Yacht Charter In The Exumas

Yacht Charter Itinerary

Popular Activities

Food & Drink

Yacht Charter FAQ

Explore the Exumas by Yacht

The Exumas are a chain of about 365 cays in the Bahamas, best explored without a fixed plan. Sandbars appear and disappear with the tide, the water between the cays is shallow and clear, and the reefs are full of life.

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Black and white icon of a clown fish.
The itinerary to Moncada's Exumas Yacht Charter.

The Exumas 7-Day Itinerary

A suggested route, and a starting point. We shape the week around the cays and the pace you prefer.
Turquoise waters close to the white beach and green of Paradise Island.

Paradise Island

Day 1: Your charter begins at Paradise Island, where you board at Atlantis Marina or Hurricane Hole. If you arrive early, Nassau is across the bridge, with its pastel colonial buildings, rum distilleries and craft markets. Otherwise the first afternoon is for settling in, a swim off the beach and a first evening on deck.

A few rock iguanas on Allen Cay sunbathing on white sands in front of a small rock face covered in green.

Allen’s Cay and Highbourne Cay

Day 2: The first sail takes you out of Nassau to Allen’s Cay, where the endangered Bahamian rock iguanas come down to the beach. They are best watched from a distance, as the grapes visitors offer are known to harm their health. From there it is a short sail to Highbourne Cay, the gateway to the Exumas, with eight quiet beaches and shallow reefs for snorkelling. Dinner is on deck as the light goes.

The wrecked smuggler's plane is under clear water in Norman Cay.

Norman’s Cay and Shroud Cay

Day 3: Certified divers can begin the day at the Exuma Wall, a vertical drop off Highbourne Cay on the edge of the Exuma Sound, while everyone else snorkels the shallows. The yacht then sails to Norman’s Cay, once a base for smugglers, where you can snorkel over the wreck of a plane from those days. By evening you reach Shroud Cay, uninhabited, and dine on deck with no lights but your own.

Clear water leading a path through the mangroves of Shroud Cay.

Shroud Cay and Warderick Wells

Day 4: Start with a tender through Shroud Cay’s mangrove creeks, a nursery for conch, lobsters, turtles and fish. Then continue to Warderick Wells, headquarters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. The trail up Boo Boo Hill ends at a pile of driftwood signs left by visiting boats, and the skeleton of a sperm whale lies on the beach below. Everything in the park is protected, so nothing is taken from it.

Nurse Sharks swimming in Compass Cay.

Compass Cay and Staniel Cay

Day 5: After a morning swim at Warderick Wells, sail south to Compass Cay, where nurse sharks gather around the marina and can be watched, or swum with, from the water. By evening you reach Staniel Cay, the small settlement at the centre of the chain, with colourful waterfront cottages and a yacht club from which to watch the sunset.

A person snorkelling in Thunderball Grotto with sergeant major fish in the foreground.

Staniel Cay

Day 6: A day to stay put. Big Major Cay is close by, and its swimming pigs come out to meet visitors in the shallow water. Thunderball Grotto, a cave featured in the James Bond film of the same name, is best visited around low tide, when light falls through the roof onto the fish below. The tender can reach cays too shallow for the yacht, and the crew sets up lunch on a sandbar.

Back to Paradise Island

Day 7: The longest sail of the week returns you to Paradise Island, around 70 nautical miles from Staniel Cay. An early start leaves room for a last swim and the water toys on the way, weather permitting. You arrive by evening, with dinner ashore near Atlantis, and disembark the following morning.

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Popular Exumas Activities

Each cay has its own character, from quiet beaches to wildlife you can swim alongside.
Two pigs swimming in clear blue water.

Swimming Pigs

Big Major Cay is home to the Exumas’ famous swimming pigs, which paddle out to greet visitors in the turquoise shallows. Guests can wade in and spend time with them, and the photographs tend to take care of themselves.

A Spotted Eagle Ray is swimming close to the reef.

Ray Encounters & Shallow-Water Snorkelling

The shallow lagoons and sandy flats of the Exumas are a natural habitat for rays. Wade into warm, knee-deep water as southern stingrays glide over the sand, while spotted eagle rays pass beneath snorkellers in the channels at Warderick Wells.

Exumas Food and Drink

The cuisine of the Exumas is shaped by the sea: freshly caught seafood with a salty-sweet edge, and tropical fruit and local herbs to match.
A small basket with white paper and filled with cracked island conch, lemon and sauce.

​Bahamian Cracked Conch

Cracked conch is a Bahamian staple, pounded thin, fried until crisp outside and tender within, and served with lime and hot sauce. It goes well with a cold Kalik, the local lager.

Three Mahi Mahi fillets being seared on a black pan.

Mahi Mahi with Bahamian Spices

Fresh mahi mahi is lightly seared and served with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and a hint of thyme. The flesh is firm and mild, and takes the spices well.

Switcha, a Bahamian limeade in a glass with ice and mint. A lime wedge is on the rim of the glass.

Switcha

Switcha is the Bahamian answer to lemonade, made with limes and cane sugar. Cold and sharp, it is the right drink for a day on the water.

Yacht Charter The Exumas: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get to the Exumas for a yacht charter?

Most guests fly into Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau. Your yacht is usually waiting at Paradise Island, at Atlantis Marina or Hurricane Hole, and we coordinate flights and transfers alongside your charter.

How far in advance should you book an Exumas yacht charter?

We recommend starting nine months ahead for the winter and spring seasons, or earlier if you have particular requirements for the yacht. The more time we have, the more yachts we can compare for you, and the easier it is to shape the itinerary around your guests’ preferences.

Is a yacht charter in the Exumas suitable for families with children?

Yes, and the Exumas suit them well. The water is shallow and clear, the beaches are quiet, and days like the one at Big Major Cay with the swimming pigs, or watching the iguanas at Allen’s Cay from a distance, give children something to remember. For a family charter we look at the cabin layout, the safety equipment and the crew’s experience with children, and we shape the itinerary so that no day is too full.

How does an Exumas yacht charter differ from a Caribbean yacht charter?

Strictly speaking, the Exumas are in the Bahamas, in the Atlantic, although charter itineraries group them with the Caribbean. The difference is in the landscape and in how the days are spent. The Exumas are low limestone cays and shallow banks, with very clear water and long, quiet beaches, so the week revolves around the tender, swimming and quiet anchorages. The Leeward and Virgin Islands are greener and more varied, with hillier coastlines, livelier harbours and more to do ashore. We help you choose according to the kind of week you want, and which yacht suits the shallow waters best.
Key details of the Exumas yacht charter from Moncada.
Contact Moncada to book your Exumas Yacht Charter