If you live in my neck of the woods, it’s the first day back after a much-needed spring break. Although Mondays and I don’t typically get along, I’m feeling totally refreshed today. This past week, my family and I were hugely fortunate to vacation with our closet friends at Little Exuma in The Bahamas, and it. was. phenomenal. It’s been years since I’ve visited the islands, and this was my very first time scoping out any area outside of the hyper-touristy Nasseau. Today, I’m going to share a few pictures from our time spent there.

Also, full disclosure: I am not a travel agent. Planning trips outside of metropolitan areas is not my area of expertise. Fortunately, one of my dear friends absolutely rocks at it. Although I can’t take credit for anything about trip, I feel hugely fortunate to be on the receiving end of her travel savvy (thanks Rayne!). Lucky me.

Little Exuma

For those that don’t know, the Exumas are a small chain of cays that make up part of The Bahamas. Envision white sand and turquoise water and stretches of unspoiled beaches. (Sidenote: You may have heard of the Exumas as a film location for the Pirates of the Carribbean movies or the famously catastrophic Fyre Festival.) For this trip, we opted to stay in a more undeveloped section known as Little Exuma in a house called the Exuma Outpost (insert my praise hands here). It was incredible. Our house was situated on a little cove that was mostly ours. Truly, it’s probably the closet I’ll ever come to staying on a private island.

What We Did

We opted to charter a boat for a couple days of our trip as a means of exploring the Exumas. Snorkeling, swimming with sea turtles and stingrays, and fishing were among the things we enjoyed on our boat days. The Exumas are definitely best seen by water and both of our tour guides were super knowledgable- I’d highly recommend. On the off days, we let the kids swim, even taking time to read, sleep in, and play games.

For meals, we enjoyed the hole-in-the-wall, open-air restaurants that speckled the island serving fish sandwiches and rum punch. Although Brett and I normally favor a few nice dinners or fancy outings, it was refreshing to be able to head anywhere in our sandals and jean shorts. We did opt for some in-house catering on two evenings, and that was terrific. Who better to give us a taste of local flavors than the locals themselves?!

For our family, the trip was a terrific time with friends and a chance to let our two oldest (Charlie stayed home!) get some play time and swim practice before summer arrives. Both of them fell in love with The Bahamas. When we returned home, George said he wished he could be on vacation everyday. Me too, buddy, me too. I would absolutely recommend this kind of a vacation for a couple, family, or group that is interested in a no-frills vacation in the prettiest location possible. What the undeveloped terrain of the Exumas lacks in fancy restaurants and touristy attractions, it makes up for in relaxation, beauty, and frozen mojitos (insert more praise hands). Here’s a few more photos!

If you’ve visited Little Exuma, tell me all about your favorite spots! I’d love to hear all about it.