GREAT EXUMA OVERVIEW

Great Exuma, the most sought after of the ‘out islands’ is not a Blackpool or Benidorm.  There are no McDonald’s, KFC’s or Burger Kings, just friendly hotels, restaurants and an abundance of deserted, palm fringed white sandy beaches:  If you love boating, fishing, diving or just relaxing on a beach, this is probably as near to paradise as you will ever get.  Over the last eight years Great Exuma has witnessed dynamic growth helped by the Government’s decision to make it the ‘Out Islands’ number one destination.

The Tropic of Cancer runs through Little Exuma making it a truly tropical island!

There are a number of ‘up-market’ resorts on Great Exuma, Sandals at Emerald Bay is opening on January 22nd 2010. It features a five star hotel & Spa and an 18 hole ‘oceanside’ Greg Norman golf course.  Just outside George Town, the capital, is February Point Resort, a beautiful Gated Community jutting out into Elizabeth Harbour with three marinas, tennis courts, a bistro & bar and gymnasium.

Stocking Island, just a mile off the mainland helps create Elizabeth harbour.  The island is famous for its fabulous, white sandy beaches, the ‘Chat ‘n Chill bar and more recently the St Francis Resort & Marina.  Within Elizabeth Harbour is Crab Cay.  This 140 acre island is destined to become one of the most sought after up-market developments in The Bahamas featuring a picturesque Harbour Village, , luxury hotel and spa, gourmet restaurants and shops, a mega yacht marina for yachts up to 300’ and magnificent villas.

Great Exuma has an international airport with regular daily flights to Miami and Nassau, excellent medical facilities, car hire, boat hire, schools, boutiques and supermarkets, in fact everything you need for relaxed living.

 The property market has finally picked up in Exuma.  Many positive things have happened in the first half of 2011 with the outlook for 2011-2012 getting brighter indeed.

For starters Sandals has finally taken off helped by a huge advertising budget and a much better relationship between Management and Staff.

Air Canada is now flying non-stop Toronto – Exuma twice weekly – Delta also twice weekly from Atlanta – Continental, now out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a new fleet of aircraft, daily from Ft. Lauderdale – Sky Bahamas with 6 turboprop aircraft and 3 flights daily from Nassau so that travellers from the UK can get to Exuma the same day – American Eagle has been using regional jets from Miami, depending on load factors, at least 1 flight daily and 2 on weekends – and Bahamasair with 2/3 daily flights from Nassau. 

The Exumas have doubled in population over the past 10 years and the Prime Minister said recently that “Exuma is becoming an important economic centre in the Bahamas – in revenue terms it is about 4th and a lot of activity is taking place”.

The Government dock in George Town will be replaced by a “new port” at the old “Navy Base” – there will be a new by-pass road around George Town, and the much-promised Mini-Hospital along with a new Primary School and Administration Complex all located on land across from the new Port will now go ahead. The Prime Minister said “We will commence these projects hopefully during the course of this year, 2011” (2012 is an election year in the Bahamas).