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August 5, 2015June 6, 2019

5 Days on Staniel Cay, Part 2 – The Island

In 5 Days on Staniel Cay, Part 1 – we covered the beaches of Staniel Cay, and although we spent a lot of time on those beaches, there are other things to enjoy on Staniel Cay and here are some of them. You can locate these attractions on the map below.

Sign on the back of Club Thunderball

On a cliff overlooking Thunderball Grotto, this closed down bar called Club Thunderball must have been a happening place in its day! Regardless, we enjoyed exploring the exterior and imagining sipping a cold rum punch with fellow island lovers while looking out at the gorgeous blue water.

Moving down toward the “town” of Staniel Cay, we spent several fun evenings at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club – the place to be at night on Staniel Cay.

Cold drinks and lots of great conversation with other happy sailors, vacationers and islanders alike make for a great place to hang out.

Hungry? We had several delicious lunches at Staniel Cay and one absolutely delicious lobster dinner. Reservations are required for dinner and the dinner bell rings promptly at 6:30 and 8 – don’t be late. Our dinner was pricey, but worth it.

We also enjoyed hanging out on the dock at the marina during the day.

You never know what you’ll see swimming around in the incredibly clear water.

To the south of the SCYC there are two other dining options.

Taste & Sea Café, casual food with a nice view of the water,

And Big Dog’s.

Just down from Big Dog’s is Emil’s Bakery.

The selection varies with the time of day you stop by, but this is the place to get fresh bread and baked goods while on-island.

There are three grocery stores on Staniel Cay and two are in this area.

Burke’s Convenience Store

And Pink Pearl. Don’t expect the type of grocery store you may find at home, but do expect fantastic and friendly service. We asked the owner of Pink Pearl, Eleanor, if she had any plastic containers that might be suitable for microwaving and she said she didn’t have any in stock, but proceeded to go next door to her house and bring us two of her own bowls to use for the week!

Continuing down the road you will find the oldest house on Staniel Cay/Museum/Library. Sadly, it never appeared open when we passed it as it would have been fun to check out.

There is one church on Staniel Cay and it stands prominently on a “busy” corner.

Mount Olivet Baptist Church sits right on the edge of the water and must offer quite the view for parishioners during service.

Isles General it the 3rd of the 3 grocery stores and is located farther south on the island.

Need a golf cart or boat, or want to plan a wedding on Staniel Cay?

Nicole can help you arrange a golf cart or boat rental and many other services you may need and also runs Embrace Resort.

Heading up the northeast part of the island again, we found a trail along the cliffs heading north.

This was a beautiful hike with great views, just pick your footwear carefully. We did not and the volcanic rock can get pretty painful in sandals.

Do as little or as much as you want on your Staniel Cay vacation, but as the sign on the beach next to SCYC says,

While you are here: Stop awhile Sit awhile Observe awhile Listen awhile Relax awhile Meditate awhile Live awhile longer…

Coming up in the Part 3 – what to see in the area around Staniel Cay!

Find Staniel Cay on our Bahamas Map

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

July 28, 2015June 5, 2019

5 Days on Staniel Cay, Part 1 – The Beaches

Staniel Cay, a small island in the middle of the Exuma Cays, a chain of beautiful islands and cays in the Bahamas, is a hub for the area because of the amenities it offers: a small airstrip, three grocery stores, three restaurants, a clinic, church, marina, gas and a variety of accommodations.

We got to spend 5 days on this lovey island (thanks to Embrace Resort), which is only about a square mile in size and home to about 100 people. What’s it like to stay on a small island, or cay such as Staniel Cay?

Well, if you like spending lots of time on beautiful deserted beaches, if you like an island where on-island transportation is via golf carts, bicycles or walking, if you don’t mind that there’s really only one nightspot – but it’s a good one, if you enjoy getting to know the locals and other visitors to the island by name, and if you don’t mind “island time”, you would probably love Staniel Cay. We absolutely did.

Our arrival from Nassau was by Flamingo Air on a very small plane that seated about 8 – less if the passengers have much to carry on. The views over the Exuma Cays were spectacular and we could hardly wait to land and start exploring.

From the moment we set foot on Staniel Cay, we felt welcomed. Smiles and greetings from everyone – even other visitors were abundant and we quickly started to relax and get on island time ourselves.

