What kind of destination are the Exumas?
The Exumas are a chain of roughly 365 cays southeast of Nassau, whose only town of any size is George Town on Great Exuma. The region became famous through postcard images like the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay and the film cave Thunderball Grotto, but behind that lies one of the most sparsely populated and, at the same time, best-protected island groups in the Bahamas.
The chain stretches roughly 209 km from north to south; the areas developed for tourism are mainly George Town in the south, the chain of Exuma Cays in the north around Staniel Cay, and a handful of resort islands such as Emerald Bay.
Unlike Nassau or Freeport, George Town has no large cruise port; the island's tourism runs mainly on sailing trips, boat excursions and a growing number of small lodges rather than large hotel complexes.
Sources: Wikipedia
What are the Exumas known for?
George Town has for decades been considered one of the most important sailing destinations in the Bahamas: the sheltered Elizabeth Harbour draws hundreds of long-distance cruisers every winter, who anchor there for days or weeks at a time. This character is complemented by the small cays in the north of the chain, where film history, wildlife and watersports come together in a tight space.
Socially defining is the so-called Rolle Commonage: after the abolition of slavery in 1834, plantation owner Lord John Rolle handed his land over to the people previously enslaved on his fields, for communal use. Their descendants still largely carry the name Rolle today and live in villages such as Rolleville, Mount Thompson and Rolle Town.
This history sets the Exumas apart from the Family Islands further north in the Bahamas, which were shaped more strongly by Loyalist settlers: while European-descended settlers shaped the architecture there, Exuma's identity is closely tied to the communal land use of formerly enslaved families.
Sources: Findmypast
How do the Exumas relate to the Bahamas?
Like Abaco and Eleuthera, the Exumas belong to the Family Islands of the Bahamas — constitutionally part of the same country as Nassau, but far less developed for tourism. Entry requirements, currency and time zone fully match those of the Bahamas.
International visitors mostly arrive via Nassau or Miami with a connecting flight to George Town; there are no direct intercontinental flights to the Exumas, unlike the main hub airport at Nassau.
The Exumas are administered through a local district council that reports to the central government in Nassau; larger infrastructure projects such as expanding George Town's airport or enlarging protected areas are decided and financed centrally.
Sources: Wikipedia
Which places in the Exumas matter for travelers?
George Town on Elizabeth Harbour is the starting point for almost every trip; to the north lie the Exuma Cays with Staniel Cay, Big Major Cay and Allen's Cay, while south of George Town are the villages of the Rolle Commonage and the Moriah Harbour Cay nature reserve.
| Place | Location | Character |
|---|---|---|
| George Town | Great Exuma, south | Main town, airport, regatta harbor, Elizabeth Harbour |
| Stocking Island | off George Town | Sandbanks, Chat 'N' Chill, beach bars |
| Rolle Town | south of George Town | Commonage village, colonial-era graves from 1792 |
| Staniel Cay | northern Exuma Cays | Thunderball Grotto, yacht club, airstrip |
| Big Major Cay | near Staniel Cay | uninhabited, known for swimming pigs |
| Allen's Cay | northern Exuma Cays | habitat of the endemic rock iguanas |
George Town sits on the sheltered Elizabeth Harbour, which is shielded from the open sea by the offshore Stocking Island; on Stocking Island, the beach bar Chat 'N' Chill serves as an informal meeting point for the sailing community, known for its Sunday volleyball games in the sand.
South of George Town lies Rolle Town, one of the oldest villages of the so-called Rolle Commonage; colonial-era gravestones from 1792, including that of the Scotswoman Ann McKay, recall the plantation era before the land was transferred to the freed enslaved people.
Staniel Cay in the north of the chain is home to a storied yacht club and the starting point for the Thunderball Grotto, a limestone cave where key scenes of the James Bond film «Thunderball» were filmed in 1965; the cave and island later also served as a backdrop for «The Blue Lagoon» and «Never Say Never Again».
On the uninhabited neighboring island of Big Major Cay live the internationally famous swimming pigs; the most plausible of several circulating origin stories traces them back to farmers from Staniel Cay who moved the animals to the uninhabited island in the early 1990s because of odor complaints. Visitors should feed the animals only fruit and vegetables they bring themselves, since processed food and alcohol can make them ill.
