Exuma Cays

The stunning Exuma Cays islands are a collection of tropical islands bathed in the shallow waters of the Bahamas turquoise sea. Home to the famous Swimming Pigs and Hollywood superstars; this is the exquisite Bahamas islands experience.

The Exuma Cays are a chain of 365 islands in the Bahamas. Renowned for their beautiful beaches, unique attractions, and bright water that’s identifiable from space, the Exumas are one of the many can’t-miss destinations found in the country. 

Air travel makes it easy to get around the region, transporting you from one island to another in next to no time. Given how efficient flying is, you can even sign up for Exuma day trips from places like Nassau and Miami. These answer the common questions of what to do in Exumas and how to get to Exuma Bahamas. 

If you’re looking to stay in the Exuma Cays, flying still makes it easy to get from one corner of the region to the other. By traveling by plane, you can see the Exuma pigs in the morning and then travel farther south to Great Exuma and Little Exuma that same afternoon. 

Exuma Cays: What to Do in Exumas 

Getting to Exuma

Many people wonder how to get to Exuma Bahamas, but as mentioned, it doesn’t need to be as difficult of a question as it seems. There are several airports within the region, including one on Staniel Cay, making the Exumas easy to reach. When you sign up for a Pig Island tour, you’ll fly to Staniel Cay before switching over to a boat to explore the area. 

While air travel is usually the best way to reach the Exuma Cays, there are some instances when taking a boat is an option as well. If you’re traveling from a place within the Exumas, like Georgetown, going by boat can still be an efficient way to get around. However, if you’re traveling from a place like Nassau, traveling by plane is the smartest option. 

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

One area of the Exumas you’ll want to save time for is the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. This is a 113,000-thousand-acre preserve that exists to protect both the beauty and biodiversity of the region.

Within the park, you can enjoy the beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs that are all around you. However, you can’t touch, harm, or take anything. Because of those regulations, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is one of the prettiest and most pristine parts of the Bahamas. 

The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a protected part of the country.

Staniel Cay

As mentioned, Staniel Cay is one of the islands in the Exuma Cays that houses an airport. This has made it a popular destination on Exuma Cays adventures.

However, while the island serves as many people’s base of operations in the Exumas, Staniel Cay is much more than just a tropical airport. It’s a beautiful island in its own right and is another site that anyone wondering what to do in Exumas should visit.

Flights to Staniel Cay answer the question of how to get to Exuma Bahamas.

From its beautiful beaches to its quaint town, Staniel Cay is an impressive gateway to the rest of the region. When you sign up for a Pig Island day tour from Nassau or Miami, you’ll have time to explore Staniel Cay, as well as eat lunch at the local Staniel Cay Yacht Club. 

Big Major Cay

If you’re wondering how to get to Exuma Bahamas, there’s a good chance you’re looking to visit the Exuma Pigs. These friendly creatures are right around the corner from Staniel Cay, which is one of the reasons why day trips to Staniel Cay are so popular. 

If you’re unfamiliar with their story, the Exuma Pigs are a group of feral pigs that reside on Big Major Cay (Pig Island). Unlike the pigs most people are familiar with, these animals live on an island devoid of humans. With the exception of some other creatures, like goats and cats, nobody else lives there with them. This has led many to wonder how the Swimming Pigs arrived at Big Major Cay in the first place. 

Big Major Cay is one of the highlights of the Exumas.

Regardless, the Exuma Pigs are friendly and sociable, and hanging out with them on their island home is one of the best things to do in the Exuma Cays. 

Compass Cay 

Compass Cay is another one of the more famous islands in the Exuma Cays, having been featured on the Discovery Channel and in several documentaries. It’s one of the best places in the Bahamas and the world to get up close and personal with sharks. 

The owner of the local marina is a shark lover and has managed to “tame” a school of nurse sharks. These have resided in the area ever since, and today, you can see around 20 sharks swimming around the waters.

Located right in the Exuma Cays, Compass Cay is home to a school of nurse sharks.

While the sharks are nurse sharks, not tigers or another more aggressive variety, they’re still a misunderstood species. Seeing them up close helps show people that they’re not mindless killers but rather powerful and beautiful creatures. 

You’re welcome to watch the nurse sharks from the pier, but you can also jump in the water with them if you’re so inclined. Guides are there to help ensure that your swim with sharks experience is a safe one. 

Norman’s Cay Plane Wreck

The waters around Norman’s Cay feature another fantastic spot for getting in the water and interacting with wildlife: the Exuma plane wreck. (Not to be confused with the Staniel Cay Plane Wreck).

Exuma Cays adventures let you snorkel around an underwater plane wreck.

In the 70s, when the Colombian drug cartel was at its height, a smuggling mission turned sour when a plane crashed into the waters of the Exuma Cays. The vessel, filled to the brim with marijuana, has sat there ever since. But over the years, nature has converted it into something else. 

Today, it’s the home of fish, coral, and other creatures. This makes it an excellent snorkeling site, especially since the waters around the boat are shallow. Even with a snorkel and goggles, it’s possible to dive down to swim amongst the wreckage. 

Pipe Creek

The Exuma Cays are full of sites that make you feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard. That said, perhaps no place does that better than the sand bars at Pipe Creek. 

At low tide, the waters pull back to reveal sandy expanses that are disconnected from the land. During that time, it’s possible to walk around, sinking your toes into the soft sand as you appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. Pictures don’t do the site justice, but the blues surrounding you appear almost otherworldly. 

The Exumas feature many amazing sites, including sandbars at Pipe Creek.

Like many of the places in the Exumas, Pipe Creek functions as a peaceful refuge from the crowds that congregate in busier areas of the country, like Nassau. The site epitomizes what the Exumas offer – beauty, peace, and a much-needed break from the stresses of reality. 

Exuma Cays Adventures: Discover All the Region Has to Offer

The Exuma Cays make up more than half of the 700 islands in the Bahamas. That, and the fact that they offer some of the most amazing sites in the country, should earn them a spot on any Bahamas itinerary. 

Given the number of islands worth visiting, the easiest way to get around is usually by plane. By choosing to fly, you can even hop around from island to island, sampling the sites of each destination before moving on to the next. Air travel even makes it possible to enjoy day trips from places like Nassau and Miami.

Sign up for your dream Exuma Cays tour today to enjoy all that the area has to offer! 

Related Tours

$949

Exuma Tour from Miami by Plane

Fly to Exuma from Florida and go Swimming with Pigs at Pig Beach on our Full Day Miami to Bahamas Day Tour, including Swimming with Sharks, Snorkeling in Thunderball Grotto, Sandbars, Iguanas and Beaches

1 day

$675

Exuma Tour from Nassau by Plane

Fly from Nassau to Exuma and go Swimming with Pigs on our Full Day Exuma Tour which includes Swimming with Sharks, James Bond Thunderball Grotto, Sandbars, Iguanas, Snorkeling and Deserted beaches.

1 day

Private

$3,900

Exuma Tour from Georgetown by Boat

Visit the famous Swimming Pigs on a Full Day Exuma Tour from Great Exuma by Powerboat that includes Swimming with Sharks, Thunderball Grotto, Sandbars, Iguanas, Snorkeling and Deserted beaches.

1 day