Our first day or so was spent exploring the island by foot and golf cart. What’s there to see? We’ll show you!

Beaches…
Exuma is known for its stunning beaches and sandbars and there are secluded ones around every corner in the chain of cays, but if you don’t want to leave Staniel Cay, there are several great ones right on island to explore, such as,

Ocean Beach.
On the east side of the island, you can access this long expanse of beautiful sand from the bluff above it. We took our golf cart, parked at the top of the bluff and walked down to the beach.

Once on the beach, you can find just the perfect secluded spot to spend the day. As you can see, you won’t be competing for a little space.

The surf was very calm the two days we visited and we spent a lot of time in the water snorkeling and floating, but I imagine it could get rough on stormy or windy days due to its orientation.

Find all of these beaches marked on the Staniel Cay map below.

Another beach that we really enjoyed was Pirate Trap Beach.

The beach itself is not huge and varies with the tide, but the views from the cove are stunning and the water was calm and great for swimming when we were there.

Although the Ocean Beach and Pirate Trap Beach were our favorites, there were several other beaches on island that are worth exploring.

Ho Tai Cay was a bit hard to find, but had a nice little park with picnic tables, a tire swing and a volleyball net in the water. The beach is located on an inlet on the islands southeast side and gets very low during low tide, but is probably always calm due to its location.

Just over the hill from the park was another beach that we believe was the upper edge of the South Beaches. We couldn’t find a public access path to the South Beaches (beside this little area) as the beach is dotted with private homes, but it looks like another beautiful area.

And last, but certainly not least – the beach next to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. It was calm and fairly shallow. Looked like a perfect place to kayak or SUP.

Did we do anything other than visit beaches during our stay on Staniel Cay. Yep.
Check out Part 2 – The Island and Part 3 – Off the Cay. We’ll let you know the other fun things we got to experience on this beautiful cay!

Find Staniel Cay and its beaches on our Bahamas Map

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

July 14, 2015June 6, 2019

Embrace Resort, Staniel Cay

Imagine a small, intimate eco-friendly resort with 7 well appointed themed villas, a spa, pool, cabana and upscale restaurant all on a beautiful, quaint little island in an exquisite chain of small islands in the Bahamas called the Exuma Cays. The island is Staniel Cay and this resort, Embrace Resort, is the dream of owner Nicole Ferguson and daughter Natajia, who are well on their way to realizing their vision.

Embrace is an acronym for the names of the 7 villas that will soon grace the resort: Exuma, Mayaguana, Bimini, Ragged Island, Andros, Cat Island, Eleuthera – all named after Bahamian Islands. 4 of the villas are already complete and range in size from 1 bedroom (including a honeymoon villa with indoor spa tub) to 3 bedrooms.

Andros – 3 bedroom villa with complete kitchen

Bimini – 2 bedroom villa

Ragged Island – 1 bedroom Honeymoon Villa

Once completed, the resort will host the only spa, fitness center and meeting space on the island and will also include a pool and restaurant. Nicole and Natajia also run a business called 3 N’s Vacation Services which offers destination wedding planning, boat rentals, tours & excursions and golf cart rentals. Guests of Embrace Resort will certainly benefit from their expertise, knowledge of the island and services available.

Owner Nicole Ferguson

We were invited to visit and learn about Embrace Resort and stayed in Mayaguana, an intimate 1 bedroom accommodation with a refrigerator, microwave, large en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, wireless in the room, and flat screen TV with dish network.

Although the resort is not directly on the beach, it is close to several of the islands fine beaches and they are easily reached by walking or by golf cart. It is also just minutes away from the islands restaurants and grocery stores and the popular bar and nightspot at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Staniel Cay is easily reached by air via Nassau or Ft. Lauderdale on either Flamingo Air or Watermakers Air.

Every effort is being made to make Embrace Resort sustainable and eco-conscious in the choice of building materials and systems used in the construction of the resort, which is important anywhere, but especially on a small island where every action leaves a mark on the delicate ecosystem.

