6 Reasons to Visit the Exumas in the Bahamas

Sick of the North American cold? You’re not alone. If you’re prepared to leave this year’s bitter– you could say brutal– winter, don’t forget about The Bahamas. We’re not talking about Nassau, Freeport, and the other destinations overrun with day-cruising Floridian tourists punching electric-blue happy hour cocktails in the hopes of forgeting life for a while.

You require to look further afield: to The Exumas. This stunning stretch of 365 Bahamian cays (pronounced “secrets”) is stunning, unique, and closer to the continental United States than nearly anywhere in the Caribbean. They’re so close, in truth, that daily flights from south Florida can be found for a song. Bottom line: You have no reason not to go this winter. However, simply in case you needed a couple of more factors, here are six of our favorites.

Stroll the “Mile-Long Sandbar”

It might not technically be the longest sandbar in the Bahamas, but it is the most famous. Simply south of Huge Farmer’s Cay, the aptly named Big Farmer’s Cay Sandbar is an impossibly lovely stretch of sweet white sand that reveals itself only at low tide. The so-called “Mile-long Sandbar” is an iconic photo opp for any visitor to The Exumas, and an excellent location to relax, sunbathe, or enjoy a picnic on the beach.

Dive and Decompress on Stocking Island

Stocking Island is barely a stone’s throw from George Town, and the cay’s pristine, flour-soft beaches are reason enough to make an excursion of it. When you’re prepared to get wet, head simply off the southern coasts to Secret Cavern. This remarkable blue hole– the Bahamas are house to the world’s only tidal blue holes– is 400 feet long and drops rapidly from 15 feet listed below the surface area to 100 feet down. It’s the ideal place for checking out with a snorkel in hand or (if you’re a technically competent cave scuba diver) by means of an appropriate

dive journey. See the Oldest Living Proof of Life in the world

Spread across dozens of cays, Exumas Cays Land and Sea Park was the first of its kind in the world. It’s home to a distinct community of marine life consisting of stunning coral, crustaceans, and exotic fish. The “huge get” for divers and nature lovers are the stromatolites, special, blue-green, reef-dwelling algae that represent the earliest living evidence of life on our world. Some specimens in the park are at least 2,000 years old.

Swim with (Sea) Pigs at Significant Cay

Thanks to Instagram, the image of wild pigs swimming amid the turquoise waters off Significant Area Cay has become one of the Bahamas’ most iconic. Supposedly, during the First Gulf War, a few fellahs fidgeted about the routine flow of supplies to their island drying up. They imported a bunch of animals, including pigs, to the islands to make sure an endless cache of bacon. That dearth of supply runs never ever came, and the pigs were cut loose to enjoy the tropics nevertheless they chose. Regretfully, this suggested going to the beach to flag down passing boats for supper scraps. Numerous generations on, the descendants of those original pigs stay, and they’re perfectly content going out to sea to satisfy crowds of waiting tourists, smart devices in hand.

Get Your Fill of Conch

The Caribbean is the home of an enormous variety of seafood. In The Bahamas, none is more iconic than the conch– perhaps the country’s national delicacy. It’s impossible to state you have actually tasted true Bahamian food without sampling the chewy, calamari-esque deliciousness that is conch salad. No location in The Exumas does it much better than Big D’s Conch Spot (it’s in the name!). Huge D himself adds plenty of character to the relaxed, subtle shack, and the place on a beautiful patch of sand overlooking Emerald Bay in Steventon does not hurt either.

Land a History Lesson at The Hermitage Estate

The cotton days on Little Exuma were however a blip in the island nation’s history. However, the ruins and remains of the 970-acre plantation of the Hermitage estate are an interesting, if brief, look into the servant trade here. The foundation of the primary home (the earliest building in The Exumas), servant quarters, and numerous 18th-century tombs remain, each with an inscription to commemorate the owners, the Ferguson household. There’s also an unmarked tomb believed to come from an unidentified servant.