The Exumas

Stocking Island is one of the more popular destinations for visitors staying in George Town. It can easily be spotted off the coast on the eastern edge of town. Make your way to the small port downtown where small water taxi boats leave on the hour to transport people back and forth. You can expect to pay about $15 per person round trip.

The water taxis will typically drop you off on the western shore of the island. You’ll find yourself near Chat ‘N Chill, a bar with shaded outdoor seating and enough activities to enjoy spending several hours. They have a volleyball court, great gift shop, and offer a pig roast buffet on Sundays (get there by noon if don’t you want to miss out). After taking a seat at a picnic table outside you’ll quickly notice one of their orange cats that napping on a table.

There’s also a great opportunity to feed and pet some very friendly stingrays nearby. Chat ‘N Chill has a small stand located on the water’s edge where they chop up conch and discard the shells into a large pile. If you give the person chopping up the conch a few bucks they will hand over some of the scraps that you can feed to the rays. It only takes a few minutes of wading in the water to attract their attention.

While you can’t go wrong by spending a day at Chat ‘N Chill, we would have been very disappointed if we didn’t discover a more secluded attraction close by. On the other side of the same island there is a beautiful beach with few people and no boats.

To find the trail that leads to this beach, take the path through the brush behind the volleyball court. This trail follows along the waters edge and then curves up away from the water. You may want to bring some shoes because there are some sharp rocks that you’ll need to climb over. You will need to cross some water to continue along the path before it beings its climb up. Depending on the tide, the water may go up to your chest. (Important to keep in mind if you’re carrying gear or your lunch!)

After crossing the water the path continues up an incline that will give you a great view of the island. Keep following to find the beach. The waves here are great for body surfing and just splashing around in. We found this to be in our top 3 favorite spots of the trip and spent our last day hanging out here.

True to its name, the Tropic of Cancer Beach (also known as Pelican Beach) is intersected by the Tropic of Cancer. You can find it by following the Queen’s Highway southeast and crossing the bridge to Little Exuma. It’s roughly 30 minutes from George Town. The small road that leads to the actual beach is very rough so be prepared.

While a little more populated than some of the other beaches, Tropic of Cancer Beach is still a great place to spend the day with excellent views of the crystal-clear waters. There is plenty of space to take a long walk along the beach while keeping your eyes peeled for any interested shells.

In search of the best Pina Colada in Exuma, we visited the Haulover Bay Bar which is about 15 minutes Southeast of George Town in Rolletown. This was by far the most relaxed and scenic atmosphere for a few drinks. We talked and joked with the brother and sister team that owned the place while soaking up some sun and wading around in the shallow water.

Adjacent to the parking lot for the bar was the Rolle family cemetery. The dates on the headstones gave some context to how long many of the local families have been living in their respective small communities through the island. Haulover had delicious drinks and played a lot of great music. The perfect place to spend a few hours.

Possibly the best meal we had on the trip was at Tropic Breeze Beach Bar & Grill. It’s located about 30 minutes from George Town close to Tropic of Cancer Beach. The fried seafood plate was outstanding – light, crispy, and ocean fresh. Our appetizer consisted of some seasoned wings that were sweet and juicy. A partially covered eating area provides an incredible view of the ocean right from your table. But there’s only 1 menu for the restaurant so decide quickly.

If you climb down the rocky slope next to the restaurant there’s a sandy beach where good-sized waves crash into. We poked around the jagged rocks in a casual search for anything of interest before running into the waves to feel the water.

An easy drive from George Town, about 30 minutes northwest on the Queen’s Highway, is Coco Plum Beach. The path that lead to the beach cut through a small section of pine trees before revealing a framed view of the aquamarine water.

The water stayed relatively shallow with very weak waves. This beach provided the best snorkeling of any of the drivable beaches we visited. Several different types of coral were easily visible by trolling along the bottom. One of the landmarks of Coco Plum were the swings in the water. While the swings were both broken they still provided a great spot for a picture.

At this point we were getting used to fresh seafood on the beach with a gorgeous view. Shoreline delivered on great ambiance with an emphasis on the ocean. The food was average but still worth checking out if you’re close by. The fish tacos were tasty with a small portion for the price.

While we don’t have any pictures, it wouldn’t be fair to not mention Shirley’s Seafood. We ate our first and last meals of the trip here. The drinks, appetizers, and entrees were all amazing. Shirley herself even had a moment to grace us with her presence.

Don’t miss out on trying the Conch Fritters, Lobster Burger, Coconut-Breaded Grouper, and the Dirty Shirley.