“Driftwood Apartments”, Hoopers Bay, Exuma, Bahamas

2  Affordable 2 Bedroom Apartments for 4-8 directly on one of the best beaches in the Bahamas -  Private Beach -  Sheltered Bay - Quiet Location    -    Prices from only £775 / $1250 per week per apartment

We have been spending a lot of time in Exuma since 2002, and during that time have shown family, friends and guests our favourite places, things that we never tire of doing. So here’s our very personal list:

• Elisabeth Harbour and Stocking Island: Elisabeth Harbour is a 10 mile long natural harbour, bounded by the mainland and Georgetown to the west and Stocking Island to the east. (It is so large, that at one time Georgetown was going to be the Capital of The Bahamas, due to the size of the natural harbour.) Nothing beats a day’s boating, either on sailing boats or motorboats you can hire locally. You can hunt for conch shells, relax at the Chat’n’Chill beach bar, walk over to the “Atlantic Side” of Stocking Island on nature trails, snorkel the reefs, really and truly swim with rays, spend time on completely deserted beaches and our favourite of all, tie up over a blue hole and feed the thousands of fish that some up to see what’s going on….
• Explore the north of the island. The north is simply spectacular, with vast sand flats where you can walk for miles with only ospreys in the air and rays and fish around your feet. Passing through colourful settlements (villages) where life hasn’t changed for decades, where wooden boats are still hand crafted, where time stands still, down some unmade tracks, the vistas will simply take your breath away.
• Explore Little Exuma. Little Exuma is dotted with settlements with centuries of culture, ranging from an original cotton tree from the original settler’s days, now wild sisal plants which they used to manufacture ropes in the days of sail, salt ponds, where salt was harvested and exported all over the world, a centuries old beacon for guiding the salt ships into harbour…as well as one of the prettiest beaches in the world, Tropic of Cancer Beach, deserted, sheltered, warm, where the Tropic of Cancer really does cross the island…and the beaches and bar where many of the scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed.
• Wander round Georgetown, the sleepy main settlement of the island, and it’s capital. There are precious few shops, but its charm is indescribable, and a great place to chill out and relax in a bar.
• Eat at the Fish Fry. The Fish Fry is where all the locals go on a Friday and Saturday night (although it is open all week), where you can buy local dishes to eat in or take out. The food from “Charlies” is magnificent, a feast in fact, but the best thing is the atmosphere, where you can join in karaoke, rub shoulders with people you’ve never met but are now your best friends…
• Make your own mind up on who makes the best rum punches (safe this one in case of a rainy day!). Our current best rum punch is made by Neville at Augusta Bay, but Chat’n’Chill, Santana’s, Splash and Sunset Bluff all come a joint second! Then, take the recipe home and relive your holiday all over again!
• Beach combing anywhere! Collect sand dollars, conch shells, coral encrusted sea fans, beautiful sea shells and fresh coconuts (for your gin and coconut milk cocktails!)

There is really nothing like a holiday here in Exuma. Its beauty leaves you breathless, its people really are the most charming in the world.