The Bahamas

Saideira – Bahamas (Exumas) 7-Day Sailing Itinerary

Set sail on a week-long voyage through the Exumas, the Bahamas' most spectacular cruising ground – a 120-mile chain of more than 365 cays and islands set in water so clear your yacht seems to float on air. Calm, protected anchorages, powder-white sandbars, and shades of turquoise you have to see to believe make the Exumas one of the world's great sailing destinations. This 7-day yacht charter itinerary takes you from the lively harbor of Nassau to the iguanas of Allan's Cay, the protected reefs of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the famous swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay, and the beach bars of George Town. Whether you're drift-snorkeling through a coral garden, swimming with nurse sharks, or toasting the sunset from a deserted sandbar, every day is a new adventure in paradise.

Day 0: Arrival

If you can, consider arriving a day early so that you can board Saideira at Noon on Day One!
Fly into Nassau (NAS) – just an hour from Miami on American Airlines, with nonstop service from most major East Coast cities
Stay on Cable Beach at the elegant Rosewood Baha Mar – with a world-class spa and one of the best beaches on the island
Or, head to Paradise Island and the classic Four Seasons Ocean Club, with its famous Versailles Gardens and ocean-view pool

Day 1: Nassau – Allan's Cay – Highbourne Cay

Board your yacht in Nassau Harbour
Welcome briefing and a light lunch!
Sail across the Yellow Bank to the northern Exumas (~4 hours) – watch the water turn from deep blue to glowing turquoise
Stop at Allan's Cay to meet the rare Bahamian rock iguanas, found nowhere else on earth
Anchor off Highbourne Cay for a sunset swim, a stroll along its 2-mile beach, and dinner on board

Day 2: Highbourne Cay – Norman's Cay – Shroud Cay

Morning snorkel or paddleboard session
Sail to Norman's Cay (~1 hour) and snorkel the sunken drug-runner's plane in the shallows – a relic of the island's colorful 1970s past
Lunch with your toes in the sand at MacDuff's beach bar
Short hop to Shroud Cay (~1 hour) and take the dinghy up the winding mangrove creek to the ocean side, with a climb to Camp Driftwood for the view
Ride the current at the creek mouth, then enjoy a calm night at anchor under the stars

Day 3: Shroud Cay – Warderick Wells (Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park)

Sail south into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (~2 hours) – the first land-and-sea park in the world and a no-take marine reserve
Pick up a mooring in the stunning North Mooring Field at Warderick Wells, where the channel glows electric blue
Snorkel pristine reefs teeming with fish, turtles, and rays
Hike to the top of Boo Boo Hill, where sailors leave driftwood signs with their boat names – add one for your crew!
Sunset cocktails on deck and dinner on board

Day 4: Warderick Wells – Cambridge Cay – Compass Cay

Short sail to Cambridge Cay (~1.5 hours) and snorkel the famous Sea Aquarium, where friendly reef fish swim right up to your mask
Explore the coral heads and sunken plane at nearby O'Brien's Cay
Continue to Compass Cay and swim with the gentle nurse sharks at the Compass Cay Marina dock
Hike across to Rachel's Bubble Bath, a natural tidal pool that fizzes like a jacuzzi when ocean waves spill over the rocks
Anchor for a quiet evening and dinner on board

Day 5: Compass Cay – Staniel Cay

Short sail to Staniel Cay (~1 hour)
Snorkel Thunderball Grotto at slack tide – the stunning hidden cave made famous in the James Bond films, with sunlight streaming through the roof
Take the dinghy to Pig Beach at Big Major Cay to meet the world-famous swimming pigs – maybe the best photo spot in all of the Bahamas!
Cold drinks and conch fritters at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, the social hub of the Exumas
Stay for dinner ashore at the Yacht Club, or anchor off Big Major for dinner on board

Day 6: Staniel Cay – Black Point – Little Farmer's Cay

Morning swim and a hot breakfast on deck
Short sail to Black Point (~1 hour), one of the friendliest settlements in the Exumas
Pick up a loaf of fresh coconut bread from Lorraine's Mom, and grab lunch at Lorraine's Cafe
Continue to Little Farmer's Cay (~1 hour), a tiny island community of about 60 people
Sundowners at the Ocean Cabin or the Farmer's Cay Yacht Club, then dinner on board

Day 7: Little Farmer's Cay – George Town, Great Exuma

Set sail through Galliot Cut and out into Exuma Sound for a fast, deep-water run south (~3-4 hours) – keep a line out for mahi-mahi!
Anchor in Elizabeth Harbour off Stocking Island
Hike up to the Monument for sweeping views of the harbour and the open ocean
Enjoy cold drinks, volleyball, and feeding the stingrays at the famous Chat 'N' Chill beach bar – don't miss the Sunday pig roast!
Last night at anchor with a farewell dinner on board

Day 8: Departures

Enjoy the peace of the morning and a nice hot breakfast
Disembark mid-day in George Town
Fly home from Exuma International (GGT) – just a short hop to Miami on American Airlines – or potentially enjoy one last night ashore on Great Exuma