Destinations · Caribbean

Bahamas.

Turquoise banks, pink sand & seven hundred islands.

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The country

Few places turn the simple act of looking at water into an experience the way the Bahamas does. Strung out over seven hundred islands and cays across the warm shallows off Florida, this is a country built on color: the deep navy of the ocean drop-offs, the electric jade of the banks, the famous pink sand of Harbour Island. From the bustle of Nassau you are only a short flight or boat ride from sandbars that appear at low tide and vanish with the next, and from islands where you may not see another soul all afternoon.

The pleasure here is the easy island day, repeated and refined. Mornings begin with a swim before the heat, then a slow boat out to a snorkeling reef or a beach you have all to yourself; afternoons drift into conch salad cracked open at a roadside shack, a rum punch in the shade, and a long look at that impossible water. The rhythm shifts from island to island, from the resorts and casinos of Paradise Island to the barefoot calm of the Out Islands, and the art of a good trip is choosing the mix that suits you.

We design Bahamas itineraries that pair the easy beach days with the moments that make the trip: a private boat to swim with the pigs and the sandbars of the Exumas, a morning on the pink sand of Harbour Island before the day-trippers arrive, a snorkel over a coral garden alive with fish. However you want to travel it, we build the route by small plane, ferry and boat charter so each island has room to breathe.

Capital: Nassau
Currency: Bahamian dollar (B$)
Ideal trip: 7–10 nights
Best for: Beaches, boating & island-hopping

When to go

The best time to visit the Bahamas.

The Bahamas really has two seasons: a dry, calm-sea winter when the boating is at its best, and a hot, green hurricane summer. We plan around the December-to-April window and read the shoulders for value.

Prime season Shoulder Quieter & better value

December–April

The dry season and our favorite window: warm, sunny days, low humidity, calm seas for boating and snorkeling, and no real storm risk. This is peak season, so we book the marquee resorts and the Exuma boat days well ahead.

May–June

The shoulder: still mostly dry and a touch quieter and better value than midwinter, with warm water and long days. A lovely time to island-hop before the heart of hurricane season arrives.

November

The tail end of hurricane season but often a fine, quiet stretch as the islands reopen for winter. Warm, green and good value, with the small risk of a late-season storm that we plan around with flexible bookings.

July–October

Hot, humid and the core of hurricane season, with the highest chance of storms in September and October. Prices and crowds are at their lowest, and the water is at its warmest, but we favor flexible, well-insured bookings if you travel then.

Where to go

The regions of the Bahamas.

The Bahamas is really an archipelago of moods, from the lively capital to the barefoot calm of the Out Islands, all spread across the same astonishing water. These are the islands we weave together most often, each with its own character and pace, and we shape the route around the mix you have in mind.

Region

Nassau & Paradise Island

The lively heart of the country: the colonial forts and straw markets of Nassau, the sprawling Atlantis resort and casino on Paradise Island, and the easiest jumping-off point for the rest of the islands.

Region

The Exumas

A 120-mile chain of cays and impossibly blue banks: the famous swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, the underwater cave of Thunderball Grotto, swimming nurse sharks and sandbars that surface at low tide.

Region

Eleuthera & Harbour Island

Long, narrow Eleuthera and its tiny neighbor Harbour Island, famous for miles of soft pink sand, the pastel cottages and golf carts of Dunmore Town, and some of the best beach calm in the country.

Region

Grand Bahama

The northern island closest to Florida: the beaches and markets around Freeport and Lucaya, pine forests and mangrove creeks, and reefs and blue holes that draw divers and snorkelers.

Region

The Abacos & Out Islands

The barefoot Bahamas: the sailing waters and pastel loyalist villages of the Abacos, plus the quiet, far-flung Out Islands where the pace slows and a beach to yourself is the rule, not the exception.

Coming soon

More from the Bahamas on the way.

We're busy writing up our favorite Bahamas experiences. There's far more here than we can list, so the fastest way to start is simply to tell us what you're dreaming of.

Plan a Bahamas Trip

A sample journey

One way to spend a week in the Bahamas.

