My husband started it. That is, my obsession with tropical beaches with water so blue that you can’t take your eyes off of it. I had always dreamed about experiencing this amazing hue, but hadn’t gotten the chance to see it in person. Until our honeymoon in Hawaii….
Well, let’s just say I was hooked from that first Hawaiian beach we laid eyes on. The clear, azure water was absolutely mesmerizing and just as amazing as I had pictured in my mind. Since then, we have been lucky enough to enjoy many, many other beaches in Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas. They’re all different and most are beautiful in their own way – but there’s still just something about that blue, blue water.
If you’re looking to find a tropical island to visit with incredibly blue water, here’s our list of 12 Tropical Islands with the Most Amazing Blue Water to start with. Are these the only ones? Heck no. As you can tell by the number of entries, it was very hard to narrow it down and there are so many more islands worthy of a mention. We could have actually named several entire island chains with incredibly blue water – such as the British Virgin Islands, Exuma Cays, Abacos, Turks & Caicos, US Virgin Islands, etc…, but space prohibited listing them all. These are some of our favorites to date for the amazing blue color of their water. Be sure to leave a comment with your favorites below!
We recently ran across an Instagram page called blue.salt.abaco. We’ve been big fans of the islands of Abacos, Bahamas since we first visited in 2013 so this name intrigued us enough to read the profile information which said, “Mia & Lisa. Selling bracelets to help rebuild Guana & the Abacos. All proceeds will go to Great Guana Cay Foundation.” The page showed several photos of charming handmade beaded bracelets and we reached out to them to find out more. Lisa got back to me immediately with more information about their bracelets, the cause they are donating the proceeds to, and the story of their personal connection to the Abacos.
Mia and Lisa
This is their story. Our family lived in the Abacos for 3 years on the tiny islet of Great Guana Cay. We loved the simple life even though it meant sending my young kids in a mostly open ferry boat across the sea of Abaco to school everyday. We eventually adapted and became comfortable with all the amazing and challenging ways of island living.
Mia and her brothers headed to school
Excited for the new school year, on August 30, 2019, we attended the kids’ school orientation in Marsh Harbour and then flew out 2 days before Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Abacos. We booked round trip tickets to NYC as we had grown somewhat used to the hurricane threats of the late summer season. We only took backpacks and 2 carry-on suitcases with us because at that point it was predicted to be a category 1 hurricane. Our group of expat friends jokingly called these evacuation trips “hurrications” when the company would make us leave “just in case”. We never imagined a direct hit by a a category 5 hurricane.
As we watched the storm take a different path than predicted, we felt a physical heaviness bear down on us as it grew closer and closer to home. The anticipation of waiting to hear from our friends and neighbors seemed to last months – not a couple of days. They were riding out the worst storm in the history of the Bahamas that claimed the lives of hundreds, even though the official reported numbers are much lower than that.
After the storm, our house was one of the few houses still standing that wasn’t a complete loss, even though it suffered serious water damage from the roof breaching. The very first year we arrived in Guana, we bought a tiny little bungalow that we were fixing up and in the process of trying to add on to. (*we were asked to record an episode of Caribbean Life back in 2018. The day it ended filming we all decided that none of us were born to be in front of a camera. Haha.)
Mia’s dad went back with his work on a float plane, about a week later. He had never imagined seeing destruction on such an apocalyptic scale in real life.
I returned to Guana six weeks after the storm to salvage what I could from our house, help out a little in the community and say a proper goodbye to what had become our home. The kids had their world torn away and lost most of their material possessions. Unlike their friends who endured extreme trauma and fought for their lives, they were living safely with grandparents but were also feeling emotionally displaced and homeless.
Over the last 11 months our life has been one rollercoaster after the next, but it did not compare to what the Bahamians of the Abacos were going through. To this day they still do not have power, some homes are being repaired but some are completely gone – either washed out to sea or a tile floor sitting on top of a cistern next to a pile of rubble. Incredibly generous volunteers, NGO groups and aid came pouring in, but when COVID hit the groups were having to leave and the focus has shifted to the pandemic and other world issues.
Our family had moved on to a new job and state just a month before quarantine. We might be bored like the rest of the country, but Guana and the people are always on our minds. We always reminisce about the turquoise water, empty beaches, perfect boat days and the paradisaical beauty.
