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Sea Kayaking in the Bahamas' Exumas Region
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| (Index Stock/Stephen Frink) |
If the Bahamas are a broken string of pearls scattered across 100,000 miles of the Caribbean, then the Bahamas' Exumas is the region's hidden treasure: a mostly uninhabited, 120-mile-long archipelago that stretches in a narrow crescent southeast from Nassau all the way to the Tropic of Cancer. The adventurous tourist willing to endure the strain of paddling will find themselves skimming across calm, 88-degree seas with flourishing reefs below and no fewer than 365 cays to explore. Experienced sea kayakers can take a week-long, 50-mile trip through Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, 176 square miles of fish-filled waters and miniscule cays populated with white-tailed tropicbirds and the faded ruins of British loyalist plantations. Novice paddlers more intrigued by day trips can explore the red mangrove colonies and bonefish flats of the nearly deserted south side of Grand Exuma. Struggle to keep your balance as dolphins leap across your kayak's hull, or surrender to gravity and snorkel through the flourishing reefs waiting below. Either way, following the path less traveled as it slips into the sea has never been more rewarding.
Published: 15 Feb 2002
The details, dates, and prices mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication.
