Exuma is one of the districts of the island nation of the Bahamas. Exuma is made of more than 360 separate islands. The locals call the islands cays. It is a small area, around 130 miles long and 77 square miles in area. The island is famous for its water sports. Some of the most popular are fishing, yachting, diving, sailing, scuba diving and underwater cave exploring.
Exuma was settled during the American Revolutionary War. People loyal to England fled the American Revolutionaries and settled in Exuma in 1783. The island had a vast change in 1835, when one of the settlers, Lord John Rolle, bequeathed all of his vast lands to his slaves upon his death.
Another significant historical note about Exuma is that it was a real Treasure Island. The indigenous inhabitants, the Lucayan Indians, were enslaved and removed from the islands in the 16th century. Between that time and the arrival of the settlers fleeing the Revolutionary War, Exuma was a hideout and treasure stash for many pirates. The infamous Captain Kidd visited it many times. In more modern times, Exuma has become a hideout of another sort. Until recently, the area did not receive a lot of tourism. This made it an ideal spot for celebrities to vacation without being bothered. Frequent visitors have included Jackie Onassis, Jessica Tandy, Sigourney Weaver, Princess Margaret, Hume Cronyn and Countess of Snowdon. In addition to visiting the islands, celebrities have found another way to enjoy them. They have purchased a number of the cays. They are relatively inexpensive and the Bahamas are famous for offering low taxes to the rich and famous. Celebrities that own cays in Exuma include David Copperfield, Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Ali Daei, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Eddie Murphy and Ali Karimi.
Due to the number of islands that are privately owned, there are only five islands that are both inhabited and open to guests. Great Exuma, Fowl Cay, Musha Cay, Iguana Cay and Staniel Cay all have accommodations to offer visitors. Visitors can arrive by plane at the airport on the largest island, Grand Exuma. It will require a boat to get to any of the other cays in Exuma.
There are a number of great things to do for visitors to Exuma. One of the best, of course, is to relax on the beach. One of the best places to do that is Saddleback Cay. It is a private island owned by the travel company Island World Adventures. Visitors can take day trips there for a fee, and there are seven different beautiful beaches available.
There are a number of resorts available on the Exuma cays for visitors. Oceania Heights is one of the best and most exclusive, offering guests a private beach and luxury villas. Other resorts include Exuma Resorts, Pam Bay Beach Club, Sandals Resort, Celestine, Staniel Cay Yacht Club and Fowl Cay. These resorts offer great food, lots of water sports, day trips, championship golf and an overall great way to relax.