While we picture Guana the way it used to be, we hear from friends there every so often. They are trying to get by when the world is shut down. They are a tourism dependent community like most islands. Some are camping out in their roofless homes or sitting under a generator powered fan to at least keep the hot summer air moving around.
The kids talk about when the world will go back to normal now that they learned school will be virtual this fall. Everytime we feel sorry for ourselves we think of the people of Abaco and Grand Bahamas and how they might feel like we have forgotten them. My daughter and I decided to make the most out of our ridiculous amount of free time and started making bracelets. We wanted to see if we could raise a little money for our island, sending 100% of the proceeds to the Great Guana Cay Foundation. We know the people on the committee and many of the leading members are longtime, if not generational locals. We figured that even if we made a few hundred dollars it still would help someone, whether it was food or supplies. In less than 1 day we had orders for 50 bracelets and now it is 1 week and we have sold over $1200 in bracelets!
My daughter and I run the Instagram account and take turns responding to requests. Mia is making almost all of the bracelets and is the heart of the project. We absolutely love hearing everyone’s connection to the Abacos and especially Guana Cay, whether they have a house there and have been vacationing there since they were kids or a more recent visitor who fell in love with this little piece of paradise. We love everything that reminds us of the Bahamas, and we felt like everyone with a connection might love a little bracelet that reminds them of their time there too.
They can all be personalized to say another place or name if they don’t have a tie to the Abacos but we have been surprised by the ones who order Abacos or Guana Cay. People have been so generous and thrilled that their money is going to help the people recover. The world seems so chaotic right now we just needed something positive to focus our attention on and a goal to work towards.
That is our puppy “Goombay” who is always by her side whether he’s trying to eat beads or keep her company and nap while she works!
Goombay helping to model bracelets!
If you’d like to place an order to help the people of Guana Cay and the Abacos, you can contact Lisa and Mia through their Instagram, Facebook or their brand new Etsy Store. Lisa is also selling prints of some of the photos she has taken on Guana Cay with proceeds also going to the Great Guana Cay Foundation. These would make super holiday gifts for your island loving friends!
Thank you Lisa and Mia for sharing your story with us! We really appreciate your giving spirit!
All photos courtesy of Blue Salt Abacos
Many locally owned businesses in the islands are being hit hard right now due to restricted tourist traffic during the pandemic. Hoping to help in any way we can, we are highlighting some great local businesses that we hope you will enjoy learning about and may want to visit once we are able to travel to the beautiful islands once again. We also want to highlight individuals or businesses that are doing something to assist islanders impacted by hurricanes or the pandemic. Some of these businesses also offer merchandise that you can order, gift certificates and pre-booking options. Be sure to contact them for additional info and watch for more articles soon!
Are you dreaming of one day getting to visit the exquisite chain of islands known as Exuma Cays in the Bahamas? Have a hankering to swim with the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay (aka Pig Beach)?
Would you be brave enough to get in the water with the “pet” nurse sharks of Compass Cay? Do you want to see and snorkel through Thunderball Grotto – made famous by the James Bond movie “Thunderball”?
Or, do you just want to bask in the ridiculously clear, blue water and maybe walk along a sandbar that only appears at low tide?
How about a visit to Staniel Cay Yacht Club – mentioned by Jimmy Buffet as one of the 10 great places for a waterside drink! Are you ready to go now? Me too!
Here’s a great way to experience all of the above – and more. Staniel Air, based out of Florida, offers a one of a kind Exumas day trip from Ft Lauderdale to Staniel Cay, Exumas which will include (weather permitting) a beautiful flight to Staniel Cay over the stunning Exuma Islands then transfer to one of their luxurious and roomy boats for an ‘insiders’ island tour of the attractions listed above – plus time to explore the island and beaches of Staniel Cay and enjoy some beverages, if you’d like, at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club Bar!
2017 Grand Cessna Caravan
The day begins with a 6:30am check-in at the Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport and you will return to the airport a 7:00pm. The small group tour includes a maximum of 8-9 people and is available each week on Friday or Saturday. If you’d like to book a private tour, it can be done any day of the week (depending on aircraft availablility).
