Fly Into a Luxury Island Vacation in the Exumas
Are you ready to experience the joy and serenity of sapphire-blue waters, amazing accommodations, tropical weather, and swimming pigs? That’s right. There is a vacation where you can watch and feed curly-tailed, pink, swimming pigs, and if that sounds like the unique adventure you’ve always wanted, you just might be ready for a vacation to the Exumas in the Bahamas. Let’s look at where you can land your private plane, where you can stay, and a few of the amazing things to do while you’re vacationing on the islands.
Fly into Exuma International Airport (GGT)
Flying into Exuma is easy when you land at Exuma International Airport (GGT). It’s located just 15 miles northwest of George Town, which happens to be the largest settlement on the islands with a year-round population of 900. The airport has one runway. Runway 12/30 is 7,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. It’s 9 feet above sea level and has medium-intensity runway lights. Jet-A and 100LL are available, and getting through customs doesn’t typically take long, which means you can start enjoying your tropical vacation sooner.
Stay at a Relaxing Resort
There are plenty of places to stay in Exuma, from hotels and villas to charming, locally owned resorts, like Embrace Resort, which is locally owned by a woman who worked her way up from the bottom to be a business owner, and Peace and Plenty Resort, which gets its name from a merchant ship that sailed the high seas during the late 1700s.
Embrace Resort
Embrace Resort is a unique place to stay on the island. It was founded in 2009 by Nikki, who once swept the floors of a different island resort before working her way into management. Now, she proudly owns her own little slice of paradise, and you can enjoy everything Embrace Resort has to offer, too.
The resort offers luxury villas, a pool, an on-site cafe, golf cart rental, Internet via Starlink, catering, and concierge services, which were what Nikki was known for before she started her own business. In fact, if you want to do something on the island, like make a restaurant reservation, charter a boat, or swim with the pigs, she can help point you in the right direction.
Embrace Resort has seven villas with 1, 2, or 3 bedrooms. Their largest villa is the Andros, which has three bedrooms and can accommodate up to six guests in either three king beds or six twin beds. The villa has a full kitchen and includes a daily continental breakfast.
Embrace Resort also has an on-site restaurant called The Flying Pig. It serves breakfast and lunch, as well as coffee, soft drinks, and adult beverages. Guest favorites include conch fritters, wings, chicken fingers, fried shrimp, soups, salads, hamburgers, and melts.
Peace and Plenty Resort
If you’re looking for a resort that offers amazing accommodations, excellent dining, and a beach club, you might want to check out the Peace and Plenty Resort, which was named after a merchant vessel. In fact, the resort actually has a long and storied history that goes all the way back to Christopher Columbus in 1492. On his journey, Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of San Salvador, then made his way to Great Exuma, where he dropped anchor in Elizabeth Harbour before resuming his journey to discover new land.
Exuma saw another adventurous individual almost 300 years later. This time it was British Loyalist, Lord Denys Rolle, who sailed from Georgia to Great Exuma aboard the Peace and Plenty in 1783. He’d fled Florida for Georgia and boarded the merchant vessel.
When he arrived on Great Exuma, he started a cotton plantation that eventually took up most of the island, and the main buildings of the plantation were on the current Peace and Plenty Resort site. For the better part of the next 175 years, the area was a cotton plantation, a sponge warehouse, and even a family home for a prominent Exuma family that still runs businesses on the island today.
Of course, the current Peace and Plenty resort didn’t start to take shape until 1958. In that year, Lawrence Lewis opened a 32-room colonial-style hotel named Club Peace and Plenty. Over the next 60-plus years, the club was slowly transformed into the luxury establishment that it is today.
The modern Peace and Plenty Resort offers plenty of accommodations and amenities. Guests can choose between the mainland rooms and suites or the Stocking Island cottages. The mainland rooms and suites include oceanfront two-bedroom, two-bath suites; two-bedroom, one-bath suites; double queen rooms; king rooms with kitchenettes; and garden-view double queens. The mainland also has a three-bedroom, two-bath Owner’s Suite that’s a full apartment and a two-bedroom, one-bath suite with a kitchenette that offers a beautiful courtyard view. The Stocking Island cottages are beachfront residences that offer luxury, privacy, and relaxation. There are one-bed and one-bath cottages, two-bed and two-bath cottages, and studio cottages to choose from.
In addition to its amazing rooms, suites, and cottages, the resort also has plenty of dining and entertainment, including the Copia Restaurant, The Patio Lounge, Bar 1783, and Doc’s. The Patio Lounge offers live music and karaoke. Bar 1783 offers excellent cocktails, as does the outdoor bar, Doc’s.
The Copia Restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy wild-berry parfaits, stuffed French toast, eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast. The lunch menu includes seafood and corn fritters, broccoli and cheddar soup, salads, burgers, gyros, and grilled fish. The dinner menu includes salmon cakes, potato soup, corn chowder, grouper, pork chops, shrimp, steaks, and pizza.
Peace and Plenty’s Beach Club has a group raft, over-water swings, and free rentals of kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment.
Have an Adventure at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was established by the Bahamas National Trust in 1959. It encompasses 176 square miles of land and sea. Diving is permitted at the park. However, the entire area is a no-take fishery reserve, which means no one can remove fish from the area. Guided tours of the park are available.
Charter a Boat
A favorite pastime of most visitors is boating. The north shore is extremely sheltered, making it a great place to go boating for both beginners and seasoned boaters. Not to mention, it’s also a great way to island hop. There are more than 360 islands in the Bahamas, and the islands are not overdeveloped, so boaters and passengers can dive into the water, swim with the fish, and enjoy the natural beauty.
Go Cave Diving
Have you ever wanted to go cave diving? If you have, the Bahamas is a great place to learn how to cave dive. Great places to cave dive include Angelfish Blue Hole, Mystery Cave, Crab Cay Crevasse, and the famous Thunderball Grotto, which has been featured in several movies, including Splash, Thunderball, Never Say Never Again, and Into the Blue.
Try Your Hand at Bone Fishing
Despite the name, bonefishing isn’t about fishing for bones. Instead, you’re fishing for the elusive bonefish, which are often referred to as grey ghosts. These stunning fish are known for their acrobatics once they’ve been hooked, and fishermen love the challenge. Bonefish typically grow to about 30 inches in length and can weigh about 14 pounds. What makes bonefishing so much fun is the combination of the fish’s flipping acrobatics and the fact that the fish have to be ‘stalked’. Fishermen can choose to stalk these fish via the sand flats or by renting a fishing charter boat to go bonefishing. No matter which you choose, you’re certain to have a fantastic fishing adventure.
Swim with the Pigs
While you’re in the Exumas, don’t forget to swim with the friendly pigs. The swimming pigs can be found at Big Major Cay, also referred to as Pig Beach. As the story goes, five little piggies were abandoned in the area, lost after a shipwreck or left by a boat that eventually planned to return and have a pig roast, but never did. Instead, the pigs started living on the island, and they learned how to swim. Today, they’re known for swimming out to boats and snacking on the food provided by the tourists. It’s important to note that the pigs should only be fed approved food, which is usually handed out by the operators of the tour boats.
If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation, consider the Exumas. There are plenty of resorts, fantastic rooms and vacation rentals, lots of delicious food, and plenty of adventure to be had. Go swimming with the pigs, explore the caves, go bonefishing, and drink cocktails on the beach. It’s sure to be fun for the whole family.
