{"id":31393,"date":"2019-11-26T12:09:20","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T11:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/?p=31393"},"modified":"2024-11-15T15:36:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T14:36:26","slug":"a-complete-guide-to-sailing-the-exuma-cays-part-three-the-top-things-to-do-while-on-a-sailing-holiday-in-the-exumas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/blog\/a-complete-guide-to-sailing-the-exuma-cays-part-three-the-top-things-to-do-while-on-a-sailing-holiday-in-the-exumas\/","title":{"rendered":"A complete guide to sailing the Exuma Cays: Part three – the top things to do while on a sailing holiday in The Exumas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In\u00a0part two of our complete guide to sailing the Exuma Cays<\/a>, we looked at the top places to visit while chartering around the Exuma Cays including Big Major Cay and Allen’s Cay. In part three, we take a look at the top things to do while on a sailing holiday in The Exumas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top things to do while on a sailing holiday in the Exuma Cays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Swim with the pigs at Big Major Cay<\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Swim<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Literally no sailing holiday to The Exumas would be complete without swimming with the world famous pigs on Big Major Cay. The island is completely uninhabited by humans, and as such, the pigs can really call it their home – and they do! These friendly creatures are incredibly playful and love to eat, and as tourism has increased to the island, so has the pig\u2019s knowledge that, with humans, comes food!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approach slowly, as it\u2019s more than likely that you\u2019ll have a pig or two swimming out to greet you. Once anchored, hop overboard and spend as long as you like bobbing around in the water with them, carefully avoiding any floating debris that the pigs may have left you as a present!<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go snorkelling at Thunderball Grotto<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Thunderball<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a fan of James Bond, then a visit to <\/span>Thunderball Grotto<\/span><\/a> is a must! One of our top things to do while on a sailing holiday in The Exumas, the hypnotising underwater cave is located between Big Major Cay and Staniel Cay and offers visitors an experience like no other. The cave has its very own skylight, where sunrays peer through, causing the clear water inside to glisten beneath it, creating a kaleidoscope of colours that attract an abundance of sea life including angel fish and turtles. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weave your way through the narrow tunnels that lead from the outside ocean to the centre of the cave and spend some time snorkelling in the area. Visibility here is excellent, so you\u2019re sure to see plenty of fish and coral. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay a visit to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Boo<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Head to Warderick Wells to visit the world\u2019s first nature reserve of its kind, the <\/span>Exuma Land and Sea Park<\/span><\/a>. The area encompassing the park is vast, extending from Shroud Cay in the north of The Exumas to Bell Cay in the south – an area covering over 112,000 acres. While the park stretches for miles, the headquarters are located on Warderick Wells and it\u2019s here that you\u2019ll be able to stop off at one of three mooring spots before heading ashore. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once on terra firma, head along one of the island\u2019s trails up to <\/span>Boo Boo Hill<\/span><\/a>, where tradition dictates that, as a sailor, you should leave a driftwood sign displaying your yachts name. The island is full of verdant flora and fauna, home to some rare species of bird. A wander along to Powerful Beach is recommended, where you\u2019ll be greeted by the skeleton of a 53ft sperm whale who sadly died after swallowing a plastic bag and is a stark reminder of the importance of reducing the globe\u2019s use of plastic.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of mooring spots throughout the park, so take your pick and enjoy your visit,  one of our top things to do while on a sailing holiday in The Exumas<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dive the smugglers plane wreck off of Norman Cay<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Norman<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


If you\u2019ve watched the popular Netflix series, Narcos, you\u2019ll likely be familiar with a gentleman named Carlos Ledher and his trade! During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norman Cay was used as a stopping point for drug smugglers working for the Medellin cartel, one of the most infamous drug gangs in the world, travelling from Columbia to the USA.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was during this pe<\/span>riod that, according to witnesses, a British pilot who had previously worked for the cartel, known only as \u2018British Andy\u2019, flew a World War II C-46 plane to the island in the hope of Carlos Ledher buying it for his business! After a morning of early drinking (a frequent pastime of British Andy\u2019s), he misjudged a practice landing and the plane came down, resting in the shallow waters surrounding Norman Cay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this is just one of many conspiracies linked to the crash, the fact remains that the ill fated plane is now home to a vast array of marine life and as such is an excellent place to go snorkelling and diving while on a yacht charter in The Exumas.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try a spot of conch diving<\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Conch<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you like fresh seafood and fancy a spot of diving, we highly recommend taking an organised dive to retrieve some conch from the seabed! Conch are a local delicacy in The Bahamas and can be enjoyed hot or cold. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delicate pink shell of these large marine snails can be quite tricky to spot, but persevere, it\u2019ll be worth it. The flavour is subtle, and the \u2018meat\u2019 itself requires some tenderising, so make sure you\u2019ve got your mallet ready! If you\u2019re cooking them up on board, go for a take on the classic Italian dish \u2018spaghetti alle vongole\u2019, cooking them slowly by adding them to a pan with a little olive oil on a low heat for around 30-minutes. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about yacht charters to The Exumas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To find out more about\u00a0bareboat<\/a>,\u00a0by the cabin<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0skippered charters<\/a>\u00a0with us to The Exumas<\/a>, contact our team<\/a> of specialists today on 02380 455 527 or email uk@dreamyachtcharter.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read previous article: Part two – the top places to visit while on a sailing holiday in The Exumas<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read next article: Part four – food and drink in The Exumas<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In\u00a0part two of our complete guide to sailing the Exuma Cays, we looked at the top places to visit while chartering around the Exuma Cays including Big Major Cay and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":31493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1866],"class_list":["post-31393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bahamas-gb"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31393"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107759,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31393\/revisions\/107759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreamyachtcharter.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}