The Abacos and Eleuthra

Day 1:

Fly into Marsh Harbour and meet your yacht at the Abaco Beach Resort. While sipping a rum punch and adjusting to island time, cruise to Elbow Cay. Sunset illuminates the famous red-and-white striped lighthouse marking Hopetown. Anchor off White Sound.

Day 2:

Tender ashore early for Lobster Benedict at the Abaco Inn, where your meal is served with views of both the ocean and sound. Tour Hopetown by golf cart before heading on to Guana Cay to snorkel the reefs or swim in the crystal-clear waters surrounding nearby Sandy Cay. Dine aboard that evening while moored at Orchid Bay Marina.

Day 3:

Walk the strip of white sand along Treasure Cay, considered one of the top beaches in the Bahamas. Choose handmade souvenirs from the charming shops at Green Turtle Cay. Take the Wave Runners for a late afternoon spin before dining on tropical cuisine perfected by your private chef.

Day 4:

Cruise the Sea of Abaco south to the Out Island of Eleuthera. Sink your toes into the pink sand of Harbour Island, often called the Nantucket of the Caribbean. Its pastel houses sit among white picket fences, quaint shops and tropical flowers. Dine at the Romora Bay Club, which boasts the only French chef in the Bahamas.

Day 5:

Visit the waterfront settlement of Tarpum Bay, stopping into Flanders Art Studio to view the owners’ watercolors of local scenes. Feed the fish at nearby Ocean Hole, a large saltwater lake connected to the sea by subterranean tunnels.

Day 6:

Every seaside town has a Front Street, and Rock Sound is no exception. A stroll here brings you to St. Luke’s Anglican Church, its whitewash beautifully contrasting with the deep blue and green houses nearby, each with colorful gardens of poinsettia, hibiscus, and marigolds.

The Exumas and San Salvador

Day 1:

Hundreds of small cays make the Exumas a prime cruising ground. The waters here are legendary for deserted islands, coves, bays, and harbors begging to be explored by boat. Fly into Georgetown on Great Exuma and board your yacht at lovely Elizabeth Harbour. Enjoy hors d’ouerves on the comfortable aft deck while sipping “welcome aboard” cocktails.

Day 2:

Cruise north to Staniel Cay to dive the exotic Extuma Cays Land and Sea Park. This 176 square mile site can’t be left off your itinerary if divers are onboard who appreciate impressive reefs, drop offs, blue holes with fresh water springs, caves and marine life unspoiled by commercial development. Thunderball Grotto, featured in the famous James Bond movie, is also located on Staniel Cay.

Day 3:

Spend a leisurely morning sunning on deck before having lunch at Sampson Cay Club Marina. Anchor off Highborne Cay for an exquisite alfresco dining experience after an evening soak and stargazing from your flybridge Jacuzzi.

Day 4:

Lee Stocking Island, home to the Caribbean Marine Research Center, provides a protected anchorage. Visit the labs where scientists conduct numerous undersea marine experiments and collect data from surrounding waters, which are full of fascinating marine life.

Days 5 and 6:

The seven by twelve mile island of San Salvador provides isolation, more great diving and history dating back to Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. In fact, San Salvador claims to be the explorer’s first landfall in the New World. Among the many monuments and ruins that warrant a visit are the Columbus Monument on Crab Cay and Farquharson Plantation, known by locals as “Blackbeard’s Castle.” A few miles south of Graham’s Harbour on San Salvador, you can climb 160 feet to the top of Dixon Hill Lighthouse to enjoy a 19-mile view. Built in 1887, it is one of the last hand-operated, kerosene-lit lighthouses still in existence in the world.