Exuma Island, Bahamas

Great Exuma Island, together with a series of cays, make up what we now know as The Out Islands of the Bahamas. An archipelago of magical island retreats, The Out Islands are sprinkled across the ocean like stars, and Great Exuma Island is the anchor for them all.

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The Exuma Islands and cays stretch for 120 miles as a chain of islands within the larger series of islands that make up The Out Islands. The cays are like jewels in the waters of the Bahamas, as they extend North from great Exuma toward the island of New Providence. Not one of the beaches off these pristine islands lacks the sapphire and aquamarine blues that have come to characterize our dreams of what the Bahamas should look like.

The capital of Great Exuma Island is George Town. The atmosphere there is distinctly laid back, from the many bars and restaurants to the resorts and fishing lodges around it. Visitors can be assured that their needs will all be met around this relaxed Bahamian town.

There are facilities providing for divers and places to hire most kinds of water sports equipment. There’s a beautiful marina at George Town where boats of many shapes, sizes and colors bob on the gentle waters.

The first white settlers on Great Exuma Island were Loyalist Americans who fled the American Revolution. George Town takes its name from George III to whom settlers maintained loyalty. A significant member of this group of early settlers was Lord John Rolle. When he died in 1835 he bequeathed the island to his slaves, and it’s for that reason that so many of the towns on Great Exuma have been named in his honor, such as Rolletown and Rolleville.

These days, boats regularly ferry visitors from Great Exuma to the barrier cay out in the ocean that protects this island paradise from the Atlantic. From Stocking Island, as it’s known, visitors can enjoy magnificent views from the top of a high cliff, where picture perfect beaches can be seen, separated by dramatic limestone promontories.

The many cays around Great Exuma Island serve as retreats for the rich and famous as well as top class destinations for visitors. Many of the small islands are privately owned. Such stars as Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage have islands here, and it’s easy to imagine that they are able to feel a sense of privacy when visiting that’s lacking anywhere else in the world. Other islands are owned and operated as private resorts. Some very famous movies were filmed in this area, such as Thunderball and Splash. What all of the cays have in common with Great Exuma Island is stunning beaches, fantastic weather and Bahamian charm.

With its serene turquoise waters and breathtaking beaches, Great Exuma Island is a wonderful destination for sun-seekers, fishermen, swimmers, boating enthusiasts and kayakers. Divers will find some of the most rewarding conditions on Earth off its shores, with glorious underwater flats and reefs. It’s easy to imagine that any visitor will want to return again and again.

Other beaches of Bahamas
	Andros island	Blue Lagoon	Cat Island	Coco Cay

	Eleuthera Island	Exuma Island	Grand Bahama	Long Island