Further north lies Allen's Cay, habitat of the endangered Allen Cays rock iguana, which occurs naturally only on two tiny islets of this cay group; the population recovered from around 300 animals in the early 1980s to more than 1,000 in 2016.
Sources: bahamas.com (Bahamas Ministry of Tourism) · Wikipedia · SwimmingWithPigs.com · International Iguana Foundation
When is the best time to visit the Exumas?
As in the rest of the Bahamian archipelago, December to April is considered the driest and mildest travel season; from June to September temperatures and humidity rise, and it is in exactly these months that the Atlantic hurricane season, dated by NOAA from June 1 to November 30, begins.
Because the Exuma Cays are flat and sit at low elevation, they are particularly exposed during severe hurricanes; for trips during the peak storm season between August and October, travel insurance with a storm clause and ongoing monitoring of National Hurricane Center forecasts are therefore advisable.
For sailing trips through the Exuma Cays, the winter months are considered the most reliable period: the northeast trade wind blows more steadily then, while the summer months bring warmer water for snorkeling trips but also more frequent afternoon thunderstorms. The National Family Island Regatta in George Town traditionally takes place in April, toward the end of the dry season and before the hurricane season sets in.
The George Town Cruising Regatta of the long-distance sailing community is usually held in March, also still in the calmer half of the year; anyone wanting to experience both events is best off planning a trip between March and April, when Elizabeth Harbour is full of boats and the weather is still reliably dry.
Sources: National Hurricane Center (NOAA)
What do you need to enter the Exumas?
The same entry rules apply to the Exumas as to the rest of the Bahamas: Swiss, German and Austrian citizens can enter visa-free for tourist stays of up to 90 days, but need a passport valid for at least six months and a return or onward ticket (as of September 2026).
Anyone arriving by private or chartered yacht must additionally clear customs at one of the official ports of entry; George Town is one of these ports and is regularly used by long-distance sailors for this purpose.
Details and exceptions for other nationalities are on the country page for Bahamas; the Swiss FDFA, German Federal Foreign Office and Austrian BMEIA are the authoritative sources.
Sources: Auswärtiges Amt
What vaccinations and health risks apply in the Exumas?
As in the rest of the country, a yellow fever vaccination is only required when arriving from a risk area; hepatitis A is recommended for all travelers, dengue and Zika occur via mosquitoes, and there is no malaria risk.
Medical care is practically limited to a small clinic in George Town; the smaller cays such as Staniel Cay have no emergency services of their own, so day-trippers and sailors depend on working means of communication and travel insurance with an evacuation clause.
How safe are the Exumas for travelers?
The Exumas are considered one of the safest regions of the Bahamas; serious crime is rare, though theft of equipment from unattended boats or vacation rentals does occur occasionally.
For boat trips to remote cays, it is advisable to register the excursion with your accommodation or charter company, since cell phone reception between the islands is often patchy.
Sources: Auswärtiges Amt
How do you get to the Exumas?
Exuma International Airport (GGT) near George Town is served by direct flights exclusively from North America, including from Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte and, seasonally, Toronto, as well as several times daily from Nassau. There is no nonstop connection from Europe; travelers usually connect via Miami or Nassau.
| Origin region | Example destinations | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | Nassau (NAS) | several times daily, Bahamasair, Western Air |
| USA | Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte | American Airlines, Delta, frequency varies seasonally |
| Canada | Toronto (YYZ) | seasonal, November to April, Air Canada |
Travelers arriving by sailboat usually clear customs in George Town; Elizabeth Harbour offers ample anchorages, even for larger fleets such as those gathering for the National Family Island Regatta in April.
Like the rest of the Bahamas, the Exumas lie in time zone UTC−5, switching to UTC−4 during daylight saving time; the time difference to central Europe is five to six hours year-round.
Sources: FlightConnections
What does a trip to the Exumas cost?
As in the rest of the country, the Bahamian dollar (BSD) applies, fixed 1:1 to the US dollar; US dollars are accepted everywhere. Prices range from simple guesthouses in George Town to upscale resort rates at Sandals Emerald Bay, with its Greg Norman-designed golf course.
ATMs are rare on the smaller cays such as Staniel Cay, so keeping a cash reserve is advisable; boat trips to Thunderball Grotto, Big Major Cay and Allen's Cay are usually sold as a flat daily rate per boat rather than per individual ticket, which means travelers in small groups often share the cost.
