7-Days on board Safe Haven in the Bahamas

To give you an idea of what this charter would be like, we have put together an itinerary to guide you through these breathtaking islands.

Most visitors to the Bahamas never make it further than Nassau and Paradise Island. But with over 700 islands, secluded cays, a Fountain of Youth, the largest blue hole in the world and near-perfect weather all year round, these islands have so much more to offer. The Bahamas are a beach and watersports mecca, and there’s no easier, more luxurious way to travel here than by yacht.

Day 1
Nassau

An addictive mix of glitzy casinos, high-end duty free shopping and quiet, shady lanes, Nassau, home to two thirds of all Bahamians, has a 24/7 buzz. While the hustle and bustle of cruise ships around the Atlantis Resort isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, you won’t have to travel far to find a quiet place to sit with an ocean view, where the only noise you’ll hear is the sound of the waves rolling in.

While there are many great things to see and do in Nassau – like visiting the island’s well preserved historic buildings, which date back to the days when pirates ruled the town – the real treasures await on the other islands. More than likely, Nassau will just be your starting point.

Day 2
Harbour Island

Imagine an isolated beach with crystal-clear turquoise waves gently breaking onto salmon-coloured sand. Sound like a dream? A visit to the three-and-a-half miles of coastline on the eastern edge of Harbour Island makes this fantasy a reality. The famous sand gets its unusual colour from an ultra-fine blend of coral, tiny rocks and microscopic pink and red shells. This Bahamian hideaway boasts superb lunch spots, colourful reefs for swimming and snorkelling and tiny roads only wide enough for golf carts. If you’re up for an adventure, hop into your scuba gear and dive the Current Cut. One of the top dive sites in the world, the current from this fast drift dive will carry
you two-thirds of a mile in ten minutes.

Just a hop, skip and jump away from its sister island, Eleuthera, Harbour Island is the perfect place for those who crave an intimate and super-laid-back holiday.

Day 3
Eleuthera

Just 50 miles east of Nassau, Eleuthera is a private tropical paradise just waiting to be discovered. What makes this island unique are its rolling hills, rustic architecture, over twenty gorgeous beaches and friendly locals. Be sure to visit the Hatchet Bay caves, a hidden marvel towards the centre of this claw-shaped island. Beneath a lush green field lies one of the largest systems of caves in the Caribbean, rumoured to have sheltered pirates and buccaneers centuries ago.

Other attractions include the Glass Window Bridge, Preacher’s Cave and the Island School, a private solar-powered educational centre where high-school students from around the world come to learn about sustainable living, with the ocean and the stunning natural environment as their classroom. Whether you choose to explore hidden treasures, visit the island’s shops, lay back on the pearly white sand or just stay aboard and enjoy the view, Eleuthera’s beauty will surely bowl you over.

Day 4 - 7
Cruise the Exumas

Little Farmer’s Cay

With a laidback, other worldly and thoroughly Bahamian feel, Little Farmer’s Cay – one of the southern cays and 20 nautical miles south of Staniel Cay – makes a friendly stop off for Exuma sailors.

There are some lively and welcoming beachfront restaurants, a few handy stores and a rewarding hilltop hike with fantastic views over the lush vegetation of the island and its surrounding transparent sea. Visitors in February should check dates of the annual Farmer’s Cay Festival – a colourful, celebratory affair with food, music, dancing and a regatta.

Staniel Cay

Tiny Staniel Cay – at under 2 square miles – is positioned roughly in the centre of the Exumas and one of the most visited of the cays.

The village has a few small stores and a thriving yacht club, popular with passing sailors. Its restaurant offering waterside drinks, food and company (and an annual regatta).

Staniel Cay hit the big screen in 1965 when a cave on its western coast was a location for the James Bond film, Thunderball. The grotto – one of the Bahamas’ most popular attractions with good snorkelling and diving in the crystal clear waters illuminated by shafts of sunlight – now bears the film’s name. In the 1980s, 007 dropped in again when Never Say Never Again was also used filmed on the Bahamian island.

Nearby Pipe Creek – a winding waterway between the tiny isles surrounding Staniel Cay – is a good spot for snorkelling, diving and fishing for the large and abundant bone fish – a popular sport locally.

Big Major Cay

One of the most idiosyncratic destinations in the Bahamas, Big Major Cay is often called Pig Island or Pig Beach because of its resident animal population – namely 20 or so feral pigs and piglets.

Approaching boats are often met by the pigs swimming out in search of food scraps. Stories abound as to the animals’ origin on the island. One theory is it that their ancestors were dropped on the island by sailors who intended – and failed – to return and eat them. Others say the pigs survived a local shipwreck and swam to shore.

Compass Cay

The sheltered natural harbour of tiny Compass Cay is home to a population of docile nurse sharks – swimming and feeding them being a major draw for visitors to the area – as well as a number of yachts.

The marina also has some friendly stalls and snack bars and numerous walking trails from which to explore the islands mangroves and beautiful powder white sand beaches. Crescent Beach is one of the best. In rougher seas a natural rock pool – called Rachel’s Bubble Bath develops a jacuzzi effect, though caution is needed as there are sea urchins.

Norman’s Cay

In the 1980’s Norman’s Cay served as a transshipment point for drug operations, that used a fleet of small aircrafts from Colombia. As a result of one of these planes missing the runway, it sunk into the ocean and now provides an excellent dive site full of coral and marine life.

Much of the aircraft remains intact, creating a eerie but intriguing wreck to discover. Furthermore, Norman’s Cay remains largely unspoiled, and as a result is home to an impressive variety of vegetation and birdlife native to the region.

For more information on this beautiful destination, please contact us.