Compass Cay
Cambridge Cay
Sampson Cay
Highborne Cay
Rat Cay
Swim with the nurse sharks at Compass Cay
Soak in Rachel’s Bubble Bath
Snorkel the Sea Aquarium near Cambridge Cay
Spot the iguanas of Allan’s Cay
Hike Boo Boo Hill at Warderick Wells
Staniel Cay
Black Point Settlement
Little Farmer’s Cay
Norman’s Cay
Rolletown
December through April brings the steadiest weather: dry air, ten to fifteen knot trade winds and calm banks for island hopping between anchorages. Late April also brings the National Family Island Regatta to Elizabeth Harbour in George Town, where traditionally built Bahamian sloops have raced since 1954. June through November falls within Atlantic hurricane season, so an itinerary with backup shelter and a close eye on the forecast matters more than usual.
Exuma International Airport (GGT), near Moss Town on Great Exuma, handles regional and light jet traffic from Florida, the wider United States and Nassau, and sits a short drive from the marinas around George Town. Guests bound for the northern cays often fly to Nassau first and continue by boat, since Staniel Cay has its own small airstrip for those already booked into anchorages further north.
Compass Cay and Cambridge Cay sit inside or beside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park and offer some of the clearest water in the chain, the first known for its resident nurse sharks, the second for the Sea Aquarium reef nearby. Sampson Cay and Highborne Cay both have small marinas for fuel and provisioning, while Rat Cay, further north, makes a quieter overnight stop between the two.
A week gives a comfortable one way run from Nassau or George Town through the main cays, with time to linger at Compass Cay, the Land and Sea Park and a beach bar or two along the way. Ten to fourteen days allow for weather days, a full loop back to the starting marina, and side trips to quieter spots like Rat Cay or Little Farmer’s Cay that a rushed itinerary would otherwise skip.
No permit is required, but the park is a strict no-take zone: fishing, shelling and collecting coral, conch or sand are all prohibited within its boundaries, with fines of up to five hundred dollars for violations. Moorings at Warderick Wells are assigned by park staff over VHF rather than claimed on arrival and cost between twenty and ninety five dollars a night depending on vessel length, with anchoring outside the mooring fields billed by the foot.
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