Tour Boat
A few more things:Prices include flights, boat excursion, immigration & customs clearance and transfers in the Bahamas. Passports are required. Minimum age is 5 years old. Staniel Air also offers private air charters within a 500 mile radius of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and single seats to and from Staniel Cay/Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, when available.
Are you ready to book this tour? Click here to find out more, and be sure to let them know that you read about the Bahamas Day Trip – Fort Lauderdale to Staniel Cay Exumas on Rum Therapy!
**This post contains an affiliatelink to Staniel Air. If you do decide to book the Bahamas Day Tour with them, be sure to mention that you read about it on Rum Therapy. We receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from our links, which, we promise, we’ll mostly blow on creating more rum recipes to share with y’all!**
The most anticipated and attended event of the year in The Abacos, Bahamas will be taking place this year on July 1 on Fiddle Cay – Cheeseburger in Paradise 2016!
The creators of the Cheeseburger in Paradise event on Fiddle Cay, are taking a break from hosting this wonderful event so the community of Green Turtle Cay will be throwing the party this year on July 1, 2016. This fantastic family friendly event will feature FREE cheeseburgers, margaritas and so much more! All proceeds of this year’s merchandise sales will go to the Amy Roberts Primary School and the Green Turtle Cay Volunteer Fire Co.
Follow the event on Facebook for updates and additional information!
Sponsors for this years event: Cheney Brothers – Casamigos Tequila – John Watlings Distillery – Sands Beer – Bahama Boat Works – Green Turtle Club – Sunset Marine – Abaco Buzz – Cavu House – Island House. Contact [email protected]om or [email protected] for inquiries or sponsorship opportunities.
Are you one of the millions of people that find the color blue calming and relaxing? It’s actually one of the Health Benefits of Spending Time in or Near the Ocean. To us, the light blue colors of the sea are so visually relaxing that when we need to take a short mental break on a hectic day, we find ourselves imagining time spent on a beautifully blue hued beach. This alluring beach on Abaco Island seems to find its way into our heads quite frequently… Need a mental beach break too? Get yourself some more daydream material here: Treasure Cay, Abaco
Do you ever find your mind wandering to thoughts of a beautiful beach? Where?
Sandy Cay, or Honeymoon Cay, a small 3 acre private island northeast of Paradise Island in the Bahamas is famous primarily for one thing. Sure it’s been used to film numerous fashion spreads and commercials. Sure it’s said to be one of the most photographed islands in the Bahamas, but what is Sandy Cay or Honeymoon Cay best known for?
Sandy Cay is known as the island shown in the title card during the beginning theme of Gilligan’s Island first season. That’s right, Gilligan’s Island.
As avid fans of Gilligan’s Island back in the day (the re-runs of course!), we were excited to find out about the island during an excursion and enjoyed having our picture taken in front of it.
And of course, as soon as we returned home, we watched the first episode of Gilligan’s Island again to see the tiny island we got to visit (see video below at :56).
Now I’m sure the little island has changed a lot since Gilligan’s Island first aired in 1964 due to hurricanes and other storms, erosion and even man, and if this is the island used a the photograph for the opening, its looks have changed a bit. Still, we choose to believe it was Sandy Cay. And regardless, we wouldn’t mind being stranded there for a while after a three-hour tour…as long as there’s rum!
From the outside it looks fairly unassuming, but on the inside it can be hopping. Snappas, a bar/restaurant that sits on the waters edge in Marsh Harbour was a fun place to hang out during our visit earlier this year to The Abacos, Bahamas.
Close to the dock where we left on our Abacos sail in March Harbour, we ventured over to Snappas on several occasions to enjoy a cold beverage, a warm meal and conversation with other boaters.
With live music on Friday & Saturday nights, cold drinks, warm food and friendly people, Snappas is a great place to chill while in Marsh Harbour. And don’t forget to look out back at sunset to see if you can catch a glimpse of one of their amazing sunset views…
Our last adventure in Nassau included a two day stay on Paradise Island and since the hotel we were staying at (Comfort Suites Paradise Island) was located next to Atlantis Resort and included a day pass to the Atlantis amenities, we decided to make use of it and explore the humongous property.
