WHAT TO DO IN
STANIEL
CAY
MEET THE FAMOUS SWIMMING PIGS
Not far from the Staniel Yacht Club by boat is Big Major Cay, otherwise known as Pig Beach – an uninhabited island where you can swim and take selfies with the famous and adorable swimming pigs. Our most famous residents, the swimming pigs have been calling the beach home for decades and are carefully tended by various local volunteers. A visit with the pigs is truly a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list excursion.
SWIM WITH FRIENDLY NURSE SHARKS
Swim with Nurse Sharks at the Compass Cay Marina. Usually harmless to humans, these friendly marine animals have been acclimatized to visitors for many years and are treated like pets by the Marina’s owners. The sharks at Compass Cay are a species called Ginglymostoma cirratum and can live up to 25 years and reach a length of almost ten feet. Compass Cay is about 8 miles north of Staniel Cay and accessible by boat.
DIVE OR SNORKEL THUNDERBALL GROTTO
Traveling from Staniel Cay towards Pig Beach, you will find this hidden gem, once known only to locals, called Thunderball Grotto. Made famous by being featured in no less than two James Bond movies, this underwater cave system teems with exotic marine life in crystal clear waters. When the tide is low enough it is an easy snorkel from your boat to the mouth of the grotto. What makes the grotto even more magical are the holes in its cathedral-like ceiling which at certain times of day let shafts of light slice through the turquoise waters – a truly cinematic sight.
VISIT MINI JURASSIC PARK
The beautiful island of Bitter Cay is inhabited by endangered Rock Iguanas. Pull up to the pristine white beach of the island and wade through the crystal clear waters to the beach and you will see iguanas coming to investigate you (and your food supplies) from every side. Be sure to take some fruit for these stunning reptiles (we recommend using a stick as they can get a little nippy). Be sure to explore the end of the beach where there are some stunning rock formations.
DIVE TURQUOISE WATERS FOR MARINE LIFE AND SUNKEN WRECKS
The Exumas are famous for their crystal clear turquoise waters, which make them perfect for diving and viewing all kinds of marine life, as well as other unusual underwater sights. Accessible by waverunner from Lazy Bay Villas near the mouth of the lagoon is a sunken plane wreck which locals say was one of Pablo Escobar’s drug-running planes that crashed there in the 70s.
DINE OR DRINK AT STANIEL YACHT CLUB
Sample Bahamian cuisine or a rum punch at the historic Staniel Cay Yacht Club, which was also featured in a James Bond movie! Meet fellow visitors, yachties, fishermen, and locals in the characterful bar, enjoy casual dining in the bar dining room, or book a fine dining experience in the main restaurant (reservation required). Be sure to wander around the bar and take in some of the old photos and yacht memorabilia that decorate this historic and characterful Staniel Cay institution.
How to get to the attractions
Because the Exumas are a series of small islands, the best way to explore them is by boat. Ask about a boat rental to make your stay even more memorable.
BOAT RENTAL
Charter one of our beautiful 34′ Jupiter boats to explore all the wonders of the Exumas.
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WAVE RUNNER RENTAL
Many of the closer attractions like Iguana Beach, Pig Beach and Staniel Cay Yacht Club are accessible by Waverunner.
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SEABOB RENTAL
Make the most of your trip to Thunderball Grotto or one of the sunken wrecks by renting a fun SeaBob
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