Yacht Charter Itinerary Nassau to Eleuthera to Nassau, Bahamas
Written by Missy Johnston
Your yacht charter itinerary from Nassau starts after boarding your charter yacht on Paradise Island at the sumptuous Atlantis Hotel and Marina. Enjoy lunch on board before your afternoon of exploring the labyrinth of aquariums and swimming areas of the world’s largest man made marine habitat. Before enjoying your first dinner on board, have cocktails ashore.
Atlantis Resort
Enjoy a fresh, tropical breakfast before cruising through beautiful crystal waters to the historic town of Spanish Wells on St Georges Cay Eleuthera. 44 nm. Anchoring along the way you can enjoy a lazy lunch on the top deck of your charter yacht after jumping in the water for a refreshing swim or snorkel.
Spanish Wells
A local pilot will guide your charter yacht from the beach, navigating the shallow waters of the Devil’s Backbone into Harbour Island (14 nm). Enjoy the streets of Dunmore Town that glossy magazines are labeling as the “new St Barths”. Walk along the narrow flower-lined streets. Renowned for brightly colored houses and white picket fences, this elegant little town has art galleries, restaurants, boutiques and artisan straw work to purchase. Golf cars are the means of transportation around Harbour Island which fit perfectly in the many narrow streets. If fishing or diving is your passion, perhaps you can provide the catch of the day that can be prepared for dinner on board your charter yacht by your own private Chef that is part of your charter crew. Diving enthusiasts will enjoy the sight of an unusual underwater train wreck. Overnight.
Eleuthera Beach
Following breakfast, take a walk along a 3-mile sandy beach colored pink by millions of coral fragments and enjoy sunbathing or perhaps your charter yacht can anchor off in deeper waters for a morning of water sports with the charter yacht water toys. At the beach, enjoy a spectacular buffet style picnic lunch created on the beach by your charter yacht crew. After lunch cruise back through Spanish Wells and onto Governor’s Harbour to overnight.
Governors Harbour Library
One of the most attractive, long established communities in the Bahamas, Governors Harbor has great charm. This is a quaint rustic town including pretty, painted Bahamian houses and a beautiful pink, sandy beach on the east side of the island. If wanted, have your Captain hire golf buggies to explore the town and surrounding areas further. Cruise up to Ten Bay beach to enjoy a swim or water sports before leaving for a 54 nm cruise to Highbourne Cay. Overnight.
HIghbourne Cay Beach
Explore the beautiful beach on the east side of Highbourne Cay, walk the island or go bone fishing on the flats. This Cay is a favorite place to feed the sharks and stingrays. Snorkel the “Octopus’ Garden”, or for certified divers explore the 230-foot Highbourne Cay Wall and the sixteenth-century Highbourne Cay Wreck. After lunch leave for Warderick Wells Cay, 25 nm, part of the Exuma Land and Sea Park; this is the Cay where park headquarters and the principal visitor center are located. Here there are walking trails and an abundance of wildlife. Perhaps you will see “Bubba”, a 4-foot barracuda, who lives around the north anchorage. Visit Pirate’s Lair off Capture Beach or discover the ruins of an eighteenth-century loyalist settlement near Rendezvous Beach. Overnight.
Swimming Pigs at Big Major Cay
After breakfast head for Staniel Cay – 18 nm, surrounded by some of the most spectacular waters in the world, with brightly painted houses ashore. Thunderball Cave is an excellent underwater cave where shafts of sunlight illuminate the fish inside the cavern. Famous in the James Bond movie, “Thunderball”, this is a great grotto for snorkeling. After lunch leave for Big Major Cay to feed the swimming piggies from the charter yacht tender. Cruise up to Allen Cay to overnight.
Allen Cay
Take a walk or perhaps just a look at the primary home of the Black Iguanas. These prehistoric-looking large-size lizards live on Allen Cay and in some of the remote Out Islands, but nowhere else in the Bahamas. Be sure to bring food, perhaps either prebought iguana food, or grapes which can be extended to the iguanas on a stick. Laying food in the sand is a no-no, as the iguanas then end up with sand in their systems which is dangerous to their health. Enjoy one last afternoon of water sports with your charter yacht water toys, and a last night dinner on the top deck under the stars.
Cruise back to Nassau-38 nm to disembark your charter yacht.