Book
Rides
Support
Settings
Private Airport Transfers in Exuma

Private Airport Transfers in Exuma

Exuma means both Great Exuma, the main island with the Exuma International Airport and the capital, George Town, and the Exumas as a whole, a 365-island chain running 215 kilometres south-east of Nassau. Exuma International Airport (EXM), near George Town on Great Exuma, is the gateway to the chain's turquoise water, the swimming pigs at Big Major Cay, the Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay (a James Bond filming location) and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the Caribbean's oldest marine protected area, established in 1958. The transfer from EXM to the small-town centre of George Town takes 15 to 25 minutes, to the main resort cluster at Emerald Bay (Sandals Emerald Bay, Grand Isle Resort) 25 to 40 minutes, and to the northern Little Exuma communities 30 to 50 minutes.

The Exumas sit at the higher end of the Bahamas, deliberately quieter than Nassau or Freeport: fewer large resorts, more private villas, and an emphasis on boat-based days rather than packed on-resort amenities. Sandals Emerald Bay and Grand Isle Resort are the two main international-standard properties, Hideaways at Palm Bay is a smaller boutique option, and Exuma Beach Resort and Club Peace and Plenty cover mid-market stays. The real experience, though, is on the water: day charters to Big Major Cay (Pig Beach), Staniel Cay (the Thunderball Grotto and the Yacht Club), the Compass Cay sharks and the iconic sandbars, including the waters of the Land and Sea Park. These are usually reached by private charter from Great Exuma or Staniel Cay, with operators running everything from six-passenger shared boats to private-yacht day rentals.

Key Destinations from EXM

George Town, Great Exuma's small-town capital, is 15 km and 20 to 30 minutes from the airport, as are Regatta Point and the Elizabeth Harbour boat docks. Sandals Emerald Bay and the Grand Isle Resort and Spa are both 22 km and 25 to 40 minutes, and Hideaways at Palm Bay 18 km and 22 to 35 minutes. The Chat 'N' Chill bar on Stocking Island is 15 km plus a 10-minute water taxi. On Little Exuma, Tropic of Cancer Beach is 30 km and 35 to 50 minutes, and Forbes Hill with the Three Sisters Rocks 28 km and 35 to 48 minutes. Barreterre and Pirate's Lair are 40 km and 50 minutes to an hour. Staniel Cay, reached by water from Great Exuma, is about 75 km and 1.5 to 2 hours.

Local Travel Notes

Exuma uses US and Bahamian dollars interchangeably, and cash matters more here than on New Providence: some smaller venues, fishing charters and villa owners prefer it, and card acceptance is patchier than in Nassau. Bring more dollars than you would for a Nassau trip and budget for Bahamian resort-level tipping. The airport taxi rank runs regulated fares, and pre-booked private transfers are common, especially for the Emerald Bay resorts at the far end of Great Exuma. Distances on the island are genuinely short, since Great Exuma is only 60 kilometres long, but the two-lane coastal road is slow, and the transfer times reflect that pace. For boat days, the usual departure points are Palm Bay, Barraterre and Staniel Cay, the last reached by a separate small-aircraft flight or a longer boat trip from Great Exuma.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Is the swimming-pigs beach at Big Major Cay reachable as a day-trip from Great Exuma?
Yes, but it is a full-day commitment. Big Major Cay, popularly called Pig Beach, lies about 75 kilometres north of Great Exuma by water. You can reach it by a direct boat charter from the George Town area, a three- to four-hour round trip with time at the beach, or, more commonly, by a short flight from EXM to Staniel Cay (MYES) and a 10-minute boat ride. The flight-and-boat route is faster and more comfortable for most visitors, while the direct boat is cheaper but a long day at sea. An EXM arrival with a same-day Staniel Cay trip is possible if the flight timing lines up, with Watermakers Air and Flamingo Air running small-aircraft shuttles.
Is a Sandals Emerald Bay or Grand Isle Resort stay significantly different from a Sandals in Nassau or Jamaica?
Yes. Sandals Emerald Bay sits at the quieter end of the Sandals portfolio, on a 500-acre footprint with an 18-hole Greg Norman golf course and a private beach running about 1.6 kilometres, far more isolated than the Nassau or Jamaican properties. Grand Isle Resort is villa-style, with standalone residences rather than hotel rooms, on the same Emerald Bay stretch and drawing a different mix of guests. Both suit travellers after a quieter Exumas stay rather than Nassau's mega-resort scale, the trade-off being the longer journey from Nassau, by connecting flight or ferry, against a direct taxi to Atlantis or Baha Mar.
Can I book a multi-day Exuma driver for boat-based touring?
Yes. The usual Exuma set-up pairs a pre-booked ground driver on Great Exuma, for airport, hotel, restaurant and boat-charter transfers, with separate water-based operators for the island-hopping. The land driver is typically booked for three to five days, covering the EXM arrival, daily runs to the boat-charter departure points at Palm Bay, Barraterre or Elizabeth Harbour, restaurant pickups and the eventual EXM departure, while the charter operators handle the water portion, the two coordinated through a hotel concierge or independent booking. Tipping the land driver at the end of a multi-day hire is standard, around USD 10 to 15 a day on top of the quoted fare.

More destinations

Nassau
Freeport
Lynden Pindling International Airport
Grand Bahama International Airport
Exuma International Airport

Ready to Ride?

Lock in your fixed-price Exuma ride now. Door to door, no surge, no hidden fees, no stress.
Find your driverGet the LocalsRide app