Staniel Cay and the entire Exuma chain is an area that is getting more and more attention lately due to the diversity of activities available in the area, from fishing to boating to experiences you won’t find anywhere else. From our base at Embrace Resort, we were able to visit Big Major Cay and its swimming pigs,

Swim with the nurse sharks on Compass Cay,

Snorkel through Thunderball Grotto – used in the filming of the 1965 James Bond movie “Thunderball”,

and spend lazy afternoons floating in some of the clearest water we’ve ever seen…

Embrace Resort is scheduled for a Grand Opening in 2016 once the entire resort is finished, and although the restaurant, swimming pool and spa are not yet complete, the 4 villas that are already constructed are available to rent and can be booked through their website: Embrace Resort.

To find out more about Embrace Resort, be sure to follow them on their Facebook page and Twitter.

A big thanks to Nicole and Natajia for hosting our stay at Embrace Resort and we look forward to visiting again next year to see all that Embrace will have to offer!

June 28, 2015June 6, 2019

Crescent Beach, Compass Cay

During our recent interview with Beach Bar Bums, we were asked to list a few of our all-time favorite beaches. Crescent Beach on Compass Cay in the Bahamas was one.

This gorgeous arc of brilliant white sand and clear turquoise water was actually a recent addition to our favorites “list” as we visited the Exuma Cays for the first time a few months ago. One of the stops on our first day of exploring was Compass Cay. Compass Cay has become known for it’s marina, where you can can interact with their friendly pet sharks, but, as we found on our second visit, there is more to see on Compass Cay than sharks – although that was really a great experience…

We rented a boat for a second day of exploring from Coral at Wheels -N- Waves Island Rentals on Staniel Cay and she mentioned that we should definitely spend a little more time on Compass Cay, and to make the short hike over from the marina to Crescent Beach. Boy are we glad she made that recommendation.

Upon our arrival, we spent a little time swimming with the sharks again and visiting with Tucker, the proprietor of Compass Cay, who echoed Coral’s thoughts on Crescent Beach, then started on the path to the beach.

The path was marked with colorful and whimsical signs.

The sandy path wound its way through the foliage.

As we rounded the last corner, we got our first glimpse of the gorgeous beach.

The beach was a long stretch of sugar soft, white sand and there was no one else in sight.

We spent several hours walking the beach and floating in the lovely warm, clear water.

There are so many gorgeous beaches and sandbars in the Exumas, but we must say Crescent Beach stands out as our favorite Exuma beach from this trip just for its sheer beauty, although we’ve only visited a few of the 365 islands and cays that make up this magnificent chain so far…

Have you been to Crescent Beach on Compass Cay? Tell us about it!

Find Crescent Beach on our Bahamas Map

You might also enjoy:
Compass Cay and its One Full Time Resident
The Swimming Pigs of the Exuma Cays
Staniel Cay Yacht Club
Thunderball Grotto

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

June 13, 2015May 29, 2019

Nippers Beach Bar & Grill, Great Guana Cay

We’d seen pics before. Many colorful, enticing pics that made us put Nippers on the “list” of beach bars we’d like to visit and were so excited to hear we were going to make a stop at Great Guana Cay during a recent sail through the Abacos. Believe us when we say, Nippers was as colorful and fun as the pics we’d seen and certainly didn’t disappoint. The weather, however, was a different story…

Great Guana Cay was one of the first stops on our itinerary. After all, with two great beach bars (Nippers & Grabbers) and some beautiful beaches, it had Rum Therapy written all over it. Unfortunately, we’d been hit by a bit of an unusual cold snap and although we were still excited to spend time on island, the temp was definitely less than the common tropical temps.

Regardless, as soon as we caught a mooring ball in Guana Harbour, we dinghied to shore and followed the sign down a dirt road to Nippers.

As colorful, if not more so, than the pictures we’d seen, the pool area was…well, pretty quiet due to the cool temps.

Unfazed by the lack of patrons, we made our way in to the main section of the bar.

There, huddled around the bar, was a lively group of die-hard Nippers fans, enjoying, among other things, the infamous frozen Nipper.

We ordered a couple of drinks and checked out the large outdoor bar area.

Then climbed to the top deck for a 360 degree view of the beach 55 ft below.

Nippers has been serving great food and strong drinks with a great view and friendly service for more than 15 years. Apparently, not to be missed is their popular Pig Roast served from 12:30 – 4 every Sunday.

Although it was a little nippy at Nippers that day, we had a good time and can just imagine how much fun it would be to laze in the pool, listen to some live music and enjoy a frozen Nippers…on a much warmer day!