Sources: Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA)
What accommodation is available in the Exumas?
In George Town, options range from simple guesthouses to mid-range hotels, while the Sandals Emerald Bay resort near Rolleville is the region's only large all-inclusive property, with its own marina and golf course.
On Staniel Cay and the other northern cays, small lodges, often located at their own marina and geared strongly toward sailors and divers, dominate; anyone sleeping aboard a boat finds numerous anchorages and mooring buoys in Elizabeth Harbour and around Warderick Wells.
What do you eat in the Exumas?
Along the approach road into George Town, simple conch stands line the street, where freshly cracked sea snails are turned into conch salad or cracked conch; alongside that, fish, peas and rice and, during regatta season, large communal fish fries shape everyday eating.
During the National Family Island Regatta in April, George Town turns into a ten-day festival ground with food stalls along the waterfront road; outside that period it is mainly small, family-run eateries that serve the day's catch and traditional Bahamian dishes.
What culture and traditions shape the Exumas?
The central cultural event is the National Family Island Regatta, founded in 1954 in Elizabeth Harbour and still the most-visited sailing regatta in the Bahamas: traditional, handbuilt wooden sloops in five size classes between 3.7 and 8.5 m length compete for the title «Best in the Bahamas».
Since the 1980s it has been complemented by the George Town Cruising Regatta, a more informal, roughly ten-day gathering of the international long-distance sailing community featuring a conch-horn-blowing contest, softball and a talent show on Stocking Island.
The villages of the Rolle Commonage — Rolleville, Mount Thompson, Steventon, Ramsey and Rolle Town — still uphold the communal land tenure that dates back to Lord John Rolle's transfer of land to his former enslaved workers in 1834; a large part of the local population has carried the name Rolle ever since.
Sources: exumabahamas.org · George Town Cruising Regatta · Findmypast
What can you experience in the Exumas?
Highlights include swimming and diving in Thunderball Grotto, an excursion to the rock iguanas of Allen's Cay, sailing through the protected waters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, and an afternoon with the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay.
- Thunderball Grotto: snorkel through the shafts of light falling from the ceiling of the James Bond cave, best at calm seas and low tide.
- Allen's Cay: a short stop at the two tiny islets where the endemic rock iguana comes ashore.
- Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park: snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean's oldest continuously protected marine area around Warderick Wells.
- Stocking Island: a walk across the sandbanks off George Town with a stop at the Chat 'N' Chill beach bar.
- Moriah Harbour Cay National Park: fly-fishing for bonefish on the mangrove flats south of George Town.
- Rolle Town Tombs: a brief visit to the colonial-era gravestones from 1792 as a counterpoint to the natural attractions.
Sources: Wikipedia · International Iguana Foundation · Bahamas National Trust
How does the region approach environmental protection?
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, founded in 1958, was the first marine protected area in the entire Caribbean region; across its 112,640 acres around the Warderick Wells ranger station, a complete no-take rule applies to fish, shellfish and coral, monitored by park wardens and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
In 2018, the international organization Blue Marine Foundation honored the park with the Platinum Global Ocean Refuge Award. Further south, the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park, established in 2002 and expanded to about 16,800 acres in 2015, protects mangrove flats that serve as a nursery for bonefish, spiny lobster and queen conch.
Sources: Bahamas National Trust · Bahamas National Trust
Can the Exumas be combined with other destinations?
The most obvious choice is Nassau, reachable by short flight from George Town several times a day; from there, other Family Islands such as Abaco or Eleuthera can be added on.
Travelers on a private or chartered yacht often combine the Exumas with a longer trip through several Family Islands, since the sheltered waters of the Exuma Cays are considered especially beginner-friendly. A direct switch to other Family Islands without a stopover in Nassau is usually not possible by scheduled flight.
Who are the Exumas suited for, and who should look elsewhere?
The Exumas suit sailors, nature lovers and anyone who appreciates remote cays with little infrastructure. Anyone looking for reliable nightlife, a dense choice of restaurants or many excursion options without a boat is better served in Nassau or Paradise Island.
For families with a private or chartered boat, the Exumas offer short, well-sheltered stretches between sights; anyone traveling without a boat is largely dependent on organized day trips from George Town or Staniel Cay and should factor that into their trip planning.