All activities / Sea Kayaking / Canoeing / Exuma Cays
Sea Kayaking / Canoeing in Exuma Cays
A 190-kilometre chain of some 365 low, uninhabited islands running north from Great Exuma across shallow turquoise banks. The chain holds the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the world's first land-and-sea protected area, plus swimming pigs, snorkel grottoes and endangered rock iguanas, all threaded by calm, protected water made for paddling.
Why here
The Exuma Cays are one of the finest sea-kayaking grounds on earth, a string of tiny uninhabited islands laid across shallow banks so clear and calm that you can paddle for days from cay to cay. At the heart of the chain is the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, established in 1958 as the first land-and-sea reserve in the world and a no-take marine sanctuary, where the reefs, turtles and fish have been protected for generations. Paddling here you camp on empty beaches, snorkel coral heads and the grotto made famous by a James Bond film, meet the endangered Bahamian rock iguanas that bask on their own cays, and pass the beach where the islands' swimming pigs wade out to visiting boats. Because the water inside the banks is sheltered and warm, this is expedition paddling without big seas, as suited to a first multi-day trip as to seasoned kayakers. Doing the cays by kayak, at the speed of a paddle stroke, is a completely different experience from the day boats that buzz between the highlights.
Best months
The paddling season runs through the cooler, drier months from about November to April, when winds are lighter and settled and daytime heat is manageable; late summer is hot and is hurricane season. Water inside the banks is shallow, warm and protected, but crossings between cays are exposed to wind and tide, so trips are planned around the forecast and are guided or supported for anyone without open-water paddling experience. Camping is on uninhabited cays with no facilities, so trips carry their own water and gear.
Getting there & around
Most trips stage from Great Exuma, reached by air to George Town, with outfitters picking up from George Town or nearby and driving north to launch points such as Barraterre. Guided and self-guided expeditions run from a few days to a week or more, camping on the cays, with kayaks, Sea Pearl sailboats and gear provided. This is remote, self-contained travel with no shops or water along the route, so book the outfitter well ahead and plan around the settled winter window.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Out Island Explorers
OutfitterOut Island Explorers has run guided and self-guided kayak and sailing expeditions through the Exuma Cays since 2008, staging from Hooper's Bay near George Town on Great Exuma. It operates a fleet of expedition ocean kayaks and 21-foot Sea Pearl sailboats, and outfits multi-day camping trips among the uninhabited cays of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, an approach the New York Times has featured. Trips range from short guided outings to week-long self-supported crossings.