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,
Swimming with the pigs at Big Major Cay,
Swimming with the nurse sharks on Compass Cay,
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,
Exploring the stunning Crescent Beach on Compass Cay,
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
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