Highbourne Cay: A Slice of Paradise in the Bahamas

Off the northern tip of the Exuma Cays, a 500-acre private island holds something you won’t find on any other beach in the Bahamas: living fossils. Stromatolites — layered rock structures built by cyanobacteria over 3.5 billion years — still grow in the shallow waters around Highbourne Cay. That alone would make the island worth tracking down, but the eight beaches, the coral reefs, the mangrove kayaking, and the marina restaurant serving that day’s catch all stack up to make this one of the most self-contained Out Islands experiences in the Bahamas.

This article covers the best things to do on Highbourne Cay — from snorkeling ancient stromatolites to stargazing under a Milky Way you can’t see from Nassau. It’s written for travelers who want a realistic picture of what works on a private island with no commercial ferry: what you can do in a day, what deserves a longer stay, and how to plan around the island’s genuine limitations.

Stromatolite Viewing

The stromatolites are the island’s most unusual attraction, and they’re also the easiest to access. These layered mounds of cyanobacteria and sediment grow in the shallow, protected waters right off the shoreline. You don’t need a boat or a guide — just a mask, snorkel, and calm water. The clearest viewing comes at slack tide, when the water is still enough to see the fine layers that make these structures a living record of Earth’s earliest life forms.

If you’re new to identifying stromatolites, bring a compact underwater camera like the DJI Mini 4K to capture the layered formations without disturbing them. The 3-axis gimbal keeps footage steady even in light current, and the 4K resolution picks up the fine sediment bands you’d miss with a phone camera.

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Snorkeling the Coral Reefs

The waters around Highbourne Cay hold more than just fossils. Vibrant coral reefs, underwater caves, and a sunken plane wreck create a varied snorkeling environment that suits everyone from beginners to experienced swimmers. The wreck has become an artificial reef teeming with sergeant majors, parrotfish, and the occasional sea turtle. Lily and Ethan spent a full hour floating above it, pointing out fish they’d only seen in books — the visibility was that good.

For snorkelers who want to capture the wreck from every angle, the Insta360 X5 lets you shoot in 8K 360° and choose your frame later — handy when you’re bobbing in the swell and can’t hold a steady shot. The invisible selfie stick effect means you don’t see the pole in the final video.

If you’re also planning to dive deeper reefs around the Exumas, the Garmin Descent Mk3i works as both a dive computer and a daily smartwatch, with air integration and diver-to-diver messaging that adds an extra layer of safety on unfamiliar sites.

Eight Private Beaches

Eight beaches ring the three-mile-long island, each with powder-white sand and turquoise water. Some face the protected Exuma Sound, while others catch Atlantic breezes. All are within walking distance of the marina, but a golf cart makes it easy to visit several in a single morning. The solitude is the main draw — on a typical day you’ll have a beach entirely to yourself.

Michael and I took turns watching the kids while the other explored the far end of the beach — the solitude is real, but so is the need to keep an eye on little ones near the water. If you’re into beach photography, the pink sands of Eleuthera offer a different color palette, but Highbourne’s white sand and turquoise water are hard to beat for contrast.

Kayaking the Mangroves

The calm western waters of Highbourne Cay are fringed with mangroves that serve as nurseries for juvenile fish, wading birds, and the occasional nurse shark cruising the shallows. Kayaking here is more about quiet observation than exercise — you paddle slowly through protected coves, watching the wildlife go about its business. The marina provides kayaks for guest use, so there’s no extra rental fee.

Marina Restaurant Dining

The on-site restaurant at Highbourne Cay Marina serves fresh seafood caught from the surrounding waters. The menu changes with the daily catch, and the waterfront setting offers sunset views over the marina. It’s a casual, well-run operation rather than a fine-dining destination — think grilled fish, conch salad, and tropical cocktails eaten at wooden tables overlooking the boats.

If you’re comparing Bahamian island dining experiences, the Old Fort Bay area offers a more land-based restaurant scene, but Highbourne’s setting — tables a few feet from the water — is hard to match for atmosphere.

Stargazing

Highbourne Cay’s remote location and lack of light pollution create exceptional stargazing conditions. On clear nights, the Milky Way stretches overhead in stunning detail. The beaches on the Exuma Sound side offer the darkest views, with no artificial light between you and the horizon. New moon phases give the best visibility, and the stillness of the island at night makes it easy to spend an hour just lying on the sand looking up.