Have you been to Nippers? Tell us about it!

Want to find out more about Nippers? Check out their website and Facebook page.

Find Nippers on our The Bahamas Map

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

June 5, 2015June 6, 2019

Staniel Cay Yacht Club

On Jimmy Buffett’s list of “10 great places for a Waterside Drink”, the Staniel Cay Yacht Club is a great place for just that, and a whole lot more…

The Staniel Cay Yacht Club & Marina (SCYC) is located on a small cay named Staniel Cay in the middle of the chain of stunning islands known as the Exuma Cays in the Bahamas. SCYC offers a full service marina, cottage and suite accommodations, a shop, and a bar/restaurant.

It’s one of the few places to gas up a boat in the area, so there are always boats, large and small, in the marina and boaters in the bar. The SCYC bar sits in the middle of the marina and is a colorful, eclectic, laid-back, nautically themed place to enjoy a few drinks and some laughs with visitors from around the world.

It’s well known by those who navigate the crystal clear Exuma waters, and frequented by a number of celebrities, such as Johnny Depp, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Tyler Perry and David Copperfield who have purchased islands (not just homes – islands in the Exuma Cays!) Jimmy Buffet,we were told, used to fly in on his seaplane.

The walls and ceilings contain a multitude of frayed sailing flags and memorabilia and pictures of the crew from the James Bond movie Thunderball hang close to the bar, as some scenes from the film were shot in the nearby Thunderball Grotto.

Although the entire resort emits a decidedly relaxed vibe, the SCYC bar is the place to be for nightlife on Staniel Cay.

As the evening gets later, the bar fills up and the chatter and laughter gets more and more lively.

From inside the bar, you can glimpse the huge boats harbored in the slips – a great view while savoring a blackened mahi sandwich from the lunch menu.

And there are plenty of drink options available from the local beers to specialty rum drinks, such as this frozen rum punch.

Additional seating is available outside, where you can enjoy the sunshine and crystal blue water.

Or take your drink to a rocking chair on the front porch and enjoy the sights and sounds of the busy marina.

Whatever you do, relax and enjoy every moment. It’s one of those places that you’ll take a mental escape to when life gets hectic back home. As a sign on the bar says,
“What’s your hurry? …you’re here”.

Have you enjoyed a “waterside drink” at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club bar? Tell us about it!

Thank you to the wonderful folks at Embrace Resort who sponsored our stay on Staniel Cay. The Embrace Resort is within walking distance of SCYC and an even shorter golf cart ride!

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

May 31, 2015August 5, 2019

Elbow Reef Lighthouse, Hope Town, Abaco

Standing tall over Hope Town Harbour, the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is an 89 ft tall candy cane colored lighthouse which was not originally welcomed by all…

You see, this Bahamian lighthouse, built in the 1860’s, was originally opposed by Elbow Cay residents as they felt it could put a damper on their shipwreck and salvage business opportunities. Of course, the desire for safe passage for vessels prevailed, and now the only opposition is to any talk of automating the lighthouse operations.

The Elbow Reef Lighthouse is a kerosene burning lighthouse and one of only two remaining beacons preserved from automation. The lighthouse keeper must manually wind up the apparatus every two hours so that the beacon can continue to be seen up to 17 miles away.

Visitors are welcome to visit Elbow Reef Lighthouse and climb the 101 steps to the top.
Admission is free and the lighthouse is open 9-5, 7 days a week.

Those that make it all the way to the top are treated to a beautiful view of Hope Town and the beautiful pastel homes and shops that line the pretty harbour.

Have you climbed the 101 steps to the top of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse? Tell us about it!

Find Elbow Reef Lighthouse on our Bahamas Map

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

May 27, 2015June 6, 2019

Compass Cay, Exuma and its One Full Time Resident

Compass Cay, one of the small cays that make up the extraordinarily beautiful chain of islands called the Exuma Cays, is home to only one full time resident. Well two, if you count the island cat Lilly…

Compass Cay is perhaps best known as the location of friendly swimming sharks, but there are other reasons to spend time on this small and beautiful island with water as clear as a swimming pool – making boats appear to be floating on air, and one of them is to meet and chat with the only full time resident, Tucker Rolle.

