The Exumas island chain stretches about 130 miles long and contains 365 islands and cays. It’s crazy to think that you could visit one location each day for a year and only cover a fraction of what there is to see. The Exuma island chain is divided into three major areas: Great Exuma, Little Exuma, and the Exuma Cays. Within the Exumas, a few locations stand out as must-visit destinations, and Georgetown, on the island of Great Exuma, is one of them.
Georgetown is the capital city of the Exumas and the largest and most populated town. It runs directly through the Tropic of Cancer and has some of the clearest and most beautiful waters on earth, even recognizable from space. This town is a prime destination for sailers and cruisers because of its large protected harbor, sapphire-blue waters, white sand beaches, and abundance of activities, including snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, hiking, and cave explorations.
Georgetown also has a wide array of amenities including a fairly well-stocked grocery store, restaurants, a gas station, an airport, hardware and marine stores, boat repair facilities, etc. It’s no wonder that boaters flock here. There is so much available, all in one beautiful location. One of our first orders of business when we arrived was to visit the grocery store. Since we had been stuck on our boat for over a week during the storms near Staniel Cay, our perishable items were dwindling down. We also needed to dump our stinky trash and get gas for the dinghy. So downtown Georgetown we go!
Elizabeth Harbor is the main harbor that separates Great Exuma/Georgetown from Stocking Island. While some boaters stay on the western side near Great Exuma Island, most stay near Stocking Island because of the protection it offers from the wind. This is our first time coming to this area on our boat, and we were surprised to find very few anchorages. Apparently, this is a new thing.
Elizabeth Harbour recently installed around 66 paid mooring balls, and has really dwindled down the number of anchorages. It’s nice that the mooring balls are free until January 15th, but that prices goes up to $12 per night after that and we just weren’t interested in paying for a ball when we can anchor for free. So, thankfully, we were able to find a great spot in one of the few remaining anchorages, Monument anchorage on Stocking Island. There are currently about 15 boats in our anchorage (with many more to come), but it’s quite pleasant and peaceful here. We’re directly across from several beaches, with hiking trails up to Salt Monument and to the ocean side overlooking Exuma Sound.
Everyone anchored at Monument Anchorage has been super friendly. One couple offers free yoga classes on the beach a couple of times a week, and two boats win the prize for the best decorated for Christmas. It’s a joy to be here! Good night from our anchorage off Stocking Island. More to come in the days and weeks ahead!
