A Weekend in Exuma
Luxury resorts, fresh seafood, and swimming pigs make for a blissful adventure
Living in Miami, I’ve become a huge fan of the Bahamas. Even though I have beautiful beaches and blue water a ten-minute walk from my front door, there’s something about hopping a plane and being in a completely different country with even better beaches and bluer water about an hour away.
The Bahamas is a chain of about 700 islands spread out over more than 500 miles in the Atlantic. The best part of the existence of all of these islands is that there’s a destination for everyone from dining at a celebrity chef-driven restaurant on Cable Beach or Paradise Island to living out a Hemingway sport fishing fantasy in Bimini.
For years, I’ve wanted to meet the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas. So, this time, when the opportunity for a short weekend in Exuma presented itself, I jumped!
Exuma, by the way, is a series of more than 365 islands and cays. The main airport and capital of George Town are located in Great Exuma and Little Exuma is attached by a small, narrow bridge that allows cars to traverse only one way at a time. The airport is serviced by several airlines including Air Canada, American Airlines, Bahamasair, Delta, and Silver.
You won’t find Ubers on the island, nor will you find the major car rental companies. There are, however, local taxis and you can rent a car from Exuma Car Rental. You can get to Stocking Island’s beaches via ferry from George Town and there are plenty of excursions to see the swimming pigs from larger party boats to intimate adventures.
Exuma also plays a large part in Bahamian history. It’s the home to Pompey, an enslaved man who led a group of 43 people in rebellion against plantation owner John Rolle in 1830. Pompey was captured and received 39 lashes, but his act was a catalyst for emancipation in the Bahamas, which occurred in August 1838 — decades before the U.S. Emancipation Proclamation. There’s a monument to Pompey on the island, worth visiting.
You might have read about the Bahamas in the news lately. The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory in January, citing crime in some neighborhoods in Nassau; and Royal Caribbean has stopped shore excursions to a day resort in Freeport after two women reported being drugged and raped. There is, however, no completely safe area in the world. There are muggings in Barcelona, pickpockets in Rome, and shootings in Chicago. But at no time have I ever felt unsafe in the Bahamas. Overall, the citizens of this nation comprised of many islands have only greeted me with warmth, hospitality, and friendship. And, islands like Exuma, are small, close-knit communities that rely on tourism and strive to offer a safe, friendly environment for visitors.
Where to Stay
The Grand Isle Resort & Residences
The Grand Isle Resort is comprised of one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas — all complete with balconies, full kitchens, and expansive living rooms. My one-bedroom villa had some extremely welcome touches like several different kinds of coffee (including Death Wish coffee) and teas, along with bottled water and cream in the fridge for coffee instead of those terrible powder packages that even some high-end hotels offer. Making a fresh pot of coffee to enjoy on my balcony as the sun came up was a pleasure. The resort doesn’t have a ton of amenities but it has everything you need — a gift shop for when you forget a hat or sunscreen, a golf course, a spa, a lovely beachside pool, and a bar and restaurant with gorgeous ocean views. The resort is also home to 23° North, an upscale restaurant that’s open for dinner only. Grand Isle is perfect for a family trip — the ocean is right there, there’s a full kitchen, villas come in multiple-bedroom configurations, and the bathrooms are spacious.
Peace & Plenty Hotel
If you’re looking for a hotel that’s slightly less grand, directly in the center of George Town, and has a heaping dose of history and charm, then Peace & Plenty is your place. This 35-room hotel was opened in 1958, but its history and the building, go way back to the 1700s when Lord Denys Rolle set sail for Great Exuma on the trading ship, Peace and Plenty. Rolle established a cotton plantation that covered much of the plantation. The original cookhouse is now the hotel bar. Many Exuma citizens still bear the Rolle surname.
Where to Eat
The Grill House at 23 North
If you’re a frequent visitor to the Bahamas, then you can attest that it’s really difficult to get a good steak anywhere — even the star-powered casino resorts offer a subpar steak experience. I know — when gorgeous, abundant waters surround you why should you even care about the steak? If you do crave a steak, 23 North will fulfill your carnivorous habits, as Jimmy Buffett would have said. And, at $43, a hand-cut filet won’t break the bank, so go crazy and add a local lobster tail to the plate.
Shirley’s at Fish Fry
If you aren’t familiar with Bahamian Fish Fry, it’s a place consisting of a group of local small seafood shacks, restaurants, and bars. The largest Fish Fry is in Nassau, at Arawak Cay (walking distance from Downtown), but every island has one. Great Exuma’s Fish Fry is slightly smaller and consists of about a dozen-and-a-half small seafood shacks and bars with the largest and most established being Shirley’s. Shirley’s is the only one with indoor, air-conditioned seating - a plus during sudden rain storms or muggy evenings.
