The Bahamas
Bahamas and the Exumas
A chain of cays where the water is the itinerary and the boat is the address.
The Exumas are a 120-mile string of cays running south-east from Nassau, most of them uninhabited, threaded by water so shallow and clear that the sandbars show from the air like bruises on glass.
This is a boating destination first. Stays divide between Nassau and Paradise Island at one end of the spectrum, Harbour Island’s pink sand and clapboard charm in Eleuthera, and the Exumas themselves — where accommodation ranges from a handful of small resorts and private-island rentals to villas on Great Exuma.
Its proximity to Florida is the practical hook: under an hour by air from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, which makes long weekends genuinely viable and pairs naturally with a Miami stay.
01
Why go
The water is unlike anywhere else
Shallow banks, sandbars that appear and vanish with the tide, and visibility that makes the boat look suspended rather than floating.
Boat days with a point
Swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto, iguana cays and empty beaches — genuinely good days out, not manufactured ones.
Private-island possibilities
The Bahamas has a real private-island rental market, from modest cays to fully staffed estates, alongside villas on the larger islands.
Close to Florida
Short flights make three- and four-day trips work, and make combined Miami itineraries straightforward.
02
Arrive
Nassau is the main international gateway; Exuma International at George Town serves the southern Exumas, and North Eleuthera serves Harbour Island. Private traffic also uses a number of smaller strips, several of which have restrictions worth understanding before planning around them.
Onward movement between cays is by boat or short flight. Harbour Island in particular involves a short ferry crossing and a golf-cart-scale road network on the other side.
- Nassau, George Town and North Eleuthera are the practical entry points
- Some smaller strips have length, daylight or customs limitations
- Inter-island movement is usually by boat or light aircraft
- Customs and immigration procedures apply on private arrivals
03
Stay
Villas on Great Exuma and Harbour Island, resort residences around Nassau and Paradise Island, and private-island rentals in the cays. The right choice depends almost entirely on whether you intend to be on a boat every day.
For groups splitting time, a Nassau or Harbour Island base with day charters into the cays often works better than staying deep in the Exumas, where provisioning and services are limited.
- Provisioning in the outer cays requires planning — supply is genuinely limited
- Private-island rentals vary enormously in what staffing is included
- Harbour Island runs on golf carts; luggage and mobility need thought
04
By water
Everything here happens on the water. Day charters run the classic Exuma circuit; longer charters live aboard for a week and move with the weather. Fishing is excellent — bonefishing on the flats, deep-sea further out.
Weather governs more than in most Caribbean destinations: the banks are shallow and get uncomfortable quickly in wind. Good operators change the plan rather than push through it.
- Day charters, multi-day charters, sport boats and sailing catamarans
- Bonefishing, deep-sea fishing, diving and snorkelling
- Sandbar stops, cay lunches and grotto swims
- Conditions on the banks change quickly — itineraries stay flexible
05
At the table
Dining is resort-led in Nassau, more characterful on Harbour Island, and simple in the outer cays where a handful of places serve whatever came in that morning. Conch, grouper and lobster in season are what to eat.
For villa and private-island stays, a chef is generally the right answer rather than a nightly search for a table.
- Harbour Island holds the most interesting independent dining
- Outer-cay dining is limited and seasonal — confirm what is open
- In-villa and onboard chefs are the practical approach for groups
06
After dark
Nassau and Paradise Island carry the late evenings, including a casino and hotel bars. Harbour Island has a small, cheerful bar scene that peaks in season. The Exumas themselves are quiet after dinner, and that is the appeal.
- Nightlife concentrates around Nassau and Paradise Island
- Harbour Island is social but small-scale
- Boat transfers after dark need to be arranged in advance
07
Weddings and private events
Beach ceremonies, private-island buyouts and resort weddings are all workable. The Bahamas has a comparatively accessible marriage licence process for visitors, with a short residency requirement, which makes marrying here rather than at home a realistic option.
Logistics are the real consideration: moving eighty guests to a cay is a transport exercise, and the supplier base in the outer islands is thin. Most events draw their suppliers from Nassau.
- Guest movement between islands is the dominant planning constraint
- Supplier availability in the outer cays is limited — most travel in
- Private-island event permissions vary and must be verified in writing
- Weather contingency matters more here than in most destinations
08
Experience
Swimming pigs and iguana cays are genuinely enjoyable with children, and the grottos and blue holes give teenagers something to do. Harbour Island offers the closest thing to shopping and a pink-sand beach worth the crossing.
For anyone who wants to move: kiting, diving on walls and wrecks, and long empty beaches to run on.
- Exuma cays: pigs, iguanas, grottos and sandbars
- Harbour Island: pink sand, small shops, a slower pace
- Diving on walls, wrecks and blue holes
- Combines naturally with a Miami stay
Illustrative Journey
Four days in the Exumas
An illustrative shape for a short trip built around the water. Every element remains subject to availability and supplier confirmation.
Day one
Arrive and get on the water
A morning flight in, the house or boat ready, and an afternoon swim from a sandbar rather than a beach.
Day two
The cays
A full day out: grotto, iguanas, an empty beach for lunch, and back before the wind gets up.
Day three
Fish or drift
Bonefishing on the flats at first light for some, a slow morning for the rest, and a chef dinner at the house.
Day four
Departure
A last swim and a short flight out — or on to Miami for two nights of a different kind.
Every service remains subject to availability and final supplier confirmation.
Continue from here
Florida, United States
Miami
Waterfront villas, boats, serious dining, art and nightlife — and the Bahamas an hour away.
British Overseas Territory, Caribbean
Turks and Caicos
Beachfront houses, reef diving and the kind of week that resets people.
Florida Panhandle, United States
30A, Florida
Beach houses, bicycles, white sand and the easiest multi-generation week in the country.
Plan Bahamas and the Exumas with Magnara.
Photograph: zs Lin / Pexels