Exumas 3 day itinerary: a Staniel Cay base with the pigs, sharks and a park day

Three days is enough to see the Staniel Cay highlights and one slice of Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, if you stay in one place and move by day trip. This plan uses Staniel Cay as the base because it has an airstrip³ and a yacht club marina⁵. The park starts to the north^1,13, so it becomes the third day’s outing. For a shorter version, see the day trip itinerary. More trip lengths are on the Exumas planning hub.

The plan at a glance

Day	Base	Stops	Notes
One	Staniel Cay	Arrive; Thunderball Grotto	Staniel Cay Yacht Club lists the grotto as a nearby attraction8
Two	Staniel Cay	Big Major Cay swimming pigs; Compass Cay nurse sharks	The Staniel Cay Adventures excursion from Nassau lists seven stops9
Three	Staniel Cay	A day in the park: Warderick Wells	Park office open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-noon1

Ask the operator you book with how long each leg takes, and leave slack at the end of each day.

Getting to Staniel Cay

Makers Air lists a daily scheduled service between Fort Lauderdale Executive and Staniel Cay². The island has a 3,000-foot airstrip for arrivals by air³. Staniel Cay Airport is closed from Sept 21 to Oct 31, with Makers Air flights operating via Black Point instead⁶. If your dates fall near that window, check the airline’s page before you book. The Staniel Cay flights guide covers the other carriers.

Staniel Cay is about 75 miles southeast of Nassau³. For other routes, see how to get to Exuma Park.

Day one: settle in and swim the grotto

Spend the first day close to where you sleep. Staniel Cay Yacht Club lists Thunderball Grotto as a nearby attraction⁸. Read the Thunderball Grotto page for tide and entry notes before you go. Staniel Cay lies south of the park’s south-west corner at 24°14′25″ N, so the park’s rules and fees do not apply around the island^1,13.

If you arrive by your own boat, the Yacht Club marina has 18 secure slips from center consoles to mega-yachts⁵. The club also rents balls by the day or night⁵. Paying for a night covers you until 11 a.m. the next day⁵. Reservations go by email or phone, or on VHF channel 16⁵. The Staniel Cay page has the rest of the marina details.

Day two: the pigs and the sharks

Big Major Cay has no residents, and the pigs are not native to it¹⁰. The cay lies south of the whole park boundary^1,14. Read what happens at the swimming pigs and the responsible pig beach visit page before you hand out food.

Compass Cay has a marina with a famed population of docile nurse sharks, and the sharks draw visitors from as far as Nassau¹¹. Walking the island leads to a beach and a sand strip that shows only at low tide¹¹. Time the walk to the tide.

Day three: a day in the park

Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park begins north of Staniel Cay¹³. The Trust puts its south-west corner at 24°14′25″ N, 76°36′02″ W¹. Warderick Wells holds the park headquarters¹². Its nature trails include one to Boo Boo Hill, with views of the island, the anchorage and Exuma Sound¹². There are no public restrooms, trash cans or wi-fi on the island¹². Bring a bag for your trash. The headquarters guide covers the office.

The Trust lists a charter day-tour landing fee at Warderick Wells, with a guided tour, of BSD 12.73 before VAT, plus BSD 12.73 for each additional person⁴. Marine and park fees carry 10% Bahamas VAT at checkout⁴. Ask your operator whether the price you were quoted includes it. The Staniel Cay to Exuma Park guide covers how people make this trip.

The park is a no-take zone: no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering, and nothing living or dead may be removed⁷.

All vessels, including dinghies and jet skis, must operate at idle speed in any mooring field or anchorage⁷.

Trash disposal is not available in the park, so take out everything you bring in⁷. Open fires and fireworks are not permitted⁷. The full list is on the park rules page.

Make it longer

A fourth day adds a rest day or a second park stop. A week by boat moves through the park and beyond it, as in the seven-day itinerary. To choose lodging for the base, see where to stay in the Exumas, and for the season, the best time to visit.