If you’re like me, you want to see the Bahamas and that slice of heavenly blue that can only be understood in person, but without the crowds.
I avoid crowds and touristy places that feel manufactured and disingenuous at all cost. That leaves places like Disney world, cruise-ships, and some might say, the Bahamas, off my bucket list.
But the Exumas are different. They are a juxtaposition of opposites. On one hand, they are part of the most “touristed” country. The Bahamas rank as the 5th most touristed dependent country. Nassau and cruise ships bring more tourists to the arena than any other attraction. Nassau and cruise ships are, the attraction, bringing ‘manufactured’ fun to the table. In fact, many cruise lines deposit their guests on a private island near Nassau to enjoy a man made water park on the premise. If the irony is lost on you, allow me to lay it out: The Bahamas is nature’s water park.
In this itinerary we will go a little further south, off the beaten path, and deeper into the heart of Caribbean island paradise.
The Exumas are a chain of islands, mostly uninhabited, running south from Nassau for 130 miles to Long Island. Far from Nassau’s mad house of manufactured fun, the islands are situated in remote and hard to access locations.
The Exumas have been dubbed ‘the land of broken dreams’ resulting from so many unfinished developments and towns. The inhospitable nature of the land here won out against capitalist land ravaging. Many of the islands here are speckled with empty roads, excavations, docks, and unfinished projects. The islands sit on limestone rock which is very hard to build on. Add that to the difficult access to these pieces of paradise and you get a lot of broken dreams and unfinished projects.
I love a place that can beat capitalist billionaires. And this place has got that covered.
Our goal for the last 3 months has been to experience the Bahamas in all its rugged and isolated glory, sprinkled with some genuine island culture and fascinating wildlife encounters. We have conquered this itinerary and are happy to share our knowledge with you.
And for a quick run down on how we prepared for this sailing adventure with 2 kids in tow, check out our post: Sailing to The Bahamas with Kids: a Mom’s Journey of Preparedness.
Where to Start
The easiest way to fly into the heart of the Exumas is to Staniel Cay. There you will land right into the heart of small town island paradise, snorkel caves, sharks, swimming pigs, and pristine beaches.
It is a bit pricier to fly in there. You will have to fly from Ft. Lauderdale or Nassau. Makers Air probably offers the widest variety of flights with cheapest option, but expect delays from staff shortages, overbooking and other clerical nuisances. We flew Makers Air and had 4 delays, one after another.
Flamingo Air and Trans Island Airways are other viable options.
Flying into the southernmost part of the Exumas in Georgetown is a much cheaper option.
Side Note for Cruisers:
If you’re cruising and afraid to get stuck on the Banks side of the islands, unable to get through one of the cuts due to bad weather, then check out my blog post on an escape plan to the airport via Barraterre. With this escape plan you can get in and out of Georgetown, to and from the airport, without going out into the sound to get into Conch Cay Cut.
What Will you Need for this Itinerary?
For many of these locations, a boat would be preferable, but not necessary. A lot of the spots I will share with you are accessible by water taxi or plane. It’s also very easy to rent a boat for a day or charter a boat from Staniel Cay Villas or Staniel Cay Adventures. Staniel Cay is a central location in the Exumas, but you can also rent and charter boat from Georgetown, Exuma, further south.
You will also need a sense of adventure and an appetite for wildlife and pristine beaches to go on this journey.
Caves
I didn’t realize this area was so riddled with incredible caves, both above and below the water line.
My favorite were the Rocky Dundas. Located near Compass Cay, these caves are accessible by boat, and nestled near some great snorkeling surrounded by coral reefs.
You can literally swim right into the caves. There are some mooring balls located outside the cave that you can tie your dingy to, or you can anchor a bigger boat nearby.
Another great cave, but a little more popular is:
The view here is second to none. It’s spectacular. It’s known for its appearance in a few James Bond movies. Situated near Staniel Cay, there are buoys for you to tie up to, but don’t count on one, as it gets busy quick. You have to go at low tide unless you want to swim under water to get in. If you can hold your breath and make a dive for it, then you haver a better chance of going when there are less visitors, but it might be hard to find the opening to the cave if it’s underwater. There is an opening on both the east and west side of the cave. I would time your entrance with lots of sun so you can get the full effect of the cave’s splendor.
If you aren’t there at slack tide, beware a strong current, and plan your entry/exit to the cave with the current in mind.
The view is spectacular, with wonderful snorkeling all around, full of rays and sea turtles, and yes, sharks.
A Dry Cave:
Gemstone Cave.
This one is definitely off the beaten path. It’s generally visited by cruisers, due to its remote location. The trail to Gemstone cave is right outside Oven Rock, about a 1/4 mile north of the oven shaped rock. The cave is on Great Guana Cay, south of Black Point and North of Little Farmer’s Cay. The trail to the cave is marked off the beach with rocks shaped like an arrow.
