The Bahamas has two charter grounds and they want different weeks. The Abacos are a sheltered sea behind a barrier of cays with settlements every few miles. The Exumas are a hundred and thirty miles of mostly uninhabited chain with a national park in the middle. Here is a week in each, and the honest reason to pick one.
The Abacos week, day by day
Marsh Harbour to Hope Town on Elbow Cay under the candy striped lighthouse. Hope Town to Man O War Cay, then Great Guana Cay for the ocean beach. Through the Whale Cay Passage, which must be run outside the barrier and closes in a north east swell, to Green Turtle Cay. Back down to Treasure Cay and Marsh Harbour. Forty to sixty miles over six days, nothing longer than fifteen miles, and a settlement every night.
The Exumas week, day by day
Nassau across the Yellow Bank to Allans Cay for the iguanas. Norman's Cay and its sunken aircraft. Warderick Wells in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which is moorings and no fishing. Staniel Cay for the Thunderball grotto and Big Major for the pigs. Compass Cay and Black Point. Georgetown on Great Exuma. A hundred and thirty miles one way, which is why most crews fly home from Georgetown rather than turn around.
What each costs
Read on 11 September 2026, The Moorings prices a seven day Abacos charter for two from 5,579 USD to 24,179 and an Exumas week from 4,529 to 49,919, with additional costs from around 1,300 for two people in both and a skipper added to an Exumas bareboat at 345 USD a night. The Abacos entry is higher and the Exumas ceiling is twice as high, because the Exumas carry the large crewed boats.
Which to choose
The Abacos for a first Bahamian week, a crew with children, or anyone who wants a restaurant most evenings. The Exumas for clear water, emptiness and the national park, and for a crew that is comfortable anchoring in a place with nobody else in it and a cold front due. The Abacos is the easier week and the Exumas is the better one, and both of those statements are true.
Questions people ask about sailing Bahamas itinerary
What does a Bahamas sailing itinerary look like?
In the Abacos, Marsh Harbour to Hope Town, Man O War, Great Guana, through the Whale to Green Turtle and back, forty to sixty miles. In the Exumas, Nassau to Georgetown, a hundred and thirty miles one way.
Which is better for a first charter?
The Abacos. The barrier cays keep the sea flat, hops are five to fifteen miles and settlements are close together. The one hazard is the Whale Cay Passage, run outside the barrier and closed in a north east swell.
What do they cost?
The Moorings prices an Abacos week for two from 5,579 USD and an Exumas week from 4,529, plus around 1,300 in stated extras, read on 11 September 2026.