Bahamas Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Yacht Routes
The Bahamas rewards both the weekend escape and the extended voyage. The itineraries below are designed to be combined: a guest looking at the 3-day and 4-day routes can stitch them together into a full week without repeating a single island or anchorage. Day charter routes offer standalone single-day outings from Nassau, the most common embarkation point. Every itinerary is fully customisable – your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard captain will tailor stops, pacing, and activities to your group’s interests and the conditions on the day.
Day Charter Routes from Nassau
Nassau to Rose Island: The Classic Half-Day
Depart Nassau’s marina mid-morning and cruise roughly 8 km east to Rose Island, an 18-km sliver of sand and palm with no permanent residents. Anchor in the sheltered western cove for snorkelling over shallow coral heads frequented by green turtles and spotted eagle rays. Your crew sets up a beach picnic with chilled rosé and grilled seafood, and you have the afternoon free for paddleboarding, swimming, or simply dozing on the sand. Return to Nassau in time for a sunset cocktail at the Atlantis Marina.
Nassau to Sandy Cay and Green Cay: Turtle Encounter
Head south-west from Nassau for around 20 minutes to Sandy Cay and neighbouring Green Cay, two tiny islets famous for their resident green sea turtles. The shallow grass beds here support dozens of turtles that are remarkably unperturbed by snorkellers. After the turtle encounter, hop to a nearby sandbar for a private beach lunch before cruising back past the colourful colonial waterfront of downtown Nassau.
Nassau to Athol Island and the Coral Reef Sculpture Garden
A short 10-minute cruise from Nassau Harbour brings you to the waters off Athol Island, home to an underwater sculpture installation and vibrant patch reefs. Combine art and nature in a single snorkel session, then continue east to one of Rose Island’s quieter eastern beaches for an afternoon swim. This route is ideal for families with younger children, as the sheltered waters stay calm even when the wind picks up.
3-Day Bahamas Yacht Charter Itinerary: Nassau to the Northern Exumas
Day 1: Nassau to Highbourne Cay
Board your yacht at Nassau’s Palm Cay Marina or Atlantis Marina by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and champagne toast, cruise south-east into the Exuma Sound – roughly 55 km to Highbourne Cay, the gateway to the Exuma chain. The crossing takes 2–3 hours on a motor yacht. Drop anchor in Highbourne’s sheltered harbour and spend the afternoon snorkelling Horseshoe Reef (known locally as the ‘Octopus Garden’ for its colourful coral heads and resident octopuses). Take the tender to nearby Allen’s Cay to feed the Bahamian rock iguanas – prehistoric-looking creatures nearly a metre long that waddle eagerly down the beach. Return to the yacht for a sunset dinner on the aft deck: your chef serves fresh grouper with mango salsa and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc as the sky turns gold.
Day 2: Staniel Cay, Pig Beach, and Thunderball Grotto
After breakfast, cruise 50 km south through the heart of the Exumas. Your first stop is Big Major Cay (Pig Beach), where the famous swimming pigs paddle out to your tender looking for treats. Time for photos, laughs, and a thoroughly surreal wildlife encounter. Next, motor a few minutes to Thunderball Grotto – slip into the underwater cave at slack tide and watch shafts of sunlight illuminate thousands of reef fish swirling around you. Lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, where the cracked conch and cold Kalik beer are local institutions. In the afternoon, visit Compass Cay to swim with docile nurse sharks right off the marina dock, then hike to Rachel’s Bubble Bath, a natural tidal pool that foams like a jacuzzi when the swell hits. Anchor for the night near Staniel Cay; your crew sets up a beach bonfire on a nearby cay with rum punch and grilled lobster tails.
Day 3: Norman’s Cay and Return to Nassau
Cruise north to Norman’s Cay, once a notorious smugglers’ hideout and now home to a peaceful anchorage and one of the Exumas’ most photogenic snorkel sites: a sunken drug-runner’s plane resting in just 3 metres of crystalline water, now encrusted with coral and swarming with tropical fish. Spend the morning snorkelling and exploring Twinkie Beach, a powdery strip of sand marked by a single leaning palm. Your chef prepares a farewell gourmet lunch as the yacht begins its return cruise to Nassau, with a possible stop at Rose Island for one last swim. Arrive back in Nassau by late afternoon, sun-kissed and reluctant to disembark.
4-Day Bahamas Yacht Charter Itinerary: Eleuthera, Harbour Island, and the Spanish Wells Loop
Day 1: Nassau to Eleuthera – Current Cut and Governor’s Harbour
Depart Nassau and cruise east across the Tongue of the Ocean towards Eleuthera – roughly 80 km, or about 3 hours by motor yacht. As you approach Eleuthera’s western shore, pass through Current Cut (conditions permitting) for a thrilling drift-snorkel in the tidal channel, where the current sweeps you past walls of coral and shoals of jacks. Continue south to Governor’s Harbour, a quiet colonial settlement with pastel clapboard houses and one of Eleuthera’s most sheltered anchorages. Spend the afternoon on the beach at French Leave – a long crescent of pale pink sand that was once the grounds of a private club and is now open to the public. Dinner on board features the day’s fresh catch, sourced from local fishermen at the Governor’s Harbour dock.
