Ask anyone who's chartered in the Bahamas and they'll mention the water first. Out on the banks, it's so clear the sand looks inches below the hull, like the yacht is floating on air. It's also why the first question every charter client asks their broker is a practical one: begin in Nassau, or head straight for the Exumas?
The honest answer, according to one charter specialist writing recently, is both. Nassau handles the logistics: a major international airport, superyacht-capable marinas, easy provisioning and the resorts of Paradise Island across the harbour for a first night ashore. Those wanting maximum privacy can look at Albany on New Providence's south coast, a members-only marina where non-members need permission and pay a steep fee, but which lets a resident owner walk from home straight onto their yacht.
The Exuma Cays, a chain of more than 365 islands, are where the week actually happens. Passages are short, so days are built around anchoring rather than cruising. The hits list is well known: the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto where light pours through limestone into the water, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, the sandbank maze of Pipe Creek, mangrove creeks at Shroud Cay opening onto an Atlantic beach, and Warderick Wells inside a strict no-take marine park. Timing matters, too: Thunderball Grotto is best near slack tide with a guide, and both the park and Shroud Cay have rules on where boats can go.
Seven days is the sweet spot. That's enough to overnight at Highbourne, Staniel Cay, Compass Cay and Shroud Cay with swim time at each. A five-day trip works, but the long hops in and out (roughly seven hours out, five back) eat into anchor time. For the Exumas specifically, brokers suggest yachts of 35 metres or more, or luxury catamarans from 60 feet, because shallow water and short hops mean draft, tender and toys determine how much of the cays you can actually reach.
Seasonality shapes everything. Prime weather runs November to April, with December to March the busiest stretch. May and June bring warm water and thinner crowds, and summer suits flexible itineraries. If Christmas or New Year is the goal, book well ahead: New Year is the single most requested week of the season and the best yachts disappear first.
Why it matters: a charter here suits families, multigenerational groups and couples alike, whether the priority is watersports, doing absolutely nothing, or evenings with a bit of life ashore. Days run on the tides, the crew sets up the beach, and evenings end with a sunset drink at anchor, or the occasional beach party or outdoor film. It's the kind of trip where someone can quietly arrange a proposal on an empty cay and pull it off. For anyone weighing a Caribbean-season alternative to the usual spots, this is a strong case for the Bahamas.
