EXUMAS
Highbourne Cay // Norman cay // Shroud Cay // Warderick Wells // Compass Cay // Big Major Cay // Staniel Cay // Hawksbill Cay // Nassau
DAY ONE
Highbourne Cay
Step on-board your luxury crewed yacht waiting for you in one of the marinas upon arrival from Nassau International Airport. Your crew hands you a local cocktail and a decadent charcuterie board before a brief orientation on what to expect for your week aboard. Cast off the lines and sail the 30 Nm passage across the Yellow Banks, known for the coral heads below the crystal clear surface.
Explore Allen’s Cay where a calm anchorage awaits and you have a change to mingle with indigenous iguanas which a subspecies of Bahamian Rock Iguanas. Allen’s Cay is one of the few place where you can still find these interesting gentle creatures, which are protected by law. They are friendly and welcome to visitor especially if you bring something to eat.
After a short sail to Highborn Cay, your Captain will dock the vessel in the spectacular marina so you can explore the magical island by bike or golf cart. the hilltop restaurant offers a delicious menu of fresh local/fusion cuisine with a 360 degree view of the Exuma Sound and nearby cays. After dinner the captain will meet you at the restaurant and take you to the beautiful beach bonfire set up for you to relax, sip on a cold drink and take the first day in.
DAY TWO
Shroud Cay
After a delicious breakfast served by your private chef, continue South to your next destination. Once at anchor on the North side of Norman’s Cay, enjoy snorkeling or diving sites like “Octopus Garden” and “Hammerhead Gulch”. Spectacular beaches and lagoons with colorful fish and coral makes this island special. There are also ruins and a sunken plane from the drug smuggling days of famous drug lord Carlos Lehder. Your Captain will take you in the tender to explore “Twinkie Beach” with it’s lone palm tree and is great for shell collecting. For the avid fisherman, there are flats nearby for bone-fishing and local guides are availalbe for hire.
Enjoy and amazing lunch with crystal blue waters as your backdrop.
Your next stop is Shroud Cay situated in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Parks. This larger island offers multiple mangrove rivers which can be used by tender or stand up paddle board where you can spot some of the many turtles that live there. Breathtaking beaches on the East side of this island await from the view from “Camp Driftwood” offers spectacular views of the Exuma sound.
Play in the current of the rivers flowing strong with the tides in crystal clear shallow water of follow the trail across the island with ruins of the plantation from the 1700’s. Spend the night at anchor under the brilliant night sky watch the sunset while drinking a cocktail and enjoy a fabulous three course meal prepared by your chef.
DAY THREE
Warderick Wells
The Park is the perfect spot to spend some time in this naturalist’s paradise with surrounding sandbars and turquoise waters. There are more than 4 miles of trails on this protected island with stunning lookouts along the way. White tailed tropical birds nets in the bush and lookout for the Bahamian Hutia, a large furry animal the size of a small dog. They eat the local vegetation and are harmless.
Nearby Danger Reef offers great snorkeling and diving for the adventurous to get close to reef sharks and big fish and a little further south lays “Jeep Reef” which is a great dive at slack tide exploring the colorful coral heads and the old Jeep sitting on the ocean floor around 40ft deep.
DAY FOUR
Compass Cay
Compass Cay lay further south with the ancient Lucayan burial grounds of Rocky Dundas caves nearby to the West. Swim into and explore this amazing natural cathedral ceiling where light shines through exposing the fantastic colors of the stalactites and stalagmites along the walls of the grotto. A good time to visit these water caves is at low tide making for easy entrance.
On the northern end of the Cay is “Rachel’s Bubble Bath”. here you can soak in a natural whirlpool and it can be bubbling or calm depending on the tide and ocean swells. On the low tide we make our way to the marina at Compass Cay where you can swim with tame nurse sharks. It is definitely an adventure you shouldn’t miss.
After, enjoying a “burger and beer” lunch at the little shack you can hike to the East side o the Island and see ruins and a beautiful crescent shaped beach with unspoiled beauty or explore the local area by jetski or tender. The waters here are full of nurse sharks, turtlers, fish and sting rays.
Finish the night off with tropical cocktails on the bow and a delicious 4 course dinner served by our private chef.
DAY FIVE
Big Majors Cay
Swim with the pigs on the beach at Big Major’s Cay in the morning and watch as they swim out to the dinghy begging for scraps. Chickens can also be found roaming the beach. Motor around to nearby Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Here is another opportunity to observe dozens of nurse sharks cicrling the fish cleaning station while you enjoy some freshly cracked conch salad and a ice cold beer at a local stop. Explore this beautiful island by golf cart rental or just laze on the beach.
Anchor the tender outside the entrance to “Thunderball Cave” where the famous James Bond movie “Thunderball” was filmed in 1965. At slack low tide, swim and snorkel into an aquarium. Colorful fish and coral heads shine in the light beaming from the holes in the magnificent ceiling of this grotto. Anchor for the night in the shallow waters of Big Majors.
DAY SIX
Pipe Cay
Spend the morning in the calm protected waters near Pipe Cay and Little Pipe cay before sailing north for a leisurely cruise to Hawksbill Cay, there you can explore more magnificent beaches and trails of the land and sea park before heading north Norman’s Cay Marina where you have the option to eat at the famous McDuffs restaurant and bar or eat another spectacular meal onboard.
DAY SEVEN
Man-O-War Cay
Man-O-War Cay is a quiet community of roughly 200 residents, many of whom earn a living in the boatbuilding trade, which dates back about a century. The original settlers, who first came to the cay in 1820, farmed the land, but they eventually gave it up in favour of crafting vessels from wood, such as the famous Abaco dinghy. In keeping with tradition, no alcohol is sold anywhere, but cruisers are welcome to enjoy sundowners aboard their yachts. Exploring the village on foot is a delight, taking you into some unique shops or to one of the casual restaurants for conch fritters. The white-sand beaches on the Atlantic side are stunning, making Man-O-War Cay yachting an unforgettable experience.
Visit the renowned sailing canvas shop and the Albury brothers boat building factory.