Great Exuma, Bahamas
George Town, Bahamas is the perfect setting for a vacation in the sun. George Town is located on Great Exuma and is part of the Exuma Islands, a series of over 350 cays, islets, and islands that rest in the center of the Bahamas. The Exumas stretch over a distance of approximately 120 miles. The area is a playground for anglers, sailors, scuba divers, and anyone who wants to leave the crowds behind and rest their weary bones in an island setting. A day's itinerary in George Town can be as active or as lazy as you want it to be. Snorkeling, sailing, parasailing, sea kayaking, and beach combing are just a few of the many activities awaiting you in the Exumas.The white sand beaches around George Town gently slope into the azure ocean. With the reef so close to shore in most spots, whatever beach you visit will be a prime location for pulling out your snorkeling gear and visiting the local sea life. One of the most gorgeous beaches in the Exumas is Stocking Island, a barrier island located in Elizabeth Harbour roughly a mile from George Town. This long, thin island offers incredible views of the Atlantic and is usually a secluded getaway for sun worshipers. If you are looking for a seashell to commemorate your trip, the beaches along the Atlantic side of the island have a seemingly endless number of shells.
Like the rest of the Bahamas, the Exuma Islands have gained fame as one of the premier scuba diving destinations in the world. The clear water offers enough reef dives, wall dives, and cave dives to satisfy all skill levels. One of the most popular sites is Sting Ray Reef, just offshore from Stocking Island. This shallow water dive is great for novices who want to see plenty of reef fish such as French grunts, snapper, and tangs. Sea turtles are also regular visitors to the area. The site was so named due to the abundance of sting rays buried in the sand up to their eyes! Another popular site is the Angelfish Blue Hole. This is primarily a spot for intermediate to advanced divers due to the nature of the currents in the hole. A "blue hole" is a sudden depression on the sea bottom, and many of these depressions lead to underwater cave systems. Angelfish is a true blue hole. It is in the opening of a tunnel under the island and is subject to a "flushing" action of the tide. Inside the cavern, the walls are completely encrusted with sponges, and the colors are limitless.
Anglers are another group that flock to the area. Whether it's deep-sea fishing, reef fishing, bottom fishing or fly fishing, you will find adequate game to satisfy your style. Record numbers of marlin, sailfish and wahoo are caught in Exuma Sound, where the aqua-blue ocean drops 6,000 feet into the dark, cool feeding grounds of trophy-size fish. You can also toss in a line in Lake Victoria, a 2-acre lake that sits in the middle of George Town.
George Town can serve as a jumping off point to other Exuma attractions. This bustling hub has plenty of shopping, either in boutiques or in the Straw Market, and plenty of restaurants where you can sample the local fare. Plan your trip around Junkanoo, the annual festival in late December that rivals Mardi Gras. Or visit during The Out Island Regatta, and watch as hundreds of ships of all shapes and sizes come here to race each other. Golfers can tee it up at the Four Seasons Resort Emerald Bay Golf Club, a Greg Norman design that is gaining the reputation as being one of the prettiest courses in the Bahamas, rivaling any in the Caribbean. The people of the islands are warm and inviting, more than willing to share their rich cultural heritage.
