Bahamas: Northern Exumas Explorer
Swimming pigs, nurse sharks, and the clearest water on earth
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Embarkation
- Nassau (Nassau Yacht Haven)
- Disembarkation
- Staniel Cay (Staniel Cay Yacht Club)
- Best season
- November – May
- Total distance
- 85 NM
Overview
The Exuma Cays are a chain of 365 islands stretching across some of the clearest water on earth. The Northern Exumas offer the Bahamas' most iconic experiences — swimming with pigs, snorkelling with nurse sharks, and exploring pristine sandbanks that appear and disappear with the tide.
Highlights
- Swimming pigs at Big Major Cay
- Thunderball Grotto snorkelling
- Nurse sharks at Compass Cay
- Iguanas at Allan's Cay
- Sandbar picnics
- Pristine deserted beaches
Day by day
Day 1: Nassau — Bahamian Capital
Nassau
Morning: Arrive at Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport. Transfer to Nassau Yacht Haven and board your yacht.
Afternoon: Explore Nassau's colonial architecture, the Queen's Staircase, and the vibrant Straw Market. Visit the Graycliff Hotel for a cigar and chocolate tasting.
Evening: Dinner at Graycliff Restaurant, housed in a 1740 mansion with the third-largest wine cellar in the world.
Day 2: Rose Island & Allan's Cay
Nassau → Allan's Cay · 25 nm
Morning: Stop at Rose Island for a morning swim in the turquoise shallows. The sandbar here is perfect for a champagne breakfast.
Afternoon: Continue to Allan's Cay, home to the endangered Bahamian rock iguanas. These prehistoric-looking creatures are surprisingly friendly and will approach for photos.
Evening: Anchor in the sheltered waters between the cays. Dinner aboard with fresh conch salad and Bahamian lobster.
Day 3: Norman's Cay — Sunken Plane
Allan's Cay → Norman's Cay · 12 nm
Morning: Cruise to Norman's Cay and snorkel the famous sunken drug plane — a Curtiss C-46 that crashed in the shallows during the 1980s drug-running era.
Afternoon: Explore the island's pristine beaches and the ruins of the old airstrip. The water here is so clear you can see the sandy bottom from 20 feet.
Evening: Dinner at MacDuff's restaurant on Norman's Cay, a casual beach bar with fresh seafood and cold Kalik beer.
Day 4: Compass Cay — Nurse Sharks
Norman's Cay → Compass Cay · 18 nm
Morning: Cruise south through the stunning Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the world's first land-and-sea park.
Afternoon: Arrive at Compass Cay and swim with the resident nurse sharks in the marina. These gentle creatures are accustomed to humans and make for incredible photos.
Evening: Explore the nature trails on Compass Cay and enjoy a sunset from the hilltop viewpoint. Dinner aboard.
Day 5: Staniel Cay — Thunderball Grotto
Compass Cay → Staniel Cay · 8 nm
Morning: Cruise to Staniel Cay and snorkel Thunderball Grotto, the underwater cave made famous in the James Bond film. At low tide, swim through the entrance into a cathedral of light and fish.
Afternoon: Explore Staniel Cay village and the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Enjoy water sports and beach time on the surrounding cays.
Evening: Dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a legendary Bahamian institution since 1956.
Day 6: Big Major Cay — Swimming Pigs
Staniel Cay → Big Major Cay · 3 nm
Morning: Visit Big Major Cay early in the morning to swim with the famous Bahamian swimming pigs before the crowds arrive. These friendly pigs will swim out to your tender.
Afternoon: Cruise to nearby Bitter Guana Cay to see the swimming iguanas, or visit the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park headquarters on Warderick Wells.
Evening: Sandbar sundowners on a private sandbank, followed by a Bahamian feast aboard — cracked conch, peas and rice, and guava duff.
Day 7: Final Exuma Explorations
Staniel Cay
Morning: Final morning swim and snorkel. Visit any spots you'd like to revisit — the pigs, the sharks, or the grotto.
Afternoon: Disembark at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Charter flight to Nassau or Exuma International Airport for your departure.
Evening: Or extend your stay at one of the Exumas' exclusive resorts — Musha Cay, Fowl Cay, or Over Yonder Cay.
Families · Snorkellers · Beach Lovers · First-Time Charterers
Yachts cruising in the Bahamas
- YERSIN — 77 m · Piriou · 18 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €350,269/week
- SOUTH — 55 m · Heesen · 12 guests · Home port: Saint Martin · Weekly charter rate from €306,485/week
- TOP FIVE II — 61 m · Other · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €240,810/week
- OKTO — 68 m · ISA Yachts · 12 guests · Home port: France | Port de Saint-Tropez · Weekly charter rate from €240,000/week
- KING BENJI — 47 m · Other · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €182,432/week
- YCM FIFTY — 50 m · Custom · 22 guests · Home port: Mallorca | Marina Port de Mallorca · Weekly charter rate from €141,167/week
- HIGHLANDER — 50 m · Feadship · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €125,000/week
- BG CHARADE — 47 m · Feadship · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €108,728/week
- I LOVE THIS BOAT — 44 m · Christensen · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €98,513/week
- NO BAD IDEAS — 49 m · Trinity · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €98,513/week
- AUDACES — 45 m · Sunrise · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €76,621/week
- NAMASTE — 37 m · Benetti · 12 guests · Home port: Saint Martin · Weekly charter rate from €76,621/week