Browsing: Exumas

Destinations
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Norman’s Cay: New Marina, Great Back-Story

If you want to channel your inner Miami Vice, or just explore one of the smaller islands in the Bahamas with absolutely gorgeous waters and a pristine white sand beach, then put Norman’s Cay on your go-to list. It’s not hard to get there. Norman’s is in the northern Exumas, about 55 miles below Nassau and 220 miles from Miami. It’s small, just a few hundred acres, but it has a new marina that has plans to grow, and it’s also an official point of entry for the Bahamas. And Norman’s has a unique history, even in the Bahamas. It…

Charter
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The Moorings Reopens Charter Base in the Bahamas

Here’s some good news. It’s now possible to start planning, and even start taking, some great charter vacations again. Indeed, The Moorings just reopened its Bahamas charter base in Nassau, serving the gorgeous Out Island Exumas chain, on July 7. You have to meet the current requirements for traveling to the Bahamas, but with a little paperwork that’s easy to do, and then you can take a week’s charter there just the same as you could in the pre-COVID days. With its 50 years of experience, The Moorings is trying to make today’s charters as easy as possible, and to insure…

Charter
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The Exumas Are Open for a Dream Power Charter

If you’re thinking about a charter vacation in the Bahamas, the Exumas are open for business as usual. The Exumas avoided the destruction of Hurricane Dorian, and they’re are as beautiful and welcoming as ever. Dream Yacht Charter, based in Nassau, has power cruising boats for charter there from 37 to 63 feet. The Exumas are an exotic collection of 365 cays and islands starting just 26 nm below Nassau. They basically are divided into three major areas – Great Exuma, Little Exuma, and The Exuma Cays, each with its own character and attractions. Great Exuma and Little Exuma, for…

Cruising Life
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Heading for the Bahamas? Here Are the Top Five Islands Right Now

If you’re thinking of heading for the Bahamas, take a look at these five islands that are at the top of Coastal Living’s list right now. After all, the Bahamas consist of 700 islands all told; so many choices, so little time. To cut through the clutter, here’s a look at the top five: Nassau. Think about the island nation’s capital for high-end escapism. There’s the Atlantis, of course, for a family-favored, all-inclusive beach resort. But there’s also the new Rosewood on the white sands of Cable Beach, if you want more privacy, or the new Baha Mar complex with…

Cruising Life
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New Mooring Fields for Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a Breathtakingly Beautiful Cruising Destination

Many veteran cruisers think that the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is the best part of the Bahamas, with simply breathtaking water and sandbar colors and some of the best diving in the world. Created in 1959, the 176-square-mile park is filled with dozens of cays, islets and beaches. It is a “no-take reserve” where all fishing is prohibited. The land part of the park is a protected habitat for iguanas, nesting sea turtles and sea birds. The sea part, a mecca for divers, has spotted eagle rays, spiny lobsters and Technicolor fish. The park just rejuvenated its seven…

Cruising Life
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One American Killed, Several Others Seriously Injured, in Boat Explosion in the Bahamas

A tragic explosion and boat fire about 130 miles south of Nassau in the Bahamas left one American woman dead and nine others injured. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said one of the two outboard engines on the 40-foot tourist boat exploded, engulfing the boat in flames. The boat was carrying ten Americans and two Bahamians. The boat was off Barraterre Island in the Exuma Cays at the time. At least three people from a nearby boat jumped into the water to help; they were able to pull one person to safety. The explosion occurred after 9 in the morning.…

Charter
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Dream Yacht Charter Opens New Base Serving the Exumas, with Some of the Best Cruising Grounds in the World

Dream Yacht Charter has just opened a new base serving the Exumas at Palm Cay Marina in Nassau in partnership with Navtours. One of the best cruising grounds in the world, the Exumas, just 30 miles from Nassau, are made up of 365 cays and include secluded anchorages, unspoiled beaches and world-famous dive spots. For an ideal bareboat cruising vacation, the Dream Yacht Charter fleet includes a Lagoon 40 Power Cat. Some highlights might include the natural beauty of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells, where you can explore some of the world’s oldest stromatolite reefs;…

Cruising Life
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Swimming Pigs Back in the Exumas, Fat, Happy and Ready for Food – and Pictures

Here’s some good news if you’re heading for the Bahamas. The swimming pigs are back, apparently as fat and happy as ever, cadging food (and pictures) from cruisers in Big Major Cay in the Exumas. The bad news was that about a year ago some of the pigs started to die, which caused more than a few ripples of concern across the world. That’s because over the years the swimming pigs had become celebrities in their own right; they’d been featured on The Today Show, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, and a lot of other places. So, when stories of their…

Charter
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Moorings Opens New Charter Destination in the Exumas, Starts Classes in Greece

The Moorings, the powerhouse charter company with more than 20 locations around the world, now has a new destination in the Exumas in the Out Islands of the Bahamas, and they’re also starting a new Power Cruising Course in Corfu, Greece, one of the most romantic spots in the world, that leads to a charter certificate from the Royal Yachting Association. The Exumas are a group of 365 islands and cays about 35 miles southeast of Nassau with some of the most unspoiled beaches in the Caribbean (see the picture above). They are definitely off the beaten path. The Moorings…

Cruising Life
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What’s Killing the Swimming Pigs in the Exumas?

In some circles, the swimming pigs of the Exumas are virtual celebrities. People put a visit to Big Major Cay, near Staniel Cay, where the pigs swim out to greet incoming boats (and hope for food) on their bucket lists. Over the years, the pigs have been written about in cruising guides, Forbes and Travel+Leisure; they’ve even been featured on The Today Show. But now about half the swimming pig population has turned up dead, and nobody seems to know why. Big Major Cay doesn’t have any human population, but it did have about 20 pigs and piglets. The Bahamas…