About The Exumas

The James Bond Islands

 The location of not one but two James Bond movies – Thunderball and Never Say Never Again – the Exumas are made up of 365 islands and cays strung out like jewelled stepping stones across more than 193 km of shimmering emerald ocean. The bright white sand of the deserted beaches contrasts strikingly with the deep aquamarine and jade hues of the water, making this chain one of the prettiest in The Bahamas.

Enjoy a warm welcome

Most of Exuma's 3,600 residents live on Great Exuma or Little Exuma, the two largest islands, which are connected by a short bridge. Known for being friendly and outgoing, the locals of the Exumas are genuinely happy to welcome holidaymakers. 

Working the land and sea

Most of the population of the Exumas make their living by fishing or farming. As well as crops of onions, tomatoes, pigeon peas, guavas, papayas and mangoes, you'll also still find wild cotton growing on Great Exuma - a testament to the importance of this plant in the island's history.

The Family Island Regatta

 One of The Bahamas' most prestigious events, the annual Family Island Regatta, is held every April in picturesque Elizabeth Harbour in George Town. A tribute to tradition, the regatta in the Exumas is a race between Bahamian workboats which are hand-made sloops with wooden hulls, canvas sails and tall wooden masts.

Beautiful buildings

George Town is also home to the Government Administration Building, a pink-and-white building modelled on Government House in Nassau. A few steps north is St Andrew's Anglican Church, a beautiful 150-year-old white building with blue doors and shutters that is an active place of worship in the Exumas today. 

Exotic wildlife

For a close-up encounter with the indigenous wildlife, make your way to the heart of the Exuma Cays and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a 176-square-mile natural reserve in the Exumas which is home to brilliant coral reefs, exotic marine life and the rare Bahamian iguana, which can grow to over two feet long.

A rich history

Over time, the Exumas have gone through many changes - from a salt-mining colony, to a haven for pirates, to a cotton-producing colony - and each has influenced its historical development.

The Rolle legacy

During the cotton plantation era, Lord John Rolle, who imported the first cotton seeds in the late 18th century, had more than 300 slaves working on Great Exuma. Following the custom of the day, all slaves adopted their master's surname. When cotton proved to be a financial failure for him, and with the prospect of emancipation looming, Lord John Rolle deeded the 2,300 acres of land given to him by the British Government to his foremen slaves. This land has, in turn, been passed on to each new generation and can never be sold to outsiders.

Rolle leaves his name behind

Today, as many of the islanders are direct descendents of those plantation slaves, almost half of the residents of the Exumas go by the name of Rolle, and one of the largest settlements is named Rolleville.