Exuma Cays Yacht Charter

Staniel Cay provides an intimate introduction to the Exumas. Small aircraft, fishing boats and visiting yachts bring life to this island community, while just beyond the settlement lie quiet coves and extraordinary shallow-water scenery. After joining the yacht at the agreed location, settle in with your crew and enjoy the first views across the surrounding cays. Depending on arrival time, there may be an opportunity for a swim or a short exploration by tender. As the afternoon light settles over the banks, dinner aboard marks the beginning of a week shaped by the sea.

Just a short distance from Staniel Cay, a small rocky island conceals one of the Exumas’ most unusual marine experiences. At Thunderball Grotto, sunlight filters through openings in the limestone and illuminates the water inside. A guided visit at the right stage of the tide reveals schools of fish moving through the cave’s sheltered pools. Later, continue toward Big Major Cay, where the famous swimming pigs have become an unlikely part of island life. Beyond the familiar attractions, the afternoon belongs to the surrounding water: quiet beaches, sandy shallows and the freedom to enjoy the yacht at an unhurried pace.

North of Staniel Cay, the Exumas become a maze of narrow passages, small islands and shallow banks. Compass Cay is known for the nurse sharks that gather around its marina, but the surrounding landscape is equally memorable. Nearby Pipe Creek is a shifting world of sandbars and tidal channels, where the water can appear almost transparent in the shallows. Spend the day exploring suitable areas by tender, enjoying a quiet beach or simply watching the colours change as the tide moves through. The captain will select the safest position for the yacht while guests experience the smaller waterways.

The journey continues north into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, where the islands are protected from fishing and other extractive activities. At Warderick Wells, a remarkable curve of pale sand borders a shallow channel, with low hills rising above the anchorage. Guests can follow designated walking trails, visit the park’s headquarters or enjoy a guided snorkelling excursion in permitted waters. There are few buildings and little to distract from the natural surroundings. As evening approaches, the quiet of the park becomes one of the day’s most memorable experiences.

Shroud Cay offers a landscape unlike the open beaches farther south. Much of the island is covered in mangroves, crossed by tidal waterways that connect the shallow western banks to the Atlantic-facing shore. With the right tide, a small-boat excursion follows the permitted northern creek through a corridor of green vegetation and clear water. The passage eventually opens toward a beautiful beach framed by dunes and the ocean beyond. Returning to the yacht, the afternoon can be spent swimming in an authorised area or relaxing on deck, surrounded by the low islands of the northern Exumas.

The final northbound passage leads toward Highbourne Cay, where the remote scenery of the marine park gives way to an established island marina. Along the route, the sea opens into broad expanses of turquoise water, punctuated by low cays and sandy banks. Depending on conditions and the schedule, the captain may arrange a final swimming stop before approaching Highbourne. The afternoon offers time to enjoy the island’s beaches or simply settle into the last evening aboard. Dinner on deck brings the journey to a close beneath the changing colours of the Bahamian sky.

The morning begins with the gentle movement of the harbour and a final view across the surrounding islands. After breakfast, your crew assists with luggage and departure arrangements. The journey has followed the Exumas from the lively waterfront of Staniel Cay through the shallow passages of Pipe Creek and the protected landscapes of Warderick Wells and Shroud Cay. From Highbourne, onward transportation can be arranged according to the guests’ travel plans, bringing a week of extraordinary island scenery to a relaxed conclusion.