Staniel Cay
Bahamas · Exuma · 3 m
Description
Staniel Cay is a small settlement in the middle of the Exuma chain and the base for the two things most people come to the Exumas to see. Big Major Cay a few minutes away by boat holds a colony of feral pigs that swim out to meet arriving vessels, an accident of local history that has become one of the most photographed animal encounters in the world. Thunderball Grotto next door is a hollow limestone islet with light shafts falling through holes in its roof, used as a set in two James Bond films.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – April
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Swimming pigs of Big Major Cay
- Thunderball Grotto snorkelling
- Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
- Nurse sharks at Compass Cay
- Iguanas on Bitter Guana Cay
- Sandbars appearing at low tide
- Staniel Cay Yacht Club and the bonefish dock
- Boat charter through the cays
- Turquoise flats seen from the air on approach
Getting there
- Airports:
- TYM
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry