Island guide · The Out Islands
Three hundred and sixty-five cays of impossibly clear water. Come for the sandbars and swimming pigs; stay for the quiet once the day-trippers leave.
Photo: Royce Fonseca
Arriving
The plane banks low over the banks and the water goes through every shade there is — jade, aquamarine, a blue so pale it's almost white. By the time you're bumping down the Queen's Highway with the windows down, salt air and soca on the radio, Exuma has already rearranged something in you.
Price range
$240–$900 / night
Studios to beachfront villas
Ideal for
Couples & small groups
Who want water over nightlife
Getting there
Fly into GGT
Rent a car — you'll want it
“We didn't leave the beach for three days and never once felt like we were missing anything. That's Exuma.”
The Bennetts · group members, stayed June 2026
Best areas to stay
The island hub
Georgetown & Elizabeth Harbour
The island's hub — walkable to groceries, the straw market, and the ferry to Stocking Island. Best if it's your first time and you want restaurants and services within reach.
Nightly from
$240 –$420 · night
Best for
First-timers, no car for a day or two
High season — book two to three months ahead.
North of town
Emerald Bay
A calmer, more polished stretch north of town — resort-adjacent villas, a marina, and long empty beaches. The move for a splurge or a special occasion.
Nightly from
$450 –$900 · night
Best for
Couples, quiet luxury
High season — book two to three months ahead.
Across the harbour
Stocking Island & the cays
A short ferry from Georgetown to true off-grid rentals — no cars, no crowds, and Chat 'N' Chill on the sand. For travelers who want the boat life and don't mind the trade-offs.
Nightly from
$300 –$700 · night
Best for
Adventurous couples, boaters
High season — book two to three months ahead.
A day on the island
7:00 am
The harbour flat and silver, a few sailboats swinging at anchor, roosters somewhere up the hill. You take your coffee to the dock and watch the day arrive.
11:00 am
A boat noses onto a sandbar that only exists at low tide, and you step out into ankle-deep water that stretches to the horizon. Swimming pigs paddle out to say hello.
2:00 pm
Conch salad chopped in front of you on Stocking Island, feet in the sand, a Kalik sweating in your hand. Nobody checks a watch.
6:45 pm
Back north as the light turns to honey over the empty beach, the marina lights flickering on. The kind of quiet you flew all this way for.
Curated picks
Emerald Bay · Exuma
A low-slung villa on a private stretch of pink sand, with an infinity edge that reads straight into the bank.
Why we picked this$520–$780 per night · est.
Check availabilityWhy we love it: Walk to town and the ferry.
In town Elizabeth Harbour · GeorgetownGeorgetown · Exuma
A bright two-bedroom above the harbour, walk to restaurants and the Stocking Island ferry. Easiest first-timer base on the island.
Why we picked this$280–$390 per night · est.
Check availabilityWhy we love it: Your own cove, reached by boat.
Off-grid Stocking Island · ExumaStocking Island · Exuma
Solar-powered cottage on its own cove, reached only by ferry. No car, no crowds — just a kayak and the clearest water in the chain.
Why we picked this$340–$520 per night · est.
Check availability“The sandbar with the pigs sounds touristy until you're standing on it at low tide with nobody else around. Unreal.”
Marcus & Dana · group membersGood to know
Yes, with the right base. Emerald Bay and Georgetown suit families best for their calm, shallow beaches and easy access to groceries and services. Sandbars and the swimming pigs are a hit with kids, though a boat day means an early start and some planning. For toddlers, pick a rental with a pool as well as beach access.
For most stays, yes. Great Exuma is long and spread out, and taxis add up quickly. A rental car lets you reach Tropic of Cancer Beach, restaurants, and quiet coves on your own schedule. The exception is an off-grid stay on Stocking Island or a cay, where you get around by boat instead.
Five to seven nights is the sweet spot. That leaves room for a full-day boat trip to the sandbars and pigs, a couple of slow beach days, and time to explore Georgetown without rushing. Shorter trips work but tend to feel like they end just as you settle in.
Start in Georgetown or Emerald Bay. Georgetown keeps you walkable to restaurants and the Stocking Island ferry, which is reassuring on a first visit. Emerald Bay is calmer and more polished, a short drive north, and a better fit if quiet luxury is the goal.
May and June are our favourite window: warm water, thinner crowds, and softer prices before storm season builds. December through April is the classic dry, breezy peak at the highest rates. July through November offers the best value but calls for flexible cancellation and an eye on the forecast.
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