At a glanceSeven days and six nights in Exuma, split between Staniel Cay in the middle of the chain and Great Exuma near George Town. You get a private boat day to the swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto, a lazy day on Stocking Island and a sunset on Tropic of Cancer Beach. It suits couples who love clear water more than resort amenities. April and May are the sweet spot.
A week in Exuma works best as two halves: three nights in the cays around Staniel Cay, then three on Great Exuma. The first half puts you minutes by boat from the swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto and the sandbars that made the Bahamas famous. The second half gives you a car, a few restaurants and an easy nonstop flight home from Exuma International Airport (GGT).
Exuma is a chain of more than 360 cays stretched along a deep ocean trench. Most of it is uninhabited, so the days revolve around a boat. You anchor wherever the water looks best, swim, eat a picnic lunch and move on. Evenings are quiet: grilled lobster at a marina bar, a drink on a porch over the water, early nights.
The plan keeps only one hotel change and puts it in the middle of the week. Starting in the cays means your most remote nights come first, while the end of the trip sits close to the airport. That leaves slack for the windy days that can cancel boats in winter.
The route
- ExumaBahamas · 6 nights
- Best months
- December to May, with April and May the best balance of calm seas and lighter crowds
- Trip length
- 7 days
- Budget
- About $450–900 a night for two at Staniel Cay Yacht Club or Grand Isle, $2,000 or more all-inclusive at Fowl Cay, plus a private boat day (approximate)
Day by day
Day 1: Fly In to Staniel Cay
Fly to Fort Lauderdale or Nassau (NAS) and connect to Staniel Cay Airport (TYM) on a small plane. Staniel Cay Yacht Club lists daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to the island airstrip, while charters from Nassau take well under an hour. Bag limits on these planes are strict, so pack soft duffels and keep it light.
Staniel Cay is a small, lived-in island with a marina, a couple of shops and a short airstrip. If you are staying at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, ground transfers are included and your bungalow sits over or beside the water. If you chose Fowl Cay Resort, a boat collects you for the short hop to its private island.
Spend the afternoon doing nothing at all. Snorkel off the dock, watch nurse sharks and rays glide below your porch and meet your boat captain if you have one. Eat at the yacht club bar, where the other guests arrived by sailboat. Go to bed early, since tomorrow starts early.
Days 2–3: Pigs, Grotto and Sandbars
Make day two your big boat day. Head to Big Major Cay first thing, before the day boats from Nassau arrive. Wade in as the pigs paddle out to meet you. Keep food out of reach and follow your captain's lead. Next, time your swim at Thunderball Grotto for slack low tide, when you can snorkel through the low opening into a domed cave lit from above and full of sergeant majors and angelfish. Finish on a sandbar for a picnic lunch and a long swim.
Day three is the slow day. If your stay includes a skiff, take it out with a tide chart and anchor off a beach with nobody on it. If not, kayak or paddleboard close to home. In the afternoon, take a short guided run north into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park to kayak the mangrove creeks of Shroud Cay, or simply nap. For dinner, Fowl Cay guests eat at the hilltop Hill House. Yacht club guests should book the dining room ahead in high season.
Day 4: Across to Great Exuma
Move south to Great Exuma. You can take a short charter flight or a private boat transfer, which takes a few hours and doubles as a final cruise down the chain. Your hotel can arrange either. If the wind is up, the plane is the more comfortable choice.
Check in at Emerald Bay, about 12 minutes north of the airport, where Grand Isle Resort has hillside villas of roughly 1,250 square feet with full kitchens and terraces facing the sea. After three nights of island simplicity, the space feels lavish. Pick up a rental car, remembering that traffic keeps left and roads are narrow.
Stop at the supermarket in George Town for breakfast supplies and a bottle of something cold. Spend the late afternoon on the beach below the villas, then have an easy dinner at the beach club or on your own terrace. A Sky Juice, made with gin, coconut water and condensed milk, is a fine way to mark the halfway point.
Day 5: Stocking Island
Drive into George Town and catch the water taxi across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island. Hike the short trail to Monument Hill, where the view takes in the harbor, the anchored yachts and the Atlantic beach on the far side. Swim off the ocean beach while the morning is still cool.
For lunch, settle in at Chat 'N' Chill with conch salad made to order and a cold Kalik. If you are there on a Sunday, the pig roast turns the beach into a big local party, which is fun for an afternoon. Otherwise the place is quiet and happy to let you linger in the shade.
Back on Great Exuma, take an afternoon swim at Emerald Bay. For dinner, try one of George Town's casual seafood restaurants. Order the conch chowder or cracked conch wherever you land. Many kitchens close early, so book ahead and plan to eat around sunset.
Days 6–7: Tropic of Cancer Beach and Home
Keep day six loose. Sleep late, have breakfast on the terrace and book couples massages at the Seastar Spa at Grand Isle for the hot middle of the day. Divers can instead join a morning boat from George Town to the blue holes and reef walls.
In the late afternoon, drive south over the short bridge to Little Exuma with a bottle of wine. Tropic of Cancer Beach is a long arc of pale sand where a painted line marks the latitude. Go for the last hour of light, when the water turns gold and the beach is close to empty. This is the romantic moment of the trip, so take your time.
Make dinner the splurge. Book the best table you can find for a final lobster dinner in season, or ask your villa about a private chef.
On day seven, swim once more after breakfast, then drive the 12 minutes to the airport. Nonstop flights to US cities run on certain days, so check the schedule early.
