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Exumas holidays
An island or cay for every day of the year… The 365 Exumas are part of the Bahamas’ Out Islands and make up a 120-mile-long strip, looking like a long green paint splatter across a brilliant blue canvas. Life is unhurried, the climes are warm and beaches beautiful: forget a year here, we’d gladly spend the rest of our days exploring the enchanting Exumas.
- Flight time
- 12h 30 mins
- From London
- Currency
- B$
- Bahamian dollar
- Time zone
- GMT -4h
Getting to Exumas
If you’re flying from the UK, connecting flights usually go through Miami or Nassau - both less than an hour’s flight from Exuma International Airport (GGT) in George Town, Great Exuma. Other possible stop offs include Atlanta and Ft Lauderdale. Scheduled seaplanes fly between Ft. Lauderdale, Great Exuma and Staniel Cay, and it’s possible to charter a seaplane for access to other cays (Black Point and Farmer’s Cay have airports). A ferry runs between Nassau and George Town on Mondays and Wednesdays (often overnight). Another way of travel is the mailboats or freighters that run between Nassau and the Out Islands. To explore from Great Exuma, several tour companies run day trips to one or more of the cays.
Average weather in Exumas
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- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in the Exumas
The Exumas live life on the slow lane, and most of the evening entertainment takes place in the hotels where local rake n scrape bands do the rounds providing live music. That said, there are some brilliant bars worth devoting a night to – at Charlie’s Fish Fry in George Town, owner Charlie puts the rest of us to shame with his karaoke on Sunday nights. Eddie’s Edgewater has pool tables and live music on Monday nights, while the DJ at Club Peace & Plenty plays cool island sounds. Boat trips often run to Chat n Chill on Stocking Island, where you can join the beach party fuelled by famously potent rum punch.
You can’t say you’ve tried Exuma cuisine unless you’ve been to the Fish Fry in George Town – best experienced alongside the locals on a Saturday night. Charlie’s does incredible conch and lobster, with options like ribs and chicken for those not fond of seafood (though if you try it for the first time here, you probably soon will be…). Another good spot is Shirley’s for delicious conch fritters and cold beer; both are humble looking eateries but by far offer some of the best food in the archipelago. On Little Exuma, look for Santanna’s Bar and Grill – a simple shack on the seafront in William’s Town serving awesome conch fritters. For more formal dining, Staniel Cay Yacht Club’s restaurant serves a cracking mix of steak, lobster, international dishes, and Bahamian cuisine. And for the Sunday lunch of a lifetime, pop across to Stocking Island on a Sunday for KB’s legendary midday hog roast at Chat ‘n’ Chill – or go for a conch burger any other day of the week.
There’s no equivalent to Oxford Street and Westfields over here, but that’s part of the charm. Hotel shops usually stock clothes, souvenirs and other necessities and the Straw Market along the main road in George Town is a cracking place to pick up Bahamian goodies. Generally, you’ll experience proper island life, where locals shop after the supply boat comes in each week – so sate your inner shopaholic at the airport and soak up the Exumas’ laid-back lifestyle once you’ve landed.
Activities in Exumas
With this many islands and cays at your finger trips, finding things to do during your stay isn’t going to be a problem. Choose between dozens of dive sites, kayak, sail, and paddle board or enjoy one of the only golf courses in the Out Islands… And that’s just for starters.
Watersports
Diving in Exumas
If you’re scuba certified, you MUST explore the underwater beauties of the Exumas… If you’re not, now’s the time to book lessons – and there are oodles of dive centres to provide them. Failing that, the waters are so fabulously shallow that a lot of the dive sites work for snorkelers too, so everyone’s a winner. Off the shores of Staniel Cay, the Thunderball Grotto is a legendary spot of underwater caverns, rich in corals and tropical fish with sunlight streaming through some parts and torches needed to light up others. The blue holes in this neck of the woods are eerily spectacular – dive the angelfish blue hole off Stocking Island alongside turtles and rays, then the Mystery Cave that goes under the island (going into the caves demands experience, but snorkelers will find gorgeous shoals of tropical fish around the entrance). The Loaded Barrel Reef and Liz Lee Shoals are teeming with corals, and the Three Sisters reefs have thousands of tiddly fish. There’s also the Austin Smith Wreck which can be reached by boat. Off Highbourne Cay, the Exuma Wall has a drop off facing Exuma Sound, reaching 22 metres deep.
