Where to stay

Pick your base first. The hotel second.

The single biggest decision in an Exuma trip is which end of the chain you sleep on. It decides how your days run.

Base	Best for	Trade-off
Great Exuma (George Town & Emerald Bay)	First-timers, families, choice of hotels and restaurants, easy flights	Pig Beach and the grotto are a longer boat ride north
Staniel Cay	Boat days, pigs and grotto on your doorstep	Small and simple; charter flight or boat to reach
Private-island resorts	Honeymoons, total privacy, your own boat	Price; you plan around the resort
Vacation rentals on Great or Little Exuma	Groups, longer stays, kitchens	You’ll want a car or buggy

Four places, four different trips

Where we’d send a friend

Emerald Bay, Great Exuma

Villa resort

Full villas with kitchens and a long beach. The easiest upscale option to book and a good base for families.

Exuma Cays

Private island

A handful of houses on a private cay near Staniel, each with its own boat. You leave when you want, not when a tour departs.

Staniel Cay

Institution

Colorful cottages on the water and the best jumping-off point for the central cays. Luxurious in the sense that the grotto is minutes from the dock.

George Town

Waterfront classic

The old-line George Town hotel, walkable to town, facing Stocking Island. Stay here if you want the island rather than a resort.

Booking tips

Book boat days and hotels together. In high season (December–April) the good small-boat charters fill before the rooms do.
Ask about transfers. There’s no public bus. Many hotels arrange airport pickup; otherwise pre-book a transfer.
Staniel Cay logistics. You’ll fly via a charter or regional flight, or take a boat from Great Exuma. Factor that into the total cost.
Hurricane season (June–November) brings the lowest rates. Buy travel insurance and read the cancellation policy. See When to go.

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Everything on this site, boiled down to a plan you can actually follow: