The Exumas are why most people first search for a Bahamas sailing charter — 365 cays stretching roughly 130 miles southeast from Nassau, water so clear you can see your anchor chain resting on the sand thirty feet down, and the single most requested route for Amihan's Island Hopper charter. This is what a private, fully crewed week through the chain actually looks like.
| Distance from Nassau | Roughly 2–3 hours' sail to the northern Exumas; the chain runs 130 miles southeast |
|---|---|
| Typical charter length | 5 nights (Island Hopper) — 7 nights for a fuller Out Islands combination |
| Signature stops | Big Major's Cay (swimming pigs), Thunderball Grotto, Exuma Land & Sea Park, Compass Cay |
| Best for | First-time charter guests, snorkeling, honeymoons, and small-group celebrations |
Big Major's Cay — better known as Pig Beach — is home to a colony of feral pigs that swim straight out to greet arriving boats. A short dinghy ride away, Thunderball Grotto is a partially submerged limestone cave (yes, the one from the James Bond film) that you swim into at low or slack tide, where sunlight pours through holes in the roof and lights up schools of reef fish circling around you.
Peak season runs November through April, with the driest weather and steadiest trade winds. Our full season-by-season breakdown covers exactly what to expect month by month — including where Pride Sail and New Year's fall in the calendar.
Read the Seasonal Guide →The quintessential Bahamas experience, built around exactly this route.
Sail the Exumas chain — snorkel Thunderball Grotto, visit the famous swimming pigs at Big Major's Spot, explore the Exuma Land and Sea Park, and anchor out under the stars.
Starting from $4,500 · Whole vessel