Nassau’s Not Enough: 7 Bahamas Islands You Absolutely Can’t Miss

Back in 2016, when Ethan was still in a car seat, our first Bahamas trip was three days in Nassau. We saw the straw market, swam at Cable Beach, and felt like we’d “done” the Bahamas. Then I learned that the country welcomed 11.22 million visitors in 2024, and that the real story is happening in the Out Islands — those quieter, scruffier islands where the water is clearer and the crowds thin out fast. This guide covers seven islands that deserve a spot on your itinerary, whether you’re a first-timer looking to trade Nassau for something wilder or a returning traveler ready to finally see what the “Family Islands” are made of.

Each island below is treated as its own destination — pick the ones that match your travel style and use the overview table to weigh time vs. payoff. If you’re island-hopping several in one trip, the Practical Section at the end covers logistics that will make or break your plans.

Andros

The largest island in the Bahamas is also the least populated, and that trade-off is exactly why you go. Since 2019, Andros has seen a 36.6% increase in visitors, yet it still feels like a frontier — dense pine forests, mangrove creeks, and the second-largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere ring the island’s east coast. The blue holes here are world-class for freediving, and the bonefishing in the tidal flats draws anglers who don’t mind sharing the water with the occasional shark.

Worth mentioning: Kamalame Cay, a private island resort on the north end, opened in 1996, and Caerula Mar Club on South Andros opened in 2020, giving you two distinctly different lodging options — one ultra-private, one more community-oriented. If you’re on a tighter budget, small guesthouses around Fresh Creek and Mangrove Cay offer basic rooms with kitchenettes for around $120–$180 a night.

Exumas

The Exumas stretch across 365 cays and islands, and the biggest draw — the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay — is so famous that even Nassau day-trippers make the run. But the chain offers far more than pig selfies. Travel from Nassau to the Exumas by boat takes around three hours, or you can fly into Georgetown’s Exuma International Airport in about 40 minutes. Staniel Cay serves as the hub for day trips: the Thunderball Grotto (a James Bond filming location) is minutes away by boat, and the underwater plane wreck near Staniel Cay makes for superb shallow snorkeling.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links — costs you nothing extra, earns us a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

For capturing underwater footage at Thunderball Grotto and the plane wreck without fiddling with a housing case, I’ve been using an Insta360 X5. Its 8K 360-degree video means you can shoot first and frame later — handy when Lily and Ethan are both trying to point at the same fish.

Eleuthera

Eleuthera is the most historic of the Out Islands — the first English settlers arrived in 1648 — and it wears its age well. The island is 110 miles long but just a mile or two wide in most places, so you’re never far from the water. Pineapple tarts from local bakeries and Henry Sands homemade bread are the edible souvenirs you’ll want to stock up on. Airport upgrades have improved access, and the recently opened Potlatch Club gives the island a luxury option that didn’t exist a few years ago.

The Jack’s Bay development on the south end, a private residential community on 1,200 acres, is already home to a TGR-designed golf course and will soon add a Nicklaus Heritage course. That’s a niche draw for serious golfers, but the rest of the island remains refreshingly low-key — miles of empty beach, roadside fruit stands, and a pace that forces you to slow down.

Harbour Island

Harbour Island sits just off the northern tip of Eleuthera, connected by a short ferry ride from the dock at North Eleuthera. Its pink sand beach runs three miles along the eastern shore, and the color — caused by tiny red foraminifera mixed with white coral sand — is most vivid in the morning light. Dunmore Town, the only settlement, preserves Georgian colonial architecture with pastel-painted clapboard houses and narrow lanes that make golf carts the primary mode of transport. Fewer than 2,000 people live here year-round, and even at peak season the island absorbs visitors without feeling crowded.

Dunmore Town’s small scale means you’ll see the same faces at breakfast and dinner, which gives the island a genuine community feel. For a quieter stretch, walk south past the Viceroy Suites — the sand stays pink but the footprints thin out considerably.

