DRIFT — Bahamas Yacht Charter

Why Bahamas?

The Exumas chain stretches 120 miles through water so clear you can read the anchor from the cockpit in 15 feet. Swimming pigs, James Bond caves, sandbars that appear at low tide — this is the Bahamas that Instagram made famous, but no photo captures how empty and untouched it still feels.

Best Season

November through May. Easterly trade winds 10–15 knots. Water visibility regularly exceeds 100 feet. Summer brings lighter winds and occasional thunderstorms but fewer boats.

Perfect For

Adventure seekers, couples, families, and anyone who wants world-class snorkeling with a side of genuine weirdness (swimming pigs, iguanas, nurse sharks). Best for intermediate sailors — passages are longer and more exposed than the BVI.

Must-Visit Spots

Where to drop anchor

Thunderball Grotto, Staniel Cay

Swim into this partially submerged cave (featured in two James Bond films) at slack tide. Inside, shafts of sunlight pierce the water illuminating schools of tropical fish. Truly cinematic.

Big Major Cay — Swimming Pigs

The famous swimming pigs of Exuma paddle out to greet your dinghy. Arrive early morning before the tour boats — it's a surreal, only-in-the-Bahamas moment.

Warderick Wells Cay

Headquarters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park — the Caribbean's first marine protected area. Hike to Boo Boo Hill for panoramic views, snorkel pristine reefs, and anchor in perfect solitude.

Shroud Cay

Mangrove creek system you can dinghy through at high tide, emerging onto a wild Atlantic beach. Nurse sharks and stingrays cruise the shallows.

Compass Cay — Swimming Nurse Sharks

Wade into waist-deep water surrounded by docile nurse sharks. The marina has a small honor-bar, and the surrounding anchorage is perfectly protected.

Sample Itinerary

7 days in Bahamas

Day 1: Nassau → Allan's Cay

Depart Nassau, sail south to Allan's Cay. Meet the endangered Bahamian rock iguanas on the beach — they're friendly and ancient. Anchor in the protected bight.

Day 2: Allan's Cay → Highbourne Cay

Short hop to Highbourne Cay. Snorkel the coral heads on the western shore. Stock up at the marina store — last reliable provisions before the remote cays.

Day 3: Highbourne Cay → Shroud Cay

Enter the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. Dinghy the mangrove creek at high tide — it's a natural water highway. Hike to the Atlantic bluff for wild views.

Day 4: Shroud Cay → Warderick Wells

Anchor at the park HQ. Snorkel Emerald Rock, hike to Boo Boo Hill (leave a piece of driftwood — it's tradition), and enjoy absolute silence at sunset.

Day 5: Warderick Wells → Staniel Cay

The social hub of the Exumas. Morning at Thunderball Grotto, lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, then visit Big Major Cay's swimming pigs.

Day 6: Staniel Cay → Compass Cay → Black Point

Swim with nurse sharks at Compass Cay, then sail to Black Point for the most authentic Bahamian settlement in the Exumas. Lorraine's Café for fresh conch.

Day 7: Black Point → Nassau

Final sail north. Stop at Ship Channel Cay or Norman's Cay (snorkel the sunken drug plane) en route back to Nassau.

Bahamas