Follow it all the way till you get to a red buoy hanging from a branch, then turn right. If you continue on, you will end up on a little beach and there you have gone too far.
The entire trail is probably 1/3 of a mile.
The trail will lead you right to the cave. It’s not terribly big, but the scene is stunning, with drops of water rolling off stalactites into pristine pools of still blue water. There are also bats that hang from the far end of the cave.
For a treat, turn your phones off and sit in the stillness for a few minutes. There’s nothing like the sound of a cave when water drips slowly in the distance.
Snorkeling
Hands down, the best snorkeling I’ve probably ever seen is in the “Aquarium.” It’s a tiny pocket of color and life in the southern portion of the Land to Sea Park. It’s situated in an eddy that packs a wicked current if you aren’t there at slack tide. When we went, the mooring balls were non functional. So we had to motor around in our dingy and take turns snorkeling. But even with the dinghy the current was hard to fight. Make sure you don’t get swept out and stay in the eddy. Don’t ever go alone.
Our second best snorkeling spot:
There’s a small protected cove in south Staniel key littered with rocks and coral all over. There’s also a small plane wreck which you can see when the water is clear near the beach. The cove is an anchorage that offers great protection during a westerly blow, if you dare getting through the shallows on your approach.
Again, strong current here so time your swim for slack tide, or have a buddy follow along in a dinghy or small boat. Lots of sharks here too, Nurse Sharks and I heard of a few Bull Sharks hanging around there too.
Swimming Pigs
Okay, so I have to disclose that this is not really off the beaten path, but, for those pig lovers out there, it shouldn’t be missed.
Big Majors just north of Staniel Cay is home to the swimming pigs of the Exumas.
I would say this is more of a disclaimer than a recommendation. I don’t personally love pigs, but I had to see what all the commotion was about.
The pigs can actually be quite dangerous. Don’t ever feed them by hand, they will bite. Don’t feed them on the beach either, they will mow your ass down. Being wild pigs, they do have tusks, and they can gore you. It happened to a friend of ours, her toddler was knocked down and blood was drawn. Thankfully no permanent damage was done, aside from his general outlook on pigs.
We anchored outside Big Major’s, and a pig actually swam all the way to our sailboat one morning. For a moment, I thought he was going to get on.
So there you have it! The famous swimming pigs of the Exumas.
Turtles
If you’re like me, every time you get in the water you’re waiting, wondering, hoping, praying, you will see a magnificent sea turtle while you’re staring into the blue.
But there’s just no knowing whether that prayer will be answered by the turtle gods.
Unless of course, you go to Little Farmer’s Cay.
There, you are guaranteed to swim with a sea turtle, and most likely a few sea turtles in the harbor they call a sea aquarium.
At Little Farmer’s Cay, the harbor entrance is met with a thriving coral reef and no one is allowed to fish or kill anything. A man named Dino has trained the turtles to come to the call of his dinner bell.
He gets into the water with a hammer and a conch shell and lets the sound reverberate under the water. The sea turtles come swimming from their little houses in the sea, hoping for a snack. Dino feeds them scraps of Conch. It’s a crazy experience, where you can have a “sea world” kind of encounter, with strictly wild animals. Bring a Go Pro and you won’t be disappointed.
Little Farmer’s Cay is also one of a few places in this area that offers small protection from a westerly blow.
If you want Dino to call the turtles, expect to give him a tip. Otherwise, the harbor is fair game for snorkeling, and the reef is great for snorkeling at slack tide. Bring a diver down flag if you plan to snorkel by the reef so incoming fishing boats don’t run you over.
Sharks
If you are one of the rare souls out there that wants that heart pumping, time stopping moment of staring into the eyes of our ocean’s perfect predator, then swimming with sharks is probably on your bucket list. Sharks are everywhere in the Bahamas. But one characteristic of the Bahamas makes that experience unrivaled: water clarity.
What fun is swimming with sharks when you can’t see the shark? I have had some moments with sharks in cloudy water, and it is not something I care to repeat. Never have I ever seen water as clear as it is here in the Exumas. I might say it’s the clearest anywhere, but I’m not totally sure about that. When you see a shark curiously swimming around, say 60 feet away, there’s no reason to be afraid. You can see it, make eye contact with it, and keep it on your radar.
On the flip side, when a shark swims close to check you out in cloudy water, its going to freak you out (most likely), and probably make you twitchy with fear which then makes you even more attractive to the shark, and all in all, it’s a bad idea.
The most common shark you will see is a Nurse Shark. They are harmless, and resemble big sucker fish. But a 10 foot Nurse shark can still be an intimidating encounter.
