When is the cruising season from Nassau?

December to April, with May a quieter shoulder month. Nassau's marinas are open all year, but the cruising season for the Exumas and the wider Bahamas follows the dry winter months.

Where do charters depart from?

Crewed charter yachts often meet their guests at Nassau Yacht Haven or Palm Cay Marina. The largest yachts use Atlantis Marina and Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina, across the harbour from downtown, or Albany on the south-west coast.

Can a Nassau charter include the Exumas or the Berry Islands?

Yes. The Exuma chain runs south-east from Nassau and is the route most charters take. The Berry Islands, to the north-west, Eleuthera, to the east, and the Abacos suit longer itineraries.

How long is a typical charter from Nassau?

Seven to ten nights, usually in the Exumas, with Highbourne Cay, the Allen Cays and Staniel Cay among the stops. Eleuthera or the Berry Islands add a second chapter on a longer charter.

What does a yacht charter from Nassau cost?

Indicatively, high-season base rates for motor yachts in the Bahamas average around USD 65,000 a week at 80 to 99 feet and USD 80,000 at 100 to 129 feet, and more than double that above 130 feet. The APA, typically 25 to 35 percent, the 14 percent Bahamian charter tax and the crew gratuity, customarily 15 to 20 percent, come on top, and every proposal sets out the full cost before anything is signed.

How do guests fly into Nassau?

Into Lynden Pindling International Airport, which has frequent direct flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, each about an hour, and handles private aviation. It also has US Customs preclearance, so guests flying back to the United States clear customs and immigration in Nassau before departure.

What taxes and permits apply to a Bahamas charter?

Foreign-flagged charter yachts need a Bahamian foreign charter licence and a cruising permit, and the Port Department now collects a single 14 percent charter tax, combining 10 percent VAT and a 4 percent charter levy. Park fees in the Exumas, and a passenger tax for guests entering aboard from Florida, may also apply. The applicable charges are set out before anything is signed.

When are the busiest weeks in Nassau?

Christmas and New Year. Junkanoo, the Bahamas' great street festival, parades along Bay Street in downtown Nassau on Boxing Day and in the early hours of New Year's Day, and the festive weeks carry a premium over the winter rate across the region. The yachts available for them are committed early, so requests for those dates are best sent well ahead.

What is the weather like for a charter from Nassau?

From December to April the weather is mostly dry, with trade winds of around 10 to 15 knots and water at around 24 to 26 degrees Celsius. Crossings to the Exumas, the Berry Islands or Eleuthera are timed to the forecast. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, with its peak in September.

Bahamas · yacht charter

Nassau.

Departures from Nassau and Paradise Island, with access to the Exumas and the Berry Islands.

Speak to a yacht advisor

Overview

What to expect.

Nassau is the operational base for charters across the central Bahamas: Albany Marina on the south-western coast handles international arrivals, Atlantis Marina at Paradise Island accommodates a smaller superyacht fleet. The Exumas chain runs south from Nassau; the Berry Islands sit a half-day north-west.

The cruising window matches the Bahamian winter, December through May. Nassau is operational year-round, but onward cruising to the Exumas, the Berry Islands and the Abacos favours that window. Charters typically embark in Nassau and run south to the Exumas; the loop-back is shaped by weather and tide.

Private yacht charter in Nassau

Nassau is the front door of the Bahamas. The capital sits on New Providence, around an hour's flight from South Florida, and from its marinas the Exuma Cays are a morning's cruise to the south-east, the Berry Islands half a day to the north and Eleuthera a passage to the east. A Nassau yacht charter is the simplest way from an international airport to the out islands.

The city itself repays a day: Bay Street and the old town, the harbour, and on Boxing Day and New Year's morning, the Junkanoo parades.

The Bahamas from Nassau

The Exuma Cays. Around 35 nautical miles to the south-east, roughly four hours by yacht, the Allen Cays and Highbourne Cay open a chain of more than 365 cays: the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay. It is the route most charters from Nassau take; see the Exumas.

The Berry Islands. About 35 nautical miles to the north-west, Chub Cay is half a day's easy cruise from Nassau, with a marina and a drop-off known for billfish. Further up the chain, Great Harbour Cay has one of the best-protected harbours in the Bahamas, and on uninhabited Hoffman's Cay a short trail from the beach leads to a blue hole ringed by limestone.

Eleuthera and Harbour Island. To the east, the run from Spanish Wells to Harbour Island crosses the Devil's Backbone, around five miles of coral heads that captains take, by convention, with a local pilot and in late-morning light. Harbour Island's Pink Sands Beach runs for about three miles along the Atlantic shore; yachts berth at Dunmore Town or anchor off it and work from the tender.

A week from Nassau

A typical week crosses to Highbourne Cay and the Allen Cays on the first day, works south through the Exuma park to Staniel Cay, and either returns to Nassau or ends at Great Exuma, where guests fly home from Exuma International Airport. With more time, the Berry Islands or Harbour Island add a second chapter, each as a separate leg from Nassau.