For capturing the night sky, a DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo with its 4K HDR camera and vertical shooting mode can capture the Milky Way above the beach horizon — the three batteries give you over an hour of total flight time to experiment with different angles.

Practical Information for Highbourne Cay

Highbourne Cay’s biggest challenge isn’t what to do — it’s how to get there and when to go. Here’s what you need to know before you commit to the trip.

Getting to Highbourne Cay

The island sits 35 miles southeast of Nassau at the northern end of the Exuma Cays. Most visitors arrive by private yacht or charter boat. The full-service marina accommodates vessels up to 180 feet with an 8-foot draft. If you don’t have your own boat, charter flights from Nassau or Fort Lauderdale to nearby Normans Cay or Staniel Cay provide access, with a water taxi connection to Highbourne. There is no commercial ferry service.

Best Time to Visit

December through May offers the most stable weather, calmest seas, and comfortable temperatures. Winter months (December–February) can be breezy but provide excellent visibility for snorkeling and diving. Summer brings warmer water temperatures but also afternoon thunderstorms and occasional rough seas. If you’re planning around a school break, the spring window (March–May) typically offers the best balance of weather and calm water.

What to Pack

Highbourne Cay has a well-stocked grocery store with weekly fresh produce deliveries, but it’s not a resort — there are no gift shops, gear rentals, or convenience stores beyond the marina provisions. Bring your own snorkel gear, reef-safe sunscreen, insect repellent, and any specialty items you need. If you’re flying in via charter, pack light but include a durable hardside suitcase like the Samsonite Omni 2 that can handle the transfer from plane to boat to dock without damage.

If you’re still weighing which side of the Exumas to base yourself on, this interactive map of the island’s hotels and rentals makes it easier to compare Highbourne Cay’s marina accommodation against other lodging options in the northern Exumas.

Before You Go: Highbourne Cay Questions Answered

Is Highbourne Cay open to day visitors?

Highbourne Cay primarily serves as a marina destination for visiting yachts and charter guests. Day visitors should contact the marina in advance to confirm access and availability, as the island is privately owned with limited public facilities.

Without advance coordination, you risk arriving and finding no water taxi or shore access. Email or call ahead — don’t assume you can just show up.

What marina services are available?

The marina offers fuel, power hookups, reverse-osmosis water, ice, high-speed wireless internet, a grocery store with weekly fresh produce deliveries, showers, laundry facilities, and golf cart rentals.

The grocery store is well-stocked for provisioning, but don’t expect resort-style shopping — it’s a marina store, not a supermarket.

Can you scuba dive around Highbourne Cay?

Yes — the reefs around the island include underwater caves, coral walls, and the plane wreck. Experienced divers can explore deeper reef systems with dramatic drop-offs.

Bring your own gear or arrange rentals through Nassau or Staniel Cay dive operators, since the marina doesn’t run a dedicated dive shop.

What’s the biggest downside to visiting?

The access is the main limitation. No commercial ferry, no guaranteed day-visitor access, and a reliance on private boats or charter flights means this isn’t a spontaneous trip.

If you’re not arriving by yacht, you’ll need to coordinate a charter flight and water taxi, which adds cost and complexity that a more accessible island wouldn’t require.

Why Highbourne Cay Stays With You

Highbourne Cay doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It’s a private island with a working marina, eight beaches, and a handful of genuinely unusual natural features — stromatolites you can snorkel over, a plane wreck you can explore, and a night sky that reminds you what darkness looks like. The access is real work, but that’s exactly why the island feels like it belongs to you while you’re there. For a deeper look at other unique Bahamian experiences, check out our guide to swimming with pigs and sharks in the Bahamas — a very different kind of Out Islands adventure.

References

Sail Abacos. “Highbourne Cay: Things to Do.” Sail Abacos, 2025. ↗

IslandHopperGuides. “The Pink Sands of Eleuthera: A Photographer’s Dream Destination.” IslandHopperGuides, 2025. ↗

IslandHopperGuides. “Swimming with Pigs & Sharks: The Most Epic Animal Encounters in the Bahamas.” IslandHopperGuides, 2025. ↗

If you’re planning a broader Bahamas trip, our guides to the Abacos blue holes and the world’s clearest Bahamian waters offer more diving and snorkeling inspiration. For a quieter land-based alternative to Highbourne, Love Hill and Powell Point are worth reading about too.