A special place in the Bahamas exists for those interested in swimming with sharks, but in a more controlled environment. Compass Cay Marina is similar to Little Farmer’s Cay, in that the animals are wild, but have been conditioned. The marina is on a private island, owned by a really interesting fellow named, “Chocolate.” I kayaked from our anchorage and was met with a fever of spotted eagle rays. They looked like they were flying in slow motion as they soared underneath my kayak. Upon arriving at the marina, I pulled up my kayak and saw Chocolate sitting on a chair while someone was giving him a close shave. I have to say, the vibe was a little weird. But I wasn’t there for the people, I was there for the sharks. I was later introduced by one of his many sons that run the marina to Chocolate, who wasn’t just the owner of the marina, he was the owner of the entire island. There’s a whole shrine set up for him inside the concession stand at the marina. Again, a little weird, but whatever. The cost was $15/person. Upon looking in the water, it became immediately clear why this is a special place. Dozens of Nurse sharks lie lazily on the ocean floor. Around mid morning, a few water taxis will come with tourists and chum the water with meat. The sharks come roaring in as curious humans swim amongst the madness. The sharks are so used to people I actually witnessed them swimming under the arms of some bystanders to be pet, and maybe even for a quick snuggle unless my eyes deceived me.
I snorkeled there during a feeding frenzy of Nurse sharks while my toddler rode on my back with her snorkel mask on. It was pretty unforgettable.
Here is some more information on swimming with sharks in Compass Cay Marina. And here are some tour guides that will take you there if you can’t get their on your own: Staniel Cay Adventures,
Another great place to see some sharks is Little Farmer’s Cay, where Dino feeds the turtles. There are a few hesitant but curious Lemon Sharks that swim around while the turtles get their snacks. It looked to me like the Lemon Sharks specifically waited for people to get out of the water before scrounging around for bits of conch scrap. A shy, hesitant shark is my kind of shark.
Fishing
Fishing in the Exumas is an experience of a lifetime. It has changed my outlook on so many things food related.
Spear fishing, lobstering, crabbing, it’s all right here. But I have to say that we met countless cruisers who had only caught one or two lobsters all season. My husband Adam has caught more lobster and fish than we can count. How?
He dives down! That’s the secret sauce. Hold your breath, for at least a minute, underwater, and way out there. If it looks easy to get to, then you can bet someone else has already taken the meat.
The lobsters aren’t going to swim to your boat. You have to go find them. That means dinghy-ing out into cuts at slack tide and really getting out there. At times we would even sail out into the Sound and just drop the hook in the middle of literally no where in the ocean in 35 feet of water.
Jumping off the sailboat in the middle of the ocean with nothing but your spear fish, mask and fins is not for the faint of heart.
It takes balls and a really hungry appetite. You have to want those lobsters. But after Adam swam out a ways in the middle of no where, and dove down about 25 feet, he came swimming back with two monster lobsters in his hands.
Our favorite fishing spot for Lobsters was all around Little Darby Island. It is just south of Rudder Cut. We followed a local, Jeffery Rolle, who we met at Little Farmer’s Cay, all the way out in his little skiff. From there we watched as they brought in lobster and conch by the dozen. It was insane.
And if luck is not on your side, Jefferey sells his catch at Little Farmer’s Cay, at a very good price.
Culture
If you want a pure Bahamian island experience, fully equipped with the local experience, then Black Point is the spot for you. Every time I go there I find it hard to leave. The people are so friendly and interesting, I just can’t fathom needing anything else, anywhere else.
The laundromat alone is an experience you can’t miss. I have been to many laundromats in the Exumas, and I’m not usually met with a smile. But here at Rockside Laundromat, they are so nice and accommodating it really makes for a lovely time folding your clothes. The view from this laundromat is possibly the best view from any laundromat in the Caribbean.
Above the laundromat are a for rent, and if they aren’t too busy, they will rent you a golf cart for a full or half a day. There are plenty of roads to explore around the island. It’s actually my favorite place to go running in the Exumas.
And if you do make it to Black Point, you can’t miss Nissimo’s Blow Hole. The kids get such a kick out this spot when the hole is blowing. It’s like a geyser, or a sprinkler on steroids. So much fun.
Beaches
My attraction to beaches has always been for shelling only. But here in the Bahamas, you will find beaches with views completely unencumbered by sea shells. That thought struck me as boring and a waste of time, until I came across the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. The view was so fantastic it has permanently etched itself into my memory.
Unfortunately, the island is private, and technically you can’t set foot on the beach. But no one can stop you from anchoring there! If the winds are light, or coming from the west, the southeastern bay at Compass Cay shouldn’t be missed. And since there wasn’t a soul in sight, we did go ashore and were met with nothing but delicious powder white sand and impeccable views. No body complained.
But if you just have to have those sea shells, my favorite beach for shelling is in Georgetown, Exuma. It’s just north of Monument Beach, on the sound side. You will have to climb over a few rocks and then you will see shells for miles. Some of the coolest shells I’ve ever seen I found by the handful here.
Leave a Reply