
- Dining
- Lunch aboard
- DAY 04
Norman's Cay
South to Norman's Cay — once Carlos Lehder's notorious cocaine smuggling base, now a sleepy island with a famous sunken DC-3 you can snorkel.
- Snorkel the sunken DC-3 in 3m of water
- Lunch at MacDuff's on the beach
- Walk the old airstrip
- Sunset cocktails on the beach
- Anchorage
- Anchor off MacDuff's beach
- Dining
- MacDuff's
- DAY 05
Compass Cay
The Compass Cay marina — where you swim with nurse sharks straight off the dock. Hike to Rachel's Bubble Bath, a natural blowhole pool on the windward side.
- Swim with nurse sharks off the Compass marina pier
- Hike to Rachel's Bubble Bath (best at high tide with waves)
- Beach picnic on the windward side
- Boat-bar drinks at the marina
- Anchorage
- Berth at Compass Cay Marina
- Dining
- Compass Cay marina grill
- DAY 06
Staniel Cay
Staniel Cay — the social heart of the Exumas. Tender to Thunderball Grotto (you'll recognise it from the Bond film), dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
- Snorkel Thunderball Grotto at slack tide
- Conch salad ashore at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club
- Visit the Pink Store and the Blue Store
- Sunset rum cocktails at the SCYC bar
- Anchorage
- Anchor off Staniel Cay or berth at the SCYC marina
- Dining
- Staniel Cay Yacht Club
- DAY 07
Big Major — Pig Beach
Big Major Cay — the world-famous swimming pigs. Tender to the beach, swim alongside them, then on for snorkel at the Aquarium.
- Swim with the famous pigs of Big Major Cay
- Snorkel 'The Aquarium' — a coral hotspot
- Picnic lunch on the boat in the anchorage
- Drone footage of pigs paddling out to greet you
- Anchorage
- Anchor in the bay off Pig Beach (west of Big Major)
- Dining
- Lunch aboard; dinner at SCYC
- DAY 08
Bitter Guana Cay
Bitter Guana for the Exumas' rock iguanas in their largest colony, then a long anchorage afternoon on the white sand bank.
- Photograph the Bitter Guana rock iguanas
- Sandbar lunch when the tide drops
- SUP across to neighbouring Gaulin Cay
- Sunset swim in the shallows
- Anchorage
- Anchor on the west sandbar of Bitter Guana
- Dining
- Lunch aboard on the sandbar
- DAY 09
Shroud Cay
North to Shroud Cay — the Exuma Land & Sea Park's most beautiful corner. Tender up the mangrove creeks to Camp Driftwood at the top.
- Tender the mangrove creek to the windward beach
- Climb to Camp Driftwood for the view
- Snorkel the reefs on the south side
- Sunset over the Bank
- Anchorage
- Anchor in Shroud's main west-coast bay
- Dining
- Lunch aboard
- DAY 10
Nassau
Final crossing back to Nassau under a long Bahamian dawn. Disembarkation at Atlantis Marina or Albany.
- Final morning swim at sea
- Brunch at Café Matisse before transfer
- Atlantis aquarium or Albany golf before flights
- Last conch fritter from a roadside shack
- Anchorage
- Berth at Atlantis Marina or Albany
- Dining
- Café Matisse · Graycliff for the farewell