Surfing in Exumas
The Exumas are known for their calm, shallow waters, so wave surfers will have better luck over on Eleuthera or the Abacos. In the SUP department however, this is paddling heaven. Companies like Paddle Exuma (on Great Exuma) provide ecotours to the mangrove creeks and cays of Moriah Harbour on the south of the island. Board hire’s also available if you want to paddle at your own pace - from beaches, around marinas or to cays. Stocking Island is amazing to pootle around, with coves and dreamy beaches.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in Exumas
Those new to windsurfing will find forgiving conditions at Moriah Harbour, where the waters are flat and protected from swells. Some of the bigger resorts provide windsurf lessons and equipment for guests. Silver Beach and Runaway Beach on the north-eastern edge of Great Exuma are popular kiting spots, with consistent conditions (suiting all levels) and amazingly clear, warm water. Local companies like Exuma Kitesurfing provide IKO certified lessons and supervised sessions, as well as boat trips to the best spots around the cays.
Sailing in Exumas
The Exumas are called the ‘Regatta capital of the Bahamas’ and there’s some spectacular sailing to be had - whether you’re navigating the whole chain from head to toe or doing shorter excursions closer to home (Stocking Island’s an easy to reach destination with good docking facilities and marinas). The sport has long been loved in these parts, with the National Family Island Regatta running from Elizabeth Harbour for over 60 years now (using traditional Bahamian sloops), and the New Year’s Day Cruising Regatta setting off from Staniel Cay. Local companies like Out Island Explorers and Navtours in Georgetown provide bareboat rentals, crewed boats, and tours.
Fishing in Exumas
Fishing’s long been one of the main occupations of Exumas islanders, and the scope for sportfishing attracts all kinds of anglers year after year. Go bonefishing on the sandy flats near Moriah Harbour or along the leeward side of Great and Little Exuma, where you’ll find shallows and mangroves aplenty. Airport Flat, Channel Cut and White Bay are three of the most popular bonefishing spots - a kayak can come in handy in these parts, and if you want to explore the local cays. Local guides can show you the best spot – if you Bone Fish Stevie’s available, you’re in excellent hands. Deep sea charters are easy to come by, with mahi mahi, tuna, blue marlin and wahoo being common catches around here. There’s also plenty of opportunity for reef fishing and spearfishing.
Canoeing & kayaking in Exumas
Whether you’re a seasoned paddler or want to learn on the fly, this is quite simply one of the world’s best destinations for ocean kayaking. Pootle along the coast and paddle out to other islands and cays – the waters are warm and clear as can be, and teeming with tropical fish, rays, and corals. If we had to pick a favourite, it would be the route from Elizabeth harbour to Starfish beach on Stocking Island – not too taxing but the beautiful Bahamas in a nutshell. Kayaks are a wonderful way to explore the Moriah Cay National Park, where you can paddle through mangroves and bring your boat ashore on incredible white sand beaches and deserted cays. There are a number of activity companies - like Starfish Exuma - providing equipment tours and for all levels.
Land activities
Golf in Exumas
The Emerald Bay Golf Course has to be one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful – the 18-hole championship course has six signature holes on a peninsular that juts out into the ocean, its smooth green fairways trimmed with rugged rock. Greg Norman is the brains behind the design, which takes players through mangroves, dunes and on the waterside, while trade winds provide an extra challenge. If you don’t mind a heli-commute, you’ll find excellent courses further afield on New Providence, Paradise Island and Great Abaco.
Cycling & mountain biking in Exumas
Mountain bikers won’t find any high-altitude descents in the low-lying Exumas, but these islands and cays are well worth exploring on two wheels – especially Great and Little Exuma. There’s an awesome 70km route from George Town, down Great Exuma and over the Ferry Bridge to Little Exuma, going via the Tropic of Cancer Beach and Salt Pond and all the way to the southern tip of the island – the same one used in the Great Exuma Bike Ride. Bike hire is available from a number of hotels as well as local activity companies.
Walking & hiking in Exumas
Stocking Island has many strings to its bow, and the walking trails are certainly one of them. Walk up the beacon for glorious views over the Exuma or let loose on the nature trails, charmingly marked by buoys and flip flops that take you all over the island (there are some gorgeously rugged ones on the Atlantic side). The two-hour Exuma Sound Trail in Exuma Park takes you from Boo Boo Beach to Capture Beach, following spectacular cliffs down the south of the island. In a part of the world that once appeared on pirate’s treasure maps, geocaching has become a popular side activity where you can follow paths to hidden caches like many walkers before you.
