Staniel Cay
Staniel Cay is the hub of the central Exumas: a small settlement with an airstrip, a yacht club, two grocery stores and the best onward connections in the chain. Most Exumas charters pass through it, and many start or finish here.
Why it matters
Staniel is where you can actually buy something. There is a fuel dock, fresh provisions on the days the mail boat comes in, a marina, and a runway with flights to Nassau and Fort Lauderdale. If a guest is joining or leaving mid-week, Staniel is usually how.
Thunderball Grotto
The sea cave just off Staniel was used in the 1965 Bond film Thunderball and again in Never Say Never Again. You snorkel in through an opening at the waterline into a domed chamber with light coming down through holes in the roof. It needs slack water, ideally around low tide, because the current through it runs hard. Go early before the day boats.
Staniel Cay Yacht Club
The yacht club is the social centre of the central Exumas: a bar on the water, nurse sharks and rays around the fish-cleaning dock, and dinner by reservation. The crew will book.
Anchoring and conditions
There are several anchorages around Staniel depending on wind direction, and the area is one of the few in the Exumas where you can find shelter from most quarters within a short move. Tidal current runs strongly through the cuts.
Send us your dates and party size and we will put together a shortlist of crewed yachts that can take you here.