Great Exuma Yacht Charter: George Town, Beaches & Southern Exumas Cruising

As the largest island in the Exumas, Great Exuma is the principal hub of the southern island chain and one of the most versatile destinations on a Bahamas yacht charter. Long white-sand beaches, shallow turquoise banks, protected harbours, mangrove ecosystems, and easy access to surrounding cayes combine with significantly more shoreside infrastructure than most islands farther north.

At its center is George Town and Elizabeth Harbour, one of the best-known cruising harbours in the Bahamas. Stocking Island forms a natural barrier between the harbour and Exuma Sound, creating sheltered waters filled with yacht anchorages, beaches, mooring fields, restaurants, and easy tender access to town.

Great Exuma is also an excellent place to begin or finish a longer Exumas itinerary. Exuma International Airport lies only a few miles from George Town and receives domestic and international flights, while yachts can continue north toward Lee Stocking Island and the Exuma Cays or explore south toward Moriah Harbour Cay and Little Exuma.

Great Exuma's eastern shoreline borders Exuma Sound, while Elizabeth Harbour provides the island's principal protected yacht cruising area. Stocking Island shields much of the harbour from the open sea, but captains entering the area must still navigate established approaches through shallow banks, coral heads, sandbars, and channels using current charts, tide information, visual navigation, and local knowledge.

The waters become particularly shallow around the southern end of Great Exuma, Crab Cay, Red Shanks, and the approaches toward Moriah Harbour. Draft restrictions can be significant in some passages. Red Shanks, for example, contains sections where vessels drawing more than four feet may require higher water, and anchoring there has now been replaced by designated moorings. Larger yachts will generally remain in deeper parts of Elizabeth Harbour and use tenders for shallow-water exploration.

Elizabeth Harbour is the principal anchoring area for yachts visiting Great Exuma, with numerous options between the mainland and Stocking Island. The harbour offers some of the strongest protection in the Exumas and provides convenient tender access to George Town, Stocking Island, provisioning, restaurants, and yacht services. Mooring fields are also available around Stocking Island and other protected parts of the harbour.

Farther south, Crab Cay offers another protected option, with approximately 10 to 15 feet of water in its northern bay and shelter that can be valuable during passing cold fronts. Red Shanks provides almost 360-degree protection but now requires use of Bahamas National Trust moorings rather than conventional anchoring. The captain will choose the appropriate location according to yacht draft, wind direction, forecast conditions, and desired access ashore.

Great Exuma contains the main airport, largest concentration of resorts, and principal settlement of the Exumas, making it one of the easiest islands for charter embarkation, guest transfers, provisioning, and shoreside exploration. George Town provides shops, restaurants, yacht services, and access across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island, while communities such as Rolleville, Steventon, Barraterre, and Rolle Town reveal a quieter side of the island.

Nature remains a major part of the experience despite the additional infrastructure. Coco Plum Beach stretches along the northeastern coast, while Moriah Harbour Cay National Park protects beaches, sand dunes, mangrove creeks, seagrass beds, and extensive marine habitats between Great Exuma and Little Exuma.