The eponymous restaurant is run by Shirley Williams Jones, a chef with three decades in the culinary field including major resorts before opening her own, colorful little restaurant. The restaurant has a full bar, including Bahamian classics such as a Bahama Mama and a Goombay Smash. I started with a “Dirty Shirley”, made with coconut rum, pineapple rum, vodka, curacao, sour mix, and pineapple juice. The one-page menu offers a variety of local seafood like grilled lobster, fried or grilled whole snapper, curried conch, and local grouper. I had the grouper, which was battered with coconut and lightly fried. Don’t forget an order of conch fritters, served with an excellent piquant remoulade. The restaurant is one of the most popular in town, so be prepared to come early and wait at the bar.
Santanna’s Bar & Grill
Santanna’s is located in Little Exuma, across the thinnest of bridges. The small island is home to Tropic of Cancer Beach, a gorgeous stretch of sand located directly on the Tropic of Cancer, which is the most northerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. Kendall Nixon, a local historian and native of Exuma, introduced me to the little restaurant after taking me on a tour of his home.
Santanna’s might be one of the most relaxing places to just sit with a few beers and watch the perfect blue water. When I was there, a shark lazed its way almost to shore and then drifted away, hoping to find a tasty meal. For humans, Santanna’s offers a simple chalkboard menu of seafood and ribs — all served with peas and rice, along with cocktails and beer. I enjoyed a Dark and Stormy, served in the plastic fishbowls you normally win at carnival ring tosses (sans goldfish), along with some rather tasty shrimp. The weather was so good, the tradewinds so balmy, I had to ask for one more drink just so I could linger a bit longer. You should, too.
Where to Drink
The Flagler Room at Peace & Plenty
Sure this was the watering hole of the elite back in the 1960s, but the Flagler Room dates back much farther — it was the original cookhouse of the structure when it was a plantation in the 1700s. Stop in for a Dark & Stormy before dinner.
Chat ‘N Chill
If you don’t have a boat, you’ll need to take a short ferry to Stocking Island to get to Exuma’s most popular bar — the Chat ‘N Chill. Started in the 1990s as a place for people who lived on their boats to come ashore, the Chat ‘N Chill has become the premiere place to day drink in Exuma. Don’t miss the Sunday pig roast or, go whole hog and get married — the Chat ‘N Chill has had so many beach weddings, that it now specializes in them.
The Swimming Pigs
No trip to Exuma is complete without visiting the swimming pigs. The origins of the swimming pigs vary — some say the pigs were shipped over to remote islands because they made too much noise. Some say they drifted over in a storm. Nevertheless, here’s what you need to know — there are two different pig islands — one off of Staniel Cay and one closer to Great Exuma.
Dozens of charters and party boats will take you to visit the pigs — most are combined with snorkeling or other water adventures, but I went out with Crazy Bahamian Tours, run by Captain Perez Wright.
What started as a half-day boat ride to see the pigs turned into a full day of magic, honestly. Wright was assisted by his father-and-son team of Ken and Kaleb. As we approached Pig Island, one adorable girl greeted us. “That’s Alice,” said Wright, who proceeded to greet the spotted pig with a cracker. I was given a few crackers to feed this gentle creature and frankly, there were few times in my life where I experienced such pure joy.
The island, itself, is filled with pigs of all sizes - from tiny piglets to giant 500-pound hogs. The pigs are given fresh water and proper food daily (there are water troughs scattered all over the island). Sensitive to the sun, the pigs have plenty of shade and are also vetted and receive vaccinations, with the expenses shared between the Sandals Resort on Great Exuma and the boat captains who offer trips to the island.
After my time with the pigs (it was nearly impossible to tear me away from Alice and the babies), we visited another island filled with Northern Bahamian Rock Iguanas. My half day turned into a full day as we decided to have lunch al fresco. Instead of a boxed lunch like so many party catamarans might offer, Ken dove for conch and lobster. We anchored at a small cay and cooked the lobster, while Captain Wright made fresh conch salad. The afternoon was one of the most memorable I’ve had in a long time. From friendly pigs to freshly caught lobster (and a few Kaliks), this is a must-do while in Exuma.
One More and Then We Go
Leaving Exuma is difficult — especially after just two evenings in this magical part of the world.
If you want to keep the party going for just a bit longer, might I suggest checking in for your flight at the airport, and then heading across the street to Kermit’s Airport Lounge for a quick cocktail?
Once you pass through security there’s no bar at the airport, so Kermit’s is the “official” place to wait for your flight. If you let the people at the airport know you’re stopping across the street, they will tell you the absolute latest you need to head back to make your flight!
Grab one more Kalik, chat up the person next to you, and be sure to sign a dollar bill to add to the thousands decorating the walls of the bar.