1

Days 1–2
Nassau & Paradise Island

Begin in the capital: the colonial forts and harbor of Nassau, a stroll through the straw market, and the beaches, water park and casino of Paradise Island, an easy, lively start before you head out into the islands.
2

Day 3
The Exumas: pigs & sandbars

Fly or cruise down to the Exumas for the headline day of the trip: a private boat to swim with the famous pigs of Big Major Cay, snorkel the Thunderball Grotto, meet the swimming nurse sharks and wade out onto a sandbar in the middle of the blue.
3

Days 4–5
Harbour Island & Eleuthera

On to Harbour Island for its world-famous three-mile stretch of pink sand, the pastel cottages and golf carts of Dunmore Town, and a day exploring neighboring Eleuthera, from the Glass Window Bridge to hidden coves and pineapple farms.
4

Day 6
Out-island calm

Slow the pace right down with a day on a quieter island or cay: empty beaches, a long lunch of fresh conch, a hammock in the shade and nothing on the schedule but the next swim, the essence of the barefoot Bahamas.
5

Day 7
Reefs & farewell snorkel

Finish with the water that defines the islands: a last morning over a coral garden alive with fish, drifting in the warm shallows, before an easy connection back through Nassau for the flight home.

Every itinerary we build is bespoke: this is a starting point, not a package.

Getting around

By island-hopper flight: There is no road network tying the islands together, so we move you between them on short flights aboard small planes. Nassau's Lynden Pindling airport is the gateway, an easy hop from Florida and the rest of the United States.
By fast ferry: The fast ferries link Nassau with Eleuthera, Harbour Island and the Exumas, a scenic and unfussy way to cover the shorter inter-island routes. We hold the tickets and time the crossings around your boat days.
By private boat charter: The day trips are best done by water: a private charter is by far the finest way to reach the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, the snorkeling reefs and the sandbars that surface only at low tide.
On the islands: Getting around on each island is low-key — a golf cart on Harbour Island, a hired car or driver on longer Eleuthera and Grand Bahama, and walking nearly everywhere else.

Where to stay

Nassau & Paradise Island: For a lively first or last night with everything on tap, we favor the resorts of Paradise Island, from the family-friendly Atlantis to the more refined Ocean Club, or a boutique hotel in the historic heart of Nassau near the forts and harbor.
The Exumas: We love a stay around Great Exuma and Georgetown as a base for the boat days, or, for something truly special, one of the handful of private-island and barefoot-luxury resorts scattered through the cays, reached only by boat or plane.
Harbour Island: Our top pick for a romantic, design-led escape: a clutch of small, stylish hotels sit right on the three-mile pink sand beach, with golf carts, candlelit dinners and some of the best beach atmosphere in the Bahamas.
The Out Islands: For the barefoot Bahamas, we build in a stay on an Out Island such as the Abacos, Andros or Long Island, where small inns and intimate resorts trade nightlife for empty beaches, world-class bonefishing and a slower, simpler pace.

Inter-island flights, ferry tickets, private boat charters and every transfer are arranged as part of the itinerary, so the island-hopping is handled before you arrive.

Good to know

Bahamas travel questions.

How many days do you need in the Bahamas?

Seven nights is the sweet spot. That comfortably covers Nassau, a boat day in the Exumas and a few nights of pink sand on Harbour Island at an unhurried pace. Ten nights to two weeks lets you add an Out Island such as the Abacos or Andros, slow the whole trip down and spend more time on the water.

When is the best time to visit the Bahamas?

The dry season from December to April is prime: warm, sunny days, low humidity and calm seas for boating and snorkeling. It is also the busiest and priciest stretch, so we book ahead. The hurricane season runs June to November, with the highest storm risk in September and October; the weather is still mostly fine, but we favor flexible, well-insured bookings then.

Can you really swim with the pigs, and where?

Yes, and it is one of the great Bahamas experiences. The famous swimming pigs live on Big Major Cay in the Exumas and wade right out to greet the boats. We arrange a private or small-group charter that combines the pigs with the other Exuma highlights, the snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto, the swimming nurse sharks and the sandbars, in a single unforgettable day on the water.

Is the pink sand on Harbour Island really pink?

It genuinely is. The three-mile beach on Harbour Island gets its blush from tiny red coral organisms whose fragments mix into the white sand, and the color is most striking in the soft light of early morning and late afternoon. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and an easy ferry or flight from Nassau, so we build it into many of our island-hopping trips.

How do you get between the islands?

By a mix of short flights on small planes, fast ferries and private boat charters, depending on the route. Nassau is the main hub, with quick connections out to Eleuthera, Harbour Island, the Exumas and the Out Islands. There is no road bridge tying the archipelago together, so we plan the island-hopping carefully and handle every flight, ferry and transfer for you in advance.

From the journal

Reading on the Bahamas.

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How to travel the Bahamas.

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