Day 2: Glass Window Bridge and Gregory Town
Cruise north along Eleuthera’s sheltered Caribbean side, stopping at the Glass Window Bridge – a dramatic natural land bridge where the dark blue Atlantic crashes against one side while the calm turquoise Caribbean laps the other. It’s one of the most photographed spots in the Bahamas and well worth a short stop ashore. Continue to Gregory Town, known for its pineapple farms and (surprisingly) its surf break on the Atlantic side. Anchor in the calm lee of the island and explore the area by tender, or take a short hike to the top of the bluff for panoramic views. In the afternoon, snorkel the patch reefs off the Current, a narrow strait rich with marine life. Evening calls for a leisurely dinner under the stars as the yacht repositions northward toward Harbour Island.
Day 3: Harbour Island
Arrive at Harbour Island by mid-morning and anchor in the protected harbour west of Dunmore Town (larger yachts anchor off and tender ashore). Spend the morning strolling Dunmore Town’s pastel lanes, browsing art galleries and boutique shops, and picking up handmade straw goods. Then walk east across the island (it takes about five minutes) to the legendary Pink Sand Beach – three miles of blush-coloured sand that deepens in hue at sunrise and sunset. Lunch at Sip Sip, a cliff-top restaurant famous for its lobster quesadillas and ocean views. The afternoon is yours: horseback riding on the beach, a spa treatment at one of the boutique hotels, or simply swimming in the warm Atlantic surf. Dinner at The Landing or Rock House – two of the finest restaurants in the Out Islands – followed by a nightcap on the yacht under a blanket of stars.
Day 4: Spanish Wells and Return to Nassau
A short cruise west from Harbour Island brings you to Spanish Wells, a prosperous fishing settlement on St George’s Cay. This tidy, pastel-painted town is the lobster capital of the Bahamas, and your crew can buy the morning’s catch straight off the boats. Stroll the quiet streets, chat with friendly locals, and admire the immaculate gardens. After a late morning departure, cruise back toward Nassau (roughly 80 km, 2.5–3 hours). Stop en route at the Porgee Rocks or Current Island for a final snorkel if conditions allow. Arrive back in Nassau by mid-afternoon, with time for a farewell dinner at Graycliff Restaurant or the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay before your transfer.
5-Day Bahamas Yacht Charter Itinerary: The Extended Exumas Explorer
Day 1: Nassau to Norman’s Cay
Board your yacht in Nassau by mid-morning and cruise south-east into the Exuma chain. In roughly 2.5 hours, reach Norman’s Cay and drop anchor in its famously calm lagoon. Snorkel the sunken plane wreck (a drug-runner’s aircraft resting in 3 metres of gin-clear water, now a living reef), then relax on Twinkie Beach with a beach picnic prepared by your chef. In the late afternoon, try bonefishing on the nearby flats with your crew’s guidance, or simply float on the yacht’s inflatable platform as the sun dips below the cays. Dinner on the aft deck: Bahamian conch chowder followed by pan-seared snapper with coconut rice.
Day 2: Shroud Cay and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
Cruise into the protected waters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park – one of the world’s first marine reserves. Spend the morning at Shroud Cay, navigating the mangrove creek by tender at mid-tide (your captain will time it perfectly). The creek winds through emerald-green mangrove tunnels before emerging at Camp Driftwood, a breathtaking beach on the ocean side. Hike to the lookout for postcard views of the cays. After lunch on board, reposition to Warderick Wells, the park’s headquarters. Snorkel the coral gardens off the western shore, then hike to Boo Boo Hill for a panoramic 360° view of the Exuma chain. Spot the whale skeleton along the trail and leave a driftwood memento at the summit (a cruiser’s tradition). Dinner on deck as the Milky Way emerges overhead – zero light pollution, absolute silence.
Day 3: Staniel Cay, Swimming Pigs, and Thunderball Grotto
Head south to the Staniel Cay area. Visit Big Major Cay’s swimming pigs first thing (they’re most photogenic in the morning light and before the day-trip boats arrive). Then snorkel Thunderball Grotto at slack tide – the underwater cave’s cathedral-like light show is one of the Bahamas’ unmissable experiences. Grab lunch ashore at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, then spend the afternoon at Compass Cay swimming with nurse sharks and hiking to Rachel’s Bubble Bath. Your crew arranges a private beach barbecue on a nearby uninhabited cay for dinner: grilled lobster, jerk chicken, tropical salads, and a bonfire under the stars.
Day 4: Southern Exumas – Leaf Cay, Bitter Guana, and the Sea Aquarium
Venture further south than most charters go. Start at Leaf Cay to feed the friendly iguanas (a quieter alternative to Allen’s Cay). Cruise to Bitter Guana Cay for a secluded beach morning with no one else in sight. After lunch, snorkel the Sea Aquarium off O’Brien’s Cay – a shallow site so teeming with fish it genuinely feels like swimming inside an aquarium. Spend the late afternoon on a pristine sandbar that your captain has been saving for the perfect day. As the sun sets, enjoy sundowner cocktails in waist-deep turquoise water. Dinner on board features a tasting menu of the chef’s Bahamas highlights: conch three ways, grilled grouper, and a tropical panna cotta.
Day 5: Highbourne Cay, Allen’s Cay, and Return to Nassau
Begin the journey north, stopping at Highbourne Cay for a morning snorkel at Horseshoe Reef and a final swim on one of the cay’s eight private beaches. Hop to Allen’s Cay to see the Bahamian rock iguanas if you missed them on Day 1. Your chef prepares a farewell brunch on the sun deck – Bahamian johnnycakes, tropical fruit, and mimosas – as the yacht cruises back toward Nassau. Stop at Rose Island for a last dip if time allows. Arrive in Nassau by late afternoon, tanned, relaxed, and already planning your next charter.
