Exumas 7 day itinerary: sailing or motoring north to south through Exuma Park

This page sets out a sample week by boat through the park. The order follows the cays from north to south. It is a route, not a schedule: wind, tides and where a ball is free will move it. The Exumas planning hub has shorter plans if a week is too long.

The route at a glance

Day	Base	Stops	Notes
One	Highbourne Cay	Nassau to Highbourne Cay	30 nautical miles; the Moorings power itinerary lists 2 hours, a sailing itinerary lists 8 hours4,5
Two	Shroud Cay	Shroud Cay tidal creeks	The north creek is a strict idle speed, no-wake zone2
Three	Hawksbill Cay	Hawksbill Cay	Camping is allowed only at Hawksbill, Warderick Wells and O’Briens2
Four	Warderick Wells	Park headquarters, Boo Boo Hill trail	The park takes no mooring reservations3
Five	Compass Cay	Nurse sharks	The marina has a famed population of docile nurse sharks8
Six	Staniel Cay	Thunderball Grotto, swimming pigs	The yacht club lists Thunderball Grotto as a nearby attraction9
Seven	Spare day	Weather, or the way back north	The yacht club puts Staniel Cay about 75 miles southeast of Nassau7

Day one: Nassau to Highbourne Cay

The Moorings’ five-day power itinerary lists the run from its Nassau base to Highbourne Cay at 30 nautical miles and 2 hours⁴. A sailing itinerary lists the same 30 nautical miles at 8 hours⁵. Time depends on your boat. The Nassau to the Exumas by boat guide has the passage, and the weather windows page covers when to go.

The return matters for planning. The same power itinerary lists Warderick Wells back to the Nassau base at 52 nautical miles and 3 hours 45 minutes⁴. Plan your last day around that run rather than around the cay you want to see last.

Days two to four: inside the park

Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park runs from Shroud Cay in the north to Bell Cay in the south⁶. Shroud Cay is the northern end, so it is the first stop where park rules apply.

The north tidal creek on Shroud Cay is a strict idle speed, no-wake zone. Motorized vessels are prohibited from entering any of the other tidal creeks in Shroud Cay².

At Shroud Cay, take the dinghy only where that rule allows. Anchoring is not permitted in the mooring fields, on coral reefs or in certain other designated areas². At Hawksbill, camping is allowed, but only there, at Warderick Wells and at O’Briens².

Warderick Wells holds the park headquarters⁶. Its nature trails include one to Boo Boo Hill, with views of the island, the anchorage and Exuma Sound⁶. Moorings are available in the park¹. The park does not take reservations, and pre-payment does not guarantee a ball³. Call “Exuma Park” on VHF channel 09¹. The office keeps hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to noon on Sunday¹, and it can be hard to reach from its remote island¹.

Days five to seven: south of the park

Compass Cay (about 24.27° N) lies south of the park’s southern edge^1,8. Its marina holds a famed population of docile nurse sharks that draws visitors from as far as Nassau⁸. Staniel Cay (about 24.17° N) lies south of the park’s south-west corner at 24°14′25″ N^1,12, so the park’s rules and fees do not apply there. The Staniel Cay page covers the yacht club marina.

Big Major Cay, home of the pigs, is uninhabited, and the pigs are not native to it⁹. It lies south of the park too^1,13. Spend the sixth day on the grotto and the pigs, and keep the seventh in reserve.

Fees for a charter week

Charter boats pay a mooring rate by length overall, per day, plus BSD 14.00 per person per day³. The ParkPay page lists these rates before VAT³; the last column adds the 10%.

Boat length	Mooring per day, before VAT	With 10% VAT
Up to 39’11”	BSD 27.27	BSD 30.003
40’ to 49’11”	BSD 36.36	BSD 40.003
50’ to 59’11”	BSD 45.45	BSD 50.003

All marine and park fees carry 10% Bahamas VAT at checkout³. The full table, with anchoring rates, is on the park fees page. If you are comparing charter companies, the Exumas yacht charter guide lists what to ask.

If you bring your own boat from abroad, Bahamas Customs sets a cruising permit by length and term. A 30-day permit for a pleasure vessel not exceeding 30 feet costs $150¹⁰. A six-month permit costs $300 for 50 feet and under¹¹. A clearance certificate for your next port outside the Bahamas carries a fee of $75¹⁰. See the cruising permit guide.

Park rules for the week

The park is a no-take zone: no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering, and nothing living or dead may be removed².

All vessels, including dinghies and jet skis, must operate at idle speed in any mooring field or anchorage².

Trash disposal is not available in the park, so take out everything you bring in². Open fires and fireworks are not permitted². Channel 16 is monitored around the clock for emergencies¹. Read the park rules in full before the first night. For a longer trip, see the fourteen-day cruising itinerary, or for a shorter one the three-day itinerary.