The Top 5 Things To Do In Exuma Bahamas
Five ways to fill an Exuma, Bahamas itinerary without paying tourist day-tour prices for all of it.
The best part is you can go wherever you like, and there are a ton of reefs and restaurants you'd never reach without your own boat.
Our reviewer's boat dayFive Ways To See Exuma Without The Big Tour Price Tag
Exuma is one of the most beautiful islands our reviewer has visited — calm weather, soft beaches, cold beer — and the appeal is obvious the moment you land. The challenge is doing it without paying tourist-tour prices for everything.
Renting a private boat topped the list on a cost-to-fun basis: the guided day tours run about $180 per person, only slightly more than renting a boat outright, and a private boat opens up reefs and restaurants around the bay that the group tours skip.
Every hotel on the island sits near its own stretch of sand, so finding a beach is less an activity than a given; snorkeling is solid rather than spectacular, with shallow reefs marked by floating buoys for those who want to explore on their own.
Chat N Chill, a beach bar reachable only by boat or water taxi, pairs cold drinks with stingrays swimming at your feet — and its Sunday pig roast is worth timing a visit around. The big all-day tour (swimming pigs, nurse sharks, iguanas) is worth doing once, even if the price felt steep.
Between a rented boat, a beach chair, and a plate at Chat N Chill, Exuma delivers a full trip without needing every day booked through a tour operator.
Five Ways To Fill An Exuma Itinerary
None of these require paying full tourist-tour prices for the whole trip.
01
Rent Your Own Boat
Renting a boat outright costs only a bit more than the roughly $180-per-person guided day tours, and it opens up reefs and restaurants around the bay you'd never reach otherwise. Minns Water Sports was the outfitter used for this trip.
02
Find Your Beach
Every hotel on the island sits near its own stretch of sand, so a beach day takes no planning — just grab a book and relax.
03
Go Snorkeling
Shallow reefs are marked with floating buoys, and more adventurous travelers can rent a boat to snorkel further out — just watch for the occasional shark.
04
Play With Stingrays at Chat N Chill
Reachable only by boat or water taxi, this beach bar pairs a cold drink with stingrays swimming at your feet — time it for the Sunday pig roast.
05
Full Day Tour (With Pigs)
The big all-day tour covers swimming pigs, nurse sharks, iguanas and the keys — worth doing once, even if the price feels a little steep.
A Full Bahamas Trip, Without The Full Tour Budget
Between a rented boat, free beach access, and a Sunday pig roast at Chat N Chill, Exuma rewards travelers who skip the packaged tours.
