Top 3 Activiites in Exuma

Top 3 Activities in Exuma:

Exuma has no shortage of things to do. But after multiple trips with our family, three experiences sit in a category of their own — the ones we build the entire itinerary around, the ones our kids still talk about, and the ones we'd never skip. Here they are, in order.

#1: A Full-Day Private Boat Charter

This is the non-negotiable. Exuma is a chain of 365 islands, and the only way to actually see it is by water. Swimming pigs, nurse sharks, iguana colonies, underwater caves, sandbars that don't look real, and the clearest water you've ever been in — all of it is out on the cays, not on the main island. A boat day is not a bonus activity. It's the core of the trip.

Book at least two boat days. One is never enough.

What to Expect on a Cay Tour

A full-day charter typically runs 8 hours and covers a combination of these stops depending on the operator and the day's conditions:

• Pig Beach (Big Major Cay) — swim directly with the famous Bahamian swimming pigs in open water; they come right to the boat

• Nurse Sharks at Staniel Cay — wade into waist-deep water surrounded by docile nurse sharks; our kids were completely fearless

• Staniel Cay Yacht Club — lunch stop at one of the most iconic spots in the Exumas; worth savoring

• Iguana Cay — hand-feed wild iguanas on the beach; a surprisingly unforgettable 15 minutes

• The Blow Hole — natural rock formation where waves push water dramatically upward

• Thunderball Grotto — snorkeling through a series of underwater caves made famous by the James Bond films

• Aircraft Wreck / Mermaid Playing Piano — shallow wreck snorkel; otherworldly underwater landscape

• Man of War Sandbars (7 Beaches Tour) — stunning sandbars in the middle of open water; the kind of spot that makes no logical sense and looks completely impossible

Our Charter Picks

Cay Lime Charters (Featured Pick — Private) Full-day private tour, 8 hours, up to 10 people. $3,200 for the group. We ran this tour with 4 adults and 5 kids and it was the single best day of the entire trip. The crew is exceptional with kids, the boat is immaculate, and the captain customizes your departure and return dock to your villa location — after 8 hours on the water with tired kids, that detail matters more than it sounds.

Exuma Water Sports (Best Group / Semi-Private Option) The 7 Beaches & Moriah Marine Park tour is 4 hours and covers the Man of War sandbars and the Lazy River — a calm, stunning stretch of protected water through the national park. $175/adult · $85/kids 3–12. Departs from Browns Marine, ~10 minutes south of George Town. Strong second-boat-day option, especially for families who want a shorter format or a different route than the full Cay tour.

Other Vetted Operators:

• Fifty Shades of Blue Excursions (Captain Donny) — WhatsApp: +1 (242) 817-8334 · Pickup directly from Beau Soleil beach on calm days

• Roberts Island Adventures — robertsislandadventures.com · Departs Barraterre Dock; family-owned, Captain Robert Thompson has 30+ years on these waters

• Aquaquest Escapes — (242) 425-0552 · aquaquest242@gmail.com

• Island Exclusive Boat Rentals and Tour https://www.islandexclusiveboatrentalsandtours.com You can rent with or without a captain and customize your trip! We have personally used them.

#2: A Full Day on Stocking Island

Stocking Island sits directly across the harbor from George Town, a 10–15 minute water taxi ride from the Georgetown docks. It deserves a full day — not a quick afternoon. Every time we've rushed it, we've wished we'd stayed longer.

Getting There

Water taxis depart from the Georgetown docks near Choppy's (now the Exuma Yacht Club). Round-trip is approximately $25/person. Taxis run roughly hourly during peak season — arrive 30 minutes early to guarantee your spot. Elvis Water Taxi is who we use: (242) 464-1558.

Alternatively, the Peace and Plenty hotel day pass (~$30/person) includes the boat ride over and back.

What to Do on Stocking Island

Coconut Club The newest addition to Stocking Island (opened 2024) is already one of the most talked-about spots in all of Exuma. Beautiful, well-designed beach club with food and drinks on the sand. Arrive early — it fills up on peak-season days, and there's no reservation system.

Chat N Chill Beach Bar & Grill The iconic Exuma experience. Open-air bar and grill directly on the beach, with southern stingrays that swim right up to the shoreline while you eat. The conch salad is made fresh to order while the stingrays circle your ankles. If you're visiting on a Sunday, there's a pig roast that draws the whole island — plan your Stocking Island day around it.

Baymahni Beach Club Breakfast and lunch from 7:30 am–4 pm. A beautiful, more polished setting for mid-day. Great option if you want a beach club feel rather than the bar scene.

Baymahni Resort "The Beacon" If you want to end your Stocking Island day with dinner, The Beacon is the evening restaurant at Baymahni. It's a full reservation experience — book in advance at concierge@baymahni.com.

#3: Hydrobike Eco Tour with Hydro Watersports

Most families don't know this one exists until they're already in Exuma and stumble across it. We consider it non-negotiable — and the owner, Daran, is so personable and kind! You'll want to bring cash to tip him!

What It Is

A 2-3-hour guided water bike tour through Moriah Harbour Cay National Park and the island's natural Lazy River — a calm, winding stretch of protected water through the national park with mangroves, wildlife, and the kind of stillness that feels completely separate from the rest of the trip.

The bikes are stable, pedal-powered floating cycles. Our 10-year-old rode independently; our younger two sat on adult bikes. Works for every fitness level. It's genuinely unlike anything else on the island because of the location you get to go, only by boat or hydro bikes in this case.

The Logistics

Guide: Daran at Hydro Watersports — one of the best guides we've encountered anywhere. Duration: 2-3 hours Meeting point: Little Exuma, near the Ferry Bridge Contact: hydrowatersports242@gmail.com · (242) 524-9376

Daran reviews the forecast and tides before each tour and will reschedule if conditions aren't right. Build a flexible window into your schedule for this one — don't lock it in as the only option on a day with fixed plans before and after. Give it room.