Woodstar · MMXXVI · Little Exuma
Woodstar Little Exuma · The Bahamas
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Woodstar Guided Tours The ultimate Bahamas islands tour

The bucket list,
in a single day.

A boat tour around the cays, through crystal-clear blue waters, takes a full day from Woodstar and back. Six stops we can string together — swimming pigs, nurse sharks, an underwater Bond cave, an island of dinosaurs, a sandbar from Pirates of the Caribbean, and a piano hidden in twenty feet of water. Tailored to your party, your pace.

FormatFull-day boat tour
GroupPrivate, your party only
PickupFrom the bay at Woodstar
ProvisionsLunch · ice · snorkel kit
Best seasonOctober — July
— The stops Six chapters of a single day

Six places worth
getting in a boat for.

— Big Major Cay
i. — The Swimming Pigs

Adorable, uninvited, entirely iconic.

Nobody quite knows how they got to a small uninhabited island in the Bahamas — escaped from a sailor's barbecue, or a shipwreck, the stories go. Today, the pigs swim up to your boat and beg for snacks. The smaller ones are happy to be picked up for the selfie. The bigger ones will let you know when they've had enough.

Best timeEarly morning, before crowds
ForFamilies with kids
BringCarrots, not bread
CaveatThe big ones bite
— Compass Cay
ii. — Compass Cay & the Nurse Sharks

More like giant catfish than Hollywood maneaters.

For a small fee, you can swim with nurse sharks up to ten feet long. They're harmless to humans and stick around because the marina owners feed them. Bring your snorkel to watch them underwater. You can pet them if they come near — or they may pet you, whoever makes the first move.

Duration1 hr swim · lunch stop
ForConfident swimmers · all ages
NativeYes — they feed off the seafloor
SnorkelRecommended
— Thunderball Grotto
iii. — Thunderball Grotto

The grotto from James Bond's 'Thunderball.'

You snorkel into a hidden paradise invisible from the outside, lit only by sun rays falling through a hole in the ceiling. Inside, sergeant majors, yellow-tail snappers, and angel fish drift through the light. Bring a strong swimmer if anyone in the party is unsure with mask and fins.

DifficultySnorkel-in · feel safe with fins
InsideSergeant majors · snappers
LightCathedral-like at midday
NoteBring an underwater camera
— Iguana Island
iv. — Iguana Island

Prehistoric creatures, up close.

Bahamian Rock Iguanas live only here — not found anywhere else in the world, ancient, unbothered, and remarkably willing to be photographed. They are used to being fed by tourists, so they approach the boat and wait for their snack. Don't try to pick them up; they remain wild. But they make for an excellent photograph.

StatusEndangered · island-endemic
ForPhotographers · families
BehaviourCurious, not aggressive
AvoidPicking them up
— Sandbar & Staniel Cay
v. — Sandbar & Lunch at Staniel Cay

A scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, and a long lunch.

Some scenes from the films were shot here — your chance to feel like Captain Jack Sparrow on the sandbar (don't get keelhauled). Lunch waits at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a legendary boat club with an excellent wine list and no dress code. Nurse sharks circle the marina after lunch, hoping for leftovers from your conch salad.

SandbarShallow · good photo light
LunchStaniel Cay Yacht Club
To orderConch salad — a must-try
AfterWatch the sharks circle
— The Musician
vi. — The Musician (Underwater Piano)

A baby grand piano, hidden beneath the surface.

Around David Copperfield's private islands, a full-scale sculpture of a mermaid and baby grand piano is hidden underwater. You can hop out of the boat for a quick dive to see it. The water around the sculpture is also home to wild stingrays and the occasional shark — so look, photograph, and get back in the boat.

ByDavid Copperfield's islands
ActivitySnorkel · brief dive
SurroundingsWild rays · sometimes sharks
ForConfident swimmers only
— Plan a day

Tell us what kind of
day sounds right.

Pick one or two — usually no more than two big excursions a week, with a great deal of nothing in between. We'll write back with a draft schedule, lunch arrangements, and a charter recommendation.

— Rainer & Anna, for Woodstar
— Anna will write back the same day with a draft itinerary.