Abacos

The Abacos form a 120-mile chain of islands and cays in the northern Bahamas, and they’re the most accessible of the Out Islands for travelers coming from Florida. From Freeport on Grand Bahama, the Abacos are about a 45-minute ferry ride, and direct flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale land at Marsh Harbour Airport. The chain includes four national parks, the swimming pigs at No Name Cay (quieter than Big Major Cay), and the small settlements of Hope Town and Green Turtle Cay, where pastel cottages line calm harbors.

The Abacos are tailor-made for a slow, water-bound itinerary — the kind of trip where you pack a cooler, drop anchor by a sandbar, and don’t look at a watch until sunset. Hope Town’s candy-striped lighthouse is the most photographed landmark in the chain, and the snorkeling at Fowl Cay Preserve rivals anything in the Exumas.

Long Island

Long Island runs 80 miles north to south, and its main claim to underwater fame is Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest recorded blue hole in the Bahamas at over 600 feet. The hole is just a few feet from shore, which means you can wade in from the beach rather than needing a boat. The island also hosts one of the oldest dive operations in the country, making it a straightforward choice for certified divers who want to explore coral caves, sand banks, and the tiny seahorses that populate the sea grass beds.

For anyone who wants to try freediving at a world-class site without committing to a full certification course, Dean’s Blue Hole has a shallow shelf around its rim that’s safe for beginners. Just stay inside the marked boundary — the drop-off is immediate.

Cat Island

Cat Island is the least frequented of the major Out Islands, and that’s precisely its selling point. An eight-mile stretch of pink sand beach runs along the Atlantic side with almost no development behind it. The “Boiling Hole” — a clear lake known locally for a legendary sea monster story — is actually a superb spot to watch baby sharks, rays, and wading birds. The island retains authentic Bahamian culture, with ripsaw music and Obeah religious practices still woven into daily life, something you won’t encounter in the resort corridors of Nassau.

The island’s lack of development makes it a poor fit for travelers who want consistent restaurant options or guided activities on demand. But if you’re the kind of person who packs a cooler and a book and considers a perfect day to be one where you see more fish than people, Cat Island is hard to beat.

Practical Tips for Island-Hopping the Bahamas

Getting between Out Islands takes more planning than most travelers expect. Here’s what to consider before you book.

Transport between islands

Bahamasair is the main domestic carrier, flying between most Out Islands from Nassau. Flights are often delayed, so don’t schedule a same-day connection that leaves less than a three-hour window. Ferries connect Grand Bahama to the Abacos and Eleuthera to Harbour Island, but for most island pairs, you’re looking at a multi-leg journey through Nassau. Charter flights with companies like Western Air or Pineapple Air add flexibility but cost $300–$600 per hour for a small plane.

When to go

High season runs mid-December through April, when weather is driest and temperatures hover in the mid-70s to low-80s. That’s also when prices peak and flights book out weeks ahead. May and June offer warm water and thinner crowds, though June is the start of hurricane season. September and October are the wettest months, and many smaller resorts and restaurants close for part of that window. If you’re planning a trip between July and November, our local’s guide to authentic Bahamian culture includes seasonal tips that apply to the Out Islands as much as Nassau.

Packing for island-hopping

Lightweight layers, reef-safe sunscreen, and a dry bag are non-negotiable. If you’re visiting more than one island, luggage that rolls easily through small airports and fits under a seat is a real time-saver. The Samsonite Omni 2 Hardside 3-Piece Set includes a carry-on with a USB charging port, and the polycarbonate shell has survived the luggage holds of small Bahamian aircraft without cracking — I’ve tested it on four Out Island trips now.

If you’re still weighing which side of the archipelago to base yourself on, this interactive map of the Bahamas’ hotels and rentals makes it easier to compare beach access and airport proximity across the islands at a glance.

Before You Go: Bahamas Island-Hopping Questions Answered

How many islands can I realistically visit in one trip?

