14-day Exumas cruising itinerary: eight sourced days, then choose an extension

No charter operator publishes a named stop for every day of a two-week Exumas cruise. IYC lays out the first eight days, leaves the middle of the trip to the crew, and brings the yacht back to Nassau on day 15¹. This page follows that shape: a sourced route for the first eight days, then a choice of extensions. A leg-by-leg week with miles is on the 7-day cruising itinerary.

Days 1 to 8: which route does a two-week charter follow?

IYC calls a two-week itinerary perfect for thoroughly exploring the Exumas¹. Its charter has a crew that meets you at the yacht¹.

Day	Stop	What the itinerary says
Day 1	Nassau	The yacht’s crew welcomes you on arrival at Nassau airport1
Day 2	Highbourne Cay and Allen Cay	Stop midway for a dive or snorkeling session at the Blue Hole1
Day 3	Shroud Cay	Explore the mangrove creeks by kayak or paddle board1
Day 4	Warderick Wells	The Exuma Land & Sea Park headquarters1
Day 5	Hawksbill Cay	An uninhabited cay owned by Exuma Park1
Day 6	Pipe Creek	Sandbars appear between Staniel and Compass Cays as the tide recedes1
Day 7	Big Major Cay	Visit Pig Beach, then snorkel Thunderball Cave later in the day1
Day 8	Staniel Cay	A central hub in the Exumas1

Check the park rules before taking any motorised craft into the Shroud Cay creeks. The stops have their own pages: Shroud Cay, Hawksbill Cay, Big Major Cay and Thunderball Grotto.

Days 9 to 14: how do you extend the trip?

IYC does not schedule these days. It says a longer charter can return to your favorite spots or ask the crew for their top suggestions¹. Three options have a published source behind them.

Return to the park cays you liked. This is IYC’s own suggestion¹. Any stop in the table above can be a repeat visit.

Go south of Staniel Cay. Sail Abacos’ 10-day route continues south from Staniel Cay to George Town and anchors in the protected Elizabeth Harbor opposite Stocking Island². The George Town and Elizabeth Harbour guide covers that harbour, and Little Farmer’s Cay lies south of Staniel Cay.

Finish in the north. Yacht Warriors’ 10-day route spends its final night in the Exuma Cays at Norman’s Cay and then crosses back to Palm Cay³. Yanpy says a cruise of 10 nights or two weeks is also common⁴.

How many miles does each leg add up to?

Sail Abacos’ 10-day route gives the legs below, worded as the operator words them².

Leg	Miles
Nassau to Highborne Cay, across the Yellow Bank	38 nm2
Highborne Cay to Allan’s Cay	5 nm2
Into the park, to Shroud Cay	10 nm2
South to Hawksbill Cay	4 nm2
To Warderick Wells	5 nm2
Warderick Wells to Cambridge Cay	5 nm2
Cambridge Cay to Staniel Cay	12 nm2

Yacht Warriors lists the Nassau crossing at about 30 nautical miles over the Yellow Bank³. Operators do not agree on that leg, so plan a margin. On Yacht Warriors’ 10-day route the average day is about 20 nautical miles and 2 to 3 hours of sailing, with a couple of longer days³. Its longest day is about 40 nautical miles, and a later passage to Compass Cay is about 20 nautical miles³.

What do fees and permits cost over two weeks?

The park takes no mooring reservations, and pre-payment does not guarantee a mooring⁵. A private vessel up to 39’11” pays a daily mooring rate of BSD 27.27, with 10% VAT added at checkout⁵. The park fees page lists every length band, and the mooring fields guide explains how a ball is assigned.

Customs prices a cruising permit for 30 days, 6 months or 12 months⁶. Where it applies, the anchorage fee is paid once for the whole permit period⁶. The cruising permit guide has the table.

When is the best time for two weeks in the Exumas?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November⁹. The peak is around 10 September, and most activity falls between mid-August and mid-October⁹. The Moorings describes the trade winds as steady, averaging 10 to 20 knots¹⁰. A two-week trip needs more weather slack than a week, so read the weather windows guide before you fix dates.

Where to go from here

The Boating the Exumas hub lists the passage, fuel and mooring guides for the whole route. If you are choosing a boat, the Exumas yacht charter guide lists what to ask a charter company, and the Nassau to the Exumas guide covers the first crossing.