Plan an Exumas trip
Start here to plan an Exumas trip: when to go, where to stay, itineraries, cost, packing, insurance, entry, and links to the park, boating and places hubs.
Plan an Exumas trip in this order: choose your season, pick a base, then build an itinerary. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 301. Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, established in 1958, is the first marine reserve in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean2. Each step below links to a full guide.
- At a glance
- Hurricane season
- June 1 to November 301
- Park established
- 19582
- Park office
- VHF 09, "Exuma Park"2
- Emergencies
- VHF 16, monitored 24 hours2
- April event
- National Family Island Regatta3
On this page
This page is the map for planning a trip to the Exumas. It sends you to the right guide for each decision, and to the other hubs for the park, the water, the cays and the journey in.
Decide when to go
Start with the calendar. The best time to visit the Exumas sets the dry season, hurricane season and April’s regatta against Nassau rainfall and temperature by month1,3,4. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 301, so your dates decide how much of the season your trip overlaps. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism lists April’s National Family Island Regatta among the annual Exumas events3, which gives a dated reason to pick that month. Decide this first, because lodging and itineraries both depend on the dates.
Choose where to stay
Where to stay in the Exumas groups lodging by base: George Town and Great Exuma, or Staniel Cay. Pair it with the Great Exuma and George Town guide and the Staniel Cay guide.
Pick an itinerary
Match the plan to the time you have:
- Exuma park day trip itinerary: a single day inside the park.
- Exumas 3-day itinerary: a short stay.
- Exumas 7-day itinerary: a full week.
- Exumas with kids: what changes with children.
- Snorkeling guide to the Exumas: where to get in the water.
- Responsible pig beach visit: how to visit the swimming pigs.
Money, gear and paperwork
- Exumas trip cost: what a trip costs.
- Money, tipping and phones: cash, cards and service.
- What to pack for an Exumas boat trip: the packing list.
- Travel insurance for Bahamas boating: cover for a boat trip.
- Bahamas entry requirements for US citizens: what to carry at the border.
Go deeper by topic
Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park was established in 19582. The park office takes calls on VHF channel 09, calling “Exuma Park”, and channel 16 is monitored 24 hours a day for emergencies2. It is the most visited national park in The Bahamas2. Four hubs cover the rest:
- Park hub: rules, fees, the no-take zone and the Warderick Wells headquarters.
- Boating hub: moorings, anchoring, clearing in, weather and routes.
- Places hub: the cays and settlements, from Warderick Wells to Great Exuma.
- Getting there hub: flights, ferries, day trips and boat routes.
Rates, schedules and rules change, so confirm them with the Trust, the airline or the property before you pay.
All 17 guides in this section
Best time to visit the Exumas: weather, hurricane season and events
When to go to the Exumas: the November to April dry season, the June to November hurricane season, Nassau rain and temperature by month, and April's regatta.
Exuma Park day trip itinerary: Nassau tours, Staniel Cay stops and park rules
A one-day Exumas itinerary from Nassau: powerboat and flight options with prices, the Staniel Cay stops, and the rules if a tour lands inside Exuma Park.
Exumas 3 day itinerary: a Staniel Cay base with the pigs, sharks and a park day
A three-day Exumas plan from a Staniel Cay base: Thunderball Grotto, the swimming pigs, Compass Cay sharks and a day in Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park.
Exumas 7 day itinerary: sailing or motoring north to south through Exuma Park
A seven-day boat itinerary through the Exumas: Highbourne to Staniel Cay via Shroud, Hawksbill and Warderick Wells, with park fees, rules and charter costs.
How much does a trip to the Exumas cost? Day trips, charters, park fees and permits
What an Exumas trip costs by boat: Nassau day trips, a week on a charter, Exuma Park mooring and camping fees, cruising permits, water and ice.
Bahamas entry requirements for US citizens, by air or by boat
What US citizens need to enter the Bahamas: passport, onward ticket, the eight-month stay limit, how to extend, and Customs steps for boat arrivals.