Two, maybe three, if you’re traveling for a week. Each island change costs half a day in transit — flights, ferry waits, baggage collection. A two-island itinerary (say, Eleuthera + Harbour Island, or Exumas + Long Island) lets you actually explore rather than stare at airport departure boards.

For a 10-day trip, adding a third island works if you keep a flexible mindset about delays. But with kids, I’d cap it at two — Ethan was over it by the third airport of our four-island trip two years ago.

Do I need a rental car on every island?

On Eleuthera, Long Island, and Andros, yes — these islands are too spread out for walking, and taxis are expensive and inconsistent. On Harbour Island and in the Abaco cays, a golf cart or bicycle is enough. On Cat Island, a rental car is advisable but the roads are rough; a standard sedan handles most of them fine.

On islands like Cat Island and Long Island, rental cars must be booked in advance through local agencies — major chains like Hertz or Avis may not operate there.

What’s the real cost of island-hopping vs. staying on one island?

A single domestic flight between islands costs $80–$150 per person each way on Bahamasair. If you’re a family of four, that adds up fast. A better value proposition is to base yourself on one island and take day trips to nearby cays — for example, staying on Great Exuma and powerboating to Staniel Cay, or basing on Eleuthera and ferrying to Harbour Island.

One-island base trips also let you take advantage of weekly rental car rates, which are typically 20–30% cheaper than several short rentals.

Is the swimming with pigs worth the hype?

Yes, but with a caveat. The pigs at Big Major Cay in the Exumas are genuinely fun to watch, and the water is shallow enough for kids to stand. The experience costs roughly $100–$150 per person when packaged with a full-day boat tour from Staniel Cay or Georgetown. The pigs are fed year-round by farmers and tour operators, so they’ll swim out to greet any arriving boat.

If you’re expecting pristine solitude, you’ll be disappointed — the beach at Big Major Cay can have a dozen boats and 30+ people at peak times. The pigs on No Name Cay in the Abacos are fewer and see less traffic, which some travelers prefer.

What’s the biggest mistake first-timers make?

Underestimating travel time between islands, especially on weekends and holidays. A flight from Nassau to Cat Island might take 45 minutes, but the check-in, delays, and transfer from the airport to your accommodation can eat up half a day. Many first-timers try to see four or five islands in a week and end up spending more of their trip in transit than on the water.

If you’re traveling with young children, consider staying within one island group — the Exumas, for instance — and doing day trips by boat rather than island-hopping by air.

Beyond Nassau

The Out Islands don’t compete with Nassau — they’re a completely different product. Nassau gives you convenience, casinos, and cruise-ship energy. These seven islands give you space, silence, and a version of the Bahamas that’s been here for centuries, barely changed. You don’t have to leave your comfort zone to reach them, but you do have to leave the assumption that the Bahamas starts and ends at Paradise Island. For the full picture of what makes each island distinct, our guide to French Leave Beach on Eleuthera is a good place to start imagining what your Out Island itinerary could look like.

References

Rojas-Avila, Carley. “These Lesser-Known Islands in The Bahamas Are Becoming the Caribbean’s Next Big Thing.” Forbes, 2025. ↗

Sandals Resorts. “Island-Hopping in The Bahamas.” Sandals Blog, 2024. ↗

Holidays.com. “The 7 Best Islands in the Bahamas to Visit That Are Under the Radar.” 2024. ↗

Bahamas Air Tours. “7 Best Excursions in Nassau.” 2024. ↗

Beyond the sources listed above, we’ve covered a few of these islands in more depth elsewhere on the site. If you’re planning a trip that includes Bimini, our tropical fish-watching guide covers the best snorkel sites on that island. For divers heading to Andros or Long Island, the Bahamas underwater wonderland guide rounds up the top reef and blue-hole spots across the archipelago. And if pink sand is what drew you to Harbour Island, our Harbour Island deep-dive goes further into the village and beach logistics.