Although much larger and busier than properties we usually opt to hang around, we’re up to checking out just about anything new and enjoyed exploring all of the amenities this resort has to offer.
While walking through the grounds, we noticed a large shark tank and made our way over to check it out. There were numerous sharks of different species swimming around, many coming close to the glass, causing shouts of glee from the wee ones gathered around.
We saw a large tube in the middle with people on inflatable tubes floating through. Cool, we thought and decided to give it a try.
There are two different slides that shoot through the shark tank. One is called the Leap of Faith and consists of a pretty substantial vertical drop into a tube. We opted for the more leisurely “Serpent Slide” in which you board a single or double inner tube and after a short drop in the dark, the tube opens up to a view of the sharks surrounding you – several of them just lounging around on the top to the tube!
As cool as Swimming with the Sharks on Compass Cay? Nothing ever beats observing sea life in a more natural habitat, but the shark slide at Atlantis was pretty interesting to say the least.
Have you gone on the Leap of Faith or the Serpent Slide through the shark tank at Atlantis? Tell us about it!
Find the Gillam Bay, Green Turtle Cay on our Bahamas Map
We had just a short time on Green Turtle Cay during our Abaco sail trip and were determined to make the most of it. After thoroughly enjoying our Goombay Smashes and conversation with Smitty at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar, Smitty mentioned that we really should go and visit the “beach”. That way, he said, pointing somewhere to the east.
Thanking Smitty and buying a jug of Goombay Smash to go, we hopped in our golf carts and headed in the suggested direction.
Coming to a fork in the road, a sign indicated beach in either direction, so we decided to veer left. Just a few yards away the brush opened up to reveal Gillam Bay.
It was obviously low tide and gasp! – the bay was filled with sandbars dotting the shallow, beautiful, clear water.
It was getting late in the afternoon and we knew our sunlight hours were limited, so we immediately went wading in the shallow water on our way out to explore some of the sandbars.
We began to see signs of sea life on the sandbars; much of it the usual suspects, such as mini starfish,
and live sand dollars making their way through the soft sand.
But then there was this…
The odd looking creature writhed its way out of the hole and laid down in the sand.
We later found out that the strange creature was most likely a sea cucumber. Sea cucumbers are echinoderms—like starfish and sea urchins, and have very interesting defense systems, such as excreting a sticky stream of goo to ensnare their enemies or expelling internal organs and then regenerating new ones!
Interesting. Anyway, we explored the sandbars until dusk, then made our way back to the boat. Smitty was so right. We certainly enjoyed beautiful Gillam Bay, it’s sandbars and it’s interesting creatures.
Have you spent time on Gillam Bay? Tell us about it!
Find the Gillam Bay, Green Turtle Cay on our Bahamas Map
In 5 Days on Staniel Cay, Part 1, we talked about the beaches on Staniel Cay and in Part 2, we highlighted some of the other attractions on island that we were lucky enough to experience. In this last part, we’re going to feature the area surrounding Staniel Cay – which are just a short boat ride from Staniel Cay and definitely worth exploring!
Exuma, a long chain of stunningly beautiful islands, or cays – 365 of them, that start about 35 miles south of Nassau, Bahamas. The Exuma Cays are the northernmost part of this chain and much of it is easily accessible from Staniel Cay.
If you have boating experience, you can rent a boat for the day or the week from Coral at Staniel Rentals, or 1/2 day and daily rentals from Nicole at 3N’s Vacation Services. If you’re not comfortable navigating your own boat, Nicole can also arrange a guided tour of the surrounding cays for you.
During our all too short stay, we first took a guided tour of the surrounding area, which included snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto,
And a fun afternoon playing on the sandbar near Little Pipe Cay.
We enjoyed the day so much that several days later, we decided to rent a boat of our own to explore more of the incredible area. We swam with the pigs again, then headed north for more time on Compass Cay, where we spent time chatting with Tucker, the proprietor of Compass Cay Marina,
Boating through some of the clearest, bluest water we’ve ever seen,
Then spending the last several hours of our day on Sandy Cay, exploring the tiny uninhabited island and the long arc of white sand sandbar that appears during low tide.
Have you spent time on Staniel Cay or in the Exuma Cays? Tell us about it!
To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