During our recent stay at Embrace Resort on Staniel Cay, we had the chance to visit Compass Cay and meet this soft spoken, friendly man who works hard at making sure his guests are having a nice time. And as the word gets out about this magical place, there are certain to be more and more visitors making their way to Compass Cay.

Tucker has been the proprietor of Compass Cay since 1992, but has worked on Compass Cay farming it since he was 13 years old. At that time he lived in a small house on Sister Cay directly across from Compass, and would row over everyday to work on the cay.

Now, the Compass Cay Marina & Resort includes a protected marina with electricity, reverse osmosis water, laundry, shower service and a small store. Tucker say that the marina has accommodated a boat as large as 155 ft in the past, but most boats that dock here are 135 ft or less. Boating guests are told that they need to draw less than 6 ft. to come in at low tide. There is a $10 per person landing fee to come ashore at the marina – which was well worth it in our book. There are also a few homes available to rent on Compass Cay if you’d like to have more time to experience all that this cay has to offer.

In addition to marveling at the nurse sharks interacting with the many people that visit on day excursions, the island has other interests well worth exploring, such as the absolutely stunning Crescent Beach, just a short walk from the marina.

And if you have time, you might want to visit Rachel’s Bubble Bath, a natural lagoon fed by water from the sea breaking over an opening in the surrounding rocks, climb the 92 ft high Compass Peak for a great view of the nearby Exuma Land and Sea Park and visit the 12 other beautiful deserted beaches on the cay.

We also enjoyed checking out the colorful and amusing signs and memorabilia lining some of the trails and pathways through the island.

Before reluctantly leaving, we asked Tucker if there was anything else he would like us to mention in our post about Compass Cay. He said, “We try to keep Compass as natural as possible and do not want to see development on the lovely cay. That’s why we all say take only pictures and only leave footprints. We want to share Compass Cay with our guests and make them feel welcome and at home. Like our sign says, Welcome Home to Compass Cay.”

Have you been to Compass Cay? Tell us about it!

Find Compass Cay Marina and Crescent Beach on our Bahamas Map

You might also enjoy:
The Swimming Pigs of the Exuma Cays
Thunderball Grotto

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

May 22, 2015August 5, 2019

Coco Beach Bar & Grill, Treasure Cay

Close to the center of Treasure Cay Beach, the gorgeous stretch of sugar soft white sand and turquoise water found on North Abaco Island in the Bahamas, you may spot a colorful, but unassuming little beach bar/restaurant called Coco Beach Bar and Grill.

Coco Beach Bar and Grill is right on beautiful Treasure Cay Beach and in addition to offering some very refreshing Bahamian libations, it also serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The interior is a casual nautical theme with plenty of comfortable seating, and in addition, there are picnic tables on the deck. We opted for deck seating because, well, look at the view…

We ordered a wrap for lunch, which came with a ton of crispy fries, along with a Rum Punch and a Goombay Smash. Not quite the same as the Goombay Smash we had just enjoyed at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar on Green Turtle Cay a few days earlier, but everything tastes delicious after a morning of playing on the beach, doesn’t it?

Once you have finished your meal, you can rent a chair and/or palapa from Coco and spend the rest of the afternoon lazing away on one of the prettiest beaches we’ve seen.

From there, the bar is just steps away, so you can make sure you stay hydrated, or in our case “rum”drated.

Have you been to Coco Beach Bar & Grill? Tell us about it!

Find Coco Beach Bar & Grill on our Bahamas Map

You may also be interested in:

Treasure Cay Beach, Abaco

To see more posts on the Bahamas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

May 21, 2015June 6, 2019

Treasure Cay Beach, Abaco

Frequently listed as one of the top 10 beautiful beaches in the world, Treasure Cay easily places in our top beach list as well. After looking at the following pictures, I think you’ll see why.

The gated community of Treasure Cay is actually not a “cay” at all. It is a long peninsula connected to the Abaco mainland making the area easily accesible by car or boat. Besides many amenities such as restaurants, shops, a golf course and marina, the area is flanked by a spectacular 3 1/2 mile white sand beach.

Treasure Cay as seen from above

We rented a car and made the 30 minute drive to Treasure Cay while staying in Marsh Harbour. We loved the beach so much that we ended up driving to Treasure Cay again several days later to experience more of this beautiful beach.

Our first glimpse of Treasure Cay.