Money, tipping and phones in the Exumas: cash, cards, VAT, ATMs, roaming and park signal
Money, tipping and phones for the Exumas: US and Bahamian dollars, cash versus cards, VAT, ATMs, tip rates, BTC roaming and cell signal at Warderick Wells.
Exuma private islands and celebrity owners: what Wikipedia and the press report
Which famous people own islands in the Exumas, per Wikipedia and the press: Bell Island, Little Hall's Pond Cay and Musha Cay, and what that means for visitors.
Snorkeling in the Exumas: reefs, grottos and wrecks from Highbourne to George Town
Where to snorkel in the Exumas: Highbourne Cay reefs, Norman's Cay plane wreck, Thunderball Grotto and Elizabeth Harbour sites, plus tide timing and park rules.
Is Exuma safe? Emergency numbers, clinics and medical care in the Exumas
Is Exuma safe? Emergency numbers (919, 911, med evac), VHF 16 on the water, the Exuma community clinics and what medical care exists at Staniel Cay.
Exumas with dogs: the Bahamas pet import permit and Exuma Park rules for pets
Bringing a dog to the Exumas by boat: the Bahamas pet import permit application, what the form asks, processing time, and the pet rules inside Exuma Park.
Swimming pigs at Pig Beach: how to visit Big Major Cay responsibly
What happened to the Big Major Cay pigs in 2017, what Staniel Cay volunteers do to protect them, and how to feed and visit without harming them.
Where to stay in the Exumas: George Town, Great Exuma and Staniel Cay
Where to stay in the Exumas by base: George Town and Great Exuma resorts, or Staniel Cay Yacht Club, with sample nightly rates and a note on what is closed.
Staniel Cay or Great Exuma: which Exumas base to pick
Staniel Cay or Great Exuma for your Exumas trip: flights, hotels, marinas, Pig Beach and park access compared in one table, with a clear way to choose.
What to pack for an Exumas boat trip: gear, documents and park rules
Packing list for an Exumas boat trip: entry documents, footwear, snorkel gear and sun cover, plus what park rules mean for trash, fires and pets.
Travel insurance for a Bahamas boat trip: what the CDC, DAN, BoatUS and Markel say
Travel insurance for a Bahamas boat trip: what the CDC, DAN, BoatUS, Markel and The Moorings say about evacuation, towing, named storms and charter waivers.
Exumas with kids: pigs, nurse sharks, Thunderball Grotto and where to base
Exumas with children: the swimming pigs, Compass Cay nurse sharks, Thunderball Grotto, what the family day trip costs, and Great Exuma or Staniel Cay as a base.
Questions people ask
What is the best month to go to Exuma?
It depends on what you weigh. The Bahamas dry season runs November through April, with rain concentrated in May-June and September-October4, the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 301, and April brings the National Family Island Regatta3. The best time guide sets these against Nassau rainfall by month.
Which part of Exuma is best to stay?
The stay guide splits lodging between George Town on Great Exuma and Staniel Cay, with a page for each base. Read it before you pick a base.
How do you plan a trip to Exuma?
Fix your dates first, then pick a base and an itinerary length, then check cost, packing, insurance and entry rules. Each of those has its own page below. Boaters add clearance, moorings and weather from the boating hub.
Sources (4)
- Hurricane Season ClimatologyGOV
US National Hurricane Center (NOAA) · nhc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-10-18 - Exuma Cays Land & Sea ParkBNT
Bahamas National Trust · bnt.bs · checked 2026-10-18 - Exuma Islands, BahamasTOURISM
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism · bahamas.com · checked 2026-10-18 - Climate of the Bahamas
Wikipedia (Nassau airport normals, Ogimet source) · en.wikipedia.org · checked 2026-10-18
Photo credits (1)
- cogdogblog / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · source
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Park fees and rules come from the Bahamas National Trust or the Bahamas government; check them again before you go. How we check facts.