Planning an Exumas yacht week from Nassau

At a glance

How to read this itinerary

This is an illustrative island sequence, not a sailing plan. The captain must set navigable distances, timings and weather alternatives for your yacht and your dates. Many of the anchorages are shallow, so what is possible depends on the yacht's draft, the tide and the wind.

Two terms used below:

• Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park: a protected area run by the Bahamas National Trust, roughly from Shroud Cay in the north to Cambridge Cay in the south. Nothing may be taken from land or sea.
• Mooring: a fixed buoy the yacht ties to instead of anchoring. In parts of the park moorings are compulsory and charged by the night.

The island sequence

The cays, stage by stage

The crossing. The first day crosses open water from Nassau to the top of the chain. The captain may delay or reroute the crossing; no anchorage here is an all-weather alternative, and Allan's Cay still needs the same exposed crossing.

Norman's Cay. Beaches and quiet water. Norman's Pond is sheltered, but its entrance is shallow: whether your yacht can use it is the captain's call.

Shroud Cay. The first island in the park. Explore Sanctuary Creek through the mangroves by tender at high tide, at idle speed, following the park's rules. Keep clear of the tidal cut where the current runs hard.

Warderick Wells. Park headquarters. In its mooring fields anchoring is not allowed: park staff assign the moorings and charge for them by the night. Walk the trails and snorkel, remembering nothing may be taken.

Cambridge Cay and Compass Cay. Some of the best snorkelling on the route, and the nurse sharks at Compass Cay.

Staniel Cay and Big Major. Thunderball Grotto is a cave lit through gaps in the rock. Whether you can swim in depends on the tide, the sea and the crew's assessment on the day. Pig Beach on Big Major is reached by tender.

The end of the week. Staniel Cay is a long way back to Nassau. The usual answers are a one-way week that ends at Staniel Cay, which has a small airstrip, or turning back north part-way and splitting the return. A shorter out-and-back week is often more relaxed than trying to cover the whole chain.

What a week costs

We have not found a published rate for a yacht based in Nassau, so we give no Bahamas budget. For a sense of scale, two 58 ft crewed catamarans in our Charter Price Index list winter rates for six guests of US$47,000 (Oceans One) and US$45,500 (Equanimity) a week, read on 29 October 2026. Both are based in the Virgin Islands, so a Bahamas week on either would mean asking about delivery.

Park moorings are charged by the night according to the yacht's length, with VAT on top (Bahamas National Trust). For how running costs and tips work, see what APA is and the cost of a crewed Caribbean charter.

When to go

December to May. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November (NOAA). Winter cold fronts can bring a few windy days, which is when the captain's choice of anchorage matters most. See the best time for a Caribbean charter.

What to ask your broker

1. Where is the yacht based for my dates, and is there a delivery charge to Nassau?
2. What is the yacht's draft, and which of these anchorages can she use?
3. Can the week end one-way at Staniel Cay, and what does that add?
4. Which taxes, permits and park charges are on the quote, and on what basis?
5. Is the rate all-inclusive, and if so what does it exclude?

When this is not the right choice

• Anyone in the group dislikes open-water passages. The crossing from Nassau is exposed.
• A deep-draft sailing yacht. Many of the best anchorages are shallow.
• You want nightlife. The Exumas are about beaches, snorkelling and quiet anchorages.

Questions people ask