Getting There and Between Stops
There are two ways into Exuma. Exuma International Airport (GGT) on Great Exuma has had nonstop flights from cities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta and Charlotte, though some run only on weekends or in high season. Otherwise, fly to Nassau and connect on a 40-minute hop.
For the cays, small charter airlines fly to Staniel Cay Airport (TYM) from Nassau and South Florida. Fast day boats also run from Nassau, but the open crossing can be rough and is a poor way to arrive with luggage.
Between Staniel Cay and Great Exuma, choose a charter flight or a private boat. The flight is quicker and less affected by wind. The boat is slower but gives you a final day on the water. Flying in to Staniel Cay and out of Great Exuma avoids backtracking.
Where to Stay
In the cays, Fowl Cay Resort is the splurge: six oceanfront villas on a private island, all meals and drinks included and a powerboat with unlimited fuel for each villa. The one-bedroom Lindon Villa books up early. Staniel Cay Yacht Club is the better-value choice, with nine brightly painted Waterfront Bungalows. Its package plan adds a skiff, meals and gear.
On Great Exuma, Grand Isle Resort & Residences on Emerald Bay suits couples who want space after the cays. Its one-bedroom villas come with kitchens, whirlpool tubs and terraces. A beach club, a spa and a marina sit on site. Smaller beach inns and cottages along the coast toward George Town and Little Exuma cost less and feel more local.
A strong combination is a splurge in the cays and a comfortable villa on Great Exuma.
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When to Go
December through May is the main season, with sunny, dry days and highs in the upper 70s to low 80s°F. January nights can be cool enough for a light layer. Winter cold fronts can bring a few windy days that cancel boat trips, which is why this plan keeps the busy boat day early and leaves two looser days.
April and May are often the best months for a honeymoon. The water is warmer, seas are calmer and crowds are lighter than at Christmas or spring break. June and July are hot and humid but still good on the water.
August through October is the heart of hurricane season. Some small lodges and restaurants close in September and October and boat operators cut back. November is a pleasant shoulder month once places have reopened, so confirm opening dates before you book.
Budget and Booking
Exuma is not cheap, mainly because everything arrives by boat or plane. As an approximate guide, Staniel Cay Yacht Club and Grand Isle villas start at around $450–500 a night for two, while all-inclusive Fowl Cay starts at around $2,000. A full-day private boat with a captain is the biggest extra, with prices that vary by boat size and route, so ask for quotes from two or three operators. Small-plane connections add to the cost as well.
Book the Staniel Cay hotel first, since rooms there are few. Then book flights and the boat day. Rental cars on Great Exuma can sell out in high season, so reserve one with your villa.
Compare total costs rather than nightly rates. Fowl Cay's price includes meals, drinks and a boat, while elsewhere you pay for each separately. Bring cash for water taxis, beach bars and tips.
Staying Comfortable and Safe
Hire boats only from licensed operators and ask how many people share each trip. On a private charter you can set the order of stops to avoid the midday crowds at Pig Beach.
Watch the tides. Thunderball Grotto is easiest near slack low tide. The cuts between cays can run fast, so never swim alone or far from the boat. Pigs and nurse sharks are wild animals. Do not hand-feed sharks and keep food away from the pigs.
The sun on the water is fierce. Pack reef-safe sunscreen, rash guards and hats for both of you, plus a dry bag for phones. Cell coverage is decent on Great Exuma and patchy in the park. Mosquitoes and sand flies appear at dusk near mangroves, so bring repellent. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices before you go.
Make It Shorter or Longer
For five days, drop Great Exuma and stay four nights in the cays, flying in and out of Staniel Cay. You keep the boat day and gain an extra slow day on the water. Alternatively, stay four nights on Great Exuma and visit the pigs and Thunderball Grotto on a full-day charter from there, which is a longer day on the boat.
For eight or nine days, add a night to each half. In the cays, the extra day buys a second boat trip deeper into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, with time at Warderick Wells. On Great Exuma, it leaves room for a dive or a day exploring Little Exuma's empty beaches.
If you want more variety, Harbour Island and Eleuthera pair well on another trip, since both are short flights from Nassau.
FAQPlanning this trip
Is seven days enough for Exuma?
Yes. Six nights gives you three in the cays and three on Great Exuma with one easy transfer between them. You get a full boat day to the pigs and Thunderball Grotto, a slow day on the water, Stocking Island and a sunset on Tropic of Cancer Beach. Weather days are also covered.
Should we stay at Staniel Cay or on Great Exuma?
Both, if you can. Staniel Cay puts you minutes from the famous sights and feels remote. Great Exuma has the main airport, a car, restaurants and more room types. Staying only on Great Exuma works, but every trip to the pigs becomes a long boat day.
Are the swimming pigs worth it on a honeymoon?
They are silly and fun, which is a nice change of pace. If you go early, before the tour boats arrive, the beach feels calm. Keep food away from them and follow your captain. Pair the visit with Thunderball Grotto and a sandbar so the day feels like more than one photo stop.
How do we get from Staniel Cay to Great Exuma?
The quickest way is a short charter flight. A private boat transfer takes a few hours and works as a last sightseeing cruise down the chain, though it depends on calm seas. Ask your hotel to arrange either one and choose the plane if the wind forecast looks strong.
What is the best time of year for an Exuma honeymoon?
April and May are hard to beat, with warm water, calm seas and fewer people. December to March is drier but can bring windy cold fronts and higher prices. Avoid September and October, when hurricane risk peaks and some places close.