When to go

The high season runs from December to April, when the weather is mostly dry, the trade winds blow at around 10 to 15 knots and the water sits at around 24 to 26 degrees Celsius. Christmas and New Year are the peak weeks, and Junkanoo, the Bahamas' great street festival, parades along Bay Street on Boxing Day and in the early hours of New Year's Day. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, with its peak in September. Crossings to the out islands are timed to the forecast, and a strong northerly closes the Devil's Backbone.

Marinas and arrival

Lynden Pindling International Airport has frequent direct flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and handles private aviation. It is one of a small number of airports outside the United States with US Customs preclearance, so guests flying home to the United States clear customs and immigration in Nassau before departure.

Crewed charter yachts often meet their guests at Nassau Yacht Haven or Palm Cay Marina. On Paradise Island, across the harbour from downtown, Atlantis Marina and Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina take the largest yachts, and Albany, on the south-west coast, has a superyacht marina of its own.

Yachts and what a week costs

Many of the motor yachts that charter in the Bahamas are based in South Florida, alongside a fleet of crewed catamarans, and nearly all motor yachts are quoted plus expenses. Indicatively, high-season base rates for motor yachts in the Bahamas average around USD 65,000 a week at 80 to 99 feet and USD 80,000 at 100 to 129 feet, and more than double that above 130 feet, while crewed catamarans under 60 feet average around USD 26,000, usually all-inclusive.

On top of a motor yacht's rate come the Advance Provisioning Allowance, typically 25 to 35 percent, and the Bahamian charter tax. Foreign-flagged charter yachts need a foreign charter licence, and the Port Department now collects a single 14 percent charter tax, combining VAT and a charter levy; cruising permits and park fees are paid by the yacht. The crew gratuity is customarily 15 to 20 percent of the charter fee. Our guide to what a charter costs and the charter toolkit on APA and gratuities show how the figures fit together.

How a Nassau charter is arranged

We shortlist the yachts that suit your group, check each one's licence to charter in Bahamian waters and its draught against the route, and settle the plan with the captain. A week can also begin in Fort Lauderdale and cross the Gulf Stream, and the Bahamas page covers the wider islands.

Tell us your dates, the size of your group and what you have in mind, and we will come back with a shortlist. Start the conversation.

Fleet

Yachts available in Nassau.

Available on request

The current selection for Nassau is shared privately on request. Speak to a yacht advisor for a curated shortlist.

Request the selection

Season

When to cruise.

Best months: December to April
Prevailing winds: Trade winds · steady
Typical base ports: Nassau Yacht Haven · Palm Cay Marina · Atlantis Marina · Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina · Albany Marina

Boat cruising over turquoise waters near Nassau in the Bahamas

December through May. Nassau is operational year-round but onward cruising to the Exumas and the Berry Islands matches the Bahamian winter window.

Ports

Marinas and anchorages.

Nassau Yacht Haven
Palm Cay Marina
Atlantis Marina
The Paradise Island berthing. Smaller superyacht fleet and resort-adjacent operations.
Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina
Albany Marina
The south-western superyacht harbour. International arrivals and longer-charter embarkation.

Frequently asked

Practical questions.

When is the cruising season from Nassau?: December to April, with May a quieter shoulder month. Nassau's marinas are open all year, but the cruising season for the Exumas and the wider Bahamas follows the dry winter months.
Where do charters depart from?: Crewed charter yachts often meet their guests at Nassau Yacht Haven or Palm Cay Marina. The largest yachts use Atlantis Marina and Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina, across the harbour from downtown, or Albany on the south-west coast.
Can a Nassau charter include the Exumas or the Berry Islands?: Yes. The Exuma chain runs south-east from Nassau and is the route most charters take. The Berry Islands, to the north-west, Eleuthera, to the east, and the Abacos suit longer itineraries.
How long is a typical charter from Nassau?: Seven to ten nights, usually in the Exumas, with Highbourne Cay, the Allen Cays and Staniel Cay among the stops. Eleuthera or the Berry Islands add a second chapter on a longer charter.
What does a yacht charter from Nassau cost?: Indicatively, high-season base rates for motor yachts in the Bahamas average around USD 65,000 a week at 80 to 99 feet and USD 80,000 at 100 to 129 feet, and more than double that above 130 feet. The APA, typically 25 to 35 percent, the 14 percent Bahamian charter tax and the crew gratuity, customarily 15 to 20 percent, come on top, and every proposal sets out the full cost before anything is signed.
How do guests fly into Nassau?: Into Lynden Pindling International Airport, which has frequent direct flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, each about an hour, and handles private aviation. It also has US Customs preclearance, so guests flying back to the United States clear customs and immigration in Nassau before departure.
What taxes and permits apply to a Bahamas charter?: Foreign-flagged charter yachts need a Bahamian foreign charter licence and a cruising permit, and the Port Department now collects a single 14 percent charter tax, combining 10 percent VAT and a 4 percent charter levy. Park fees in the Exumas, and a passenger tax for guests entering aboard from Florida, may also apply. The applicable charges are set out before anything