By The Hillier Team
Ask most visitors what they did in The Bahamas, and they'll describe a single resort. Ask someone who lives here, and you'll get a list of islands, half of which they reached by seaplane before lunch. That gap is the biggest thing we correct with new buyers, and correcting it usually changes where they end up buying.
Key Takeaways
- Seaplane operators run day trips from Nassau to Harbour Island, the Exuma Cays, and private islands like Kamalame Cay.
- Andros offers some of the best bonefishing anywhere and sits alongside the third-longest barrier reef in the world.
- The swimming pigs are worth doing once, but the Exumas reward anyone willing to go a few cays further.
- Day-trip access to the Family Islands is one of the most underrated arguments for owning on New Providence.
What's There to Do in The Bahamas Beyond Atlantis?
The Family Islands are where Bahamians and long-time homeowners actually spend their days off, and nearly all of them sit a short flight or boat ride from Nassau. The gap between the resort circuit and that world is wider than first-time visitors expect.
The practical shift is one of scale. Instead of a property with several thousand guests, you're on a cay with a single restaurant and a handful of boats at anchor.
The practical shift is one of scale. Instead of a property with several thousand guests, you're on a cay with a single restaurant and a handful of boats at anchor.
Days Out That Start in Nassau
- Harbour Island — the pink sand beach that made Eleuthera famous, reachable by seaplane in about twenty minutes and easily done between breakfast and dinner.
- The Exuma Cays — Staniel Cay Yacht Club as the anchor, with the swimming pigs nearby and far quieter cays a short run in either direction.
- Highbourne Cay — a lunch destination in the northern Exumas that operators fly to directly, and a good first taste of the chain.
- Kamalame Cay — a 96-acre private island off Andros with a maximum of about 70 guests, reachable only by air, sea, or a short boat crossing.
How Do You Actually Reach the Family Islands for a Day?
Seaplane is what makes a same-day return realistic, and Coco Bahama Seaplanes and Seabird Air both run day itineraries out of Nassau. They land at beaches and private islands that no runway serves.
The alternative is to treat the water itself as the point rather than the obstacle. Most households here eventually settle into a preference, and it usually says a lot about what they want from the house.
The alternative is to treat the water itself as the point rather than the obstacle. Most households here eventually settle into a preference, and it usually says a lot about what they want from the house.
Choosing Your Method
- Seaplane — the fastest option and the one that turns a distant cay into a lunch reservation, landing directly at beaches and private islands.
- Private charter boat — slower, but it lets you stop at reefs, sandbars, and blue holes that no aircraft can reach.
- Scheduled or private flights into Family Island airports — the right call for overnight stays or for owners heading to their own property.
- Your own tender — realistic for the Exumas from a larger vessel, less so as a day plan from New Providence.
Which Islands Suit Which Kind of Day?
The right island depends entirely on what you want from the water, and the four main choices are very different from one another.
Our rough test is whether you want to do something on the water or simply be near it. Anglers and divers belong in one place, and people who want a good lunch and a walkable village belong in another.
Our rough test is whether you want to do something on the water or simply be near it. Anglers and divers belong in one place, and people who want a good lunch and a walkable village belong in another.
A Rough Guide by Island
- Andros — serious bonefishing flats, the third-longest barrier reef in the world, and the least developed of the major islands.
- Eleuthera and Harbour Island — pink sand, a true village, and the strongest food and design scene outside Nassau.
- The Exumas — the cays, the sandbars, and the anchorages, best experienced over a full day on the water.
- The Abacos — the sailing and cruising heartland, with more established infrastructure than the smaller cays.
How Does This Factor Into Where You Buy?
Day-trip access shapes the buying decision more than most people anticipate. Owning on New Providence puts every one of these islands within reach without committing to the isolation of an outer-island property.
The reverse trade-off is real, too. A Family Island house is wonderful and limiting in equal measure, and we'd rather clients understand that before they commit than discover it in their second season.
The reverse trade-off is real, too. A Family Island house is wonderful and limiting in equal measure, and we'd rather clients understand that before they commit than discover it in their second season.
What We Tell Buyers
- A Nassau or Paradise Island base keeps you close to services and dining while everything else stays a flight away.
- Albany and Old Fort Bay suit households who want marina access built into where they live.
- Family Island ownership rewards people who want quiet and can handle limited provisioning.
- Households often buy on New Providence first, spend two seasons exploring, and only then decide whether an outer-island property makes sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit Harbour Island as a day trip from Nassau?
Yes, and it's one of the most popular things we suggest. The seaplane flight runs about twenty minutes each way, which leaves a full day on the island.
Are the swimming pigs worth it?
Once, absolutely. They're charming, and the Exumas are beautiful. We'd just encourage you to build the rest of the day around the cays past the pigs, which is where the trip gets memorable.
What's the best island for fishing?
Andros, without much debate. The bonefish flats there are among the best anywhere, and the island is set up for anglers in a way the others aren't.
Reach Out to The Hillier Team Today
Buyers who only see Nassau and Paradise Island are working with a fraction of the picture. The country is far bigger and more varied than the resort corridor suggests, and how you plan to use the water should shape where you buy.
We live here, and we spend our own weekends out on these islands. Reach out to us at The Hillier Team, and we'll help you figure out which part of The Bahamas actually fits the way your family wants to spend time.
We live here, and we spend our own weekends out on these islands. Reach out to us at The Hillier Team, and we'll help you figure out which part of The Bahamas actually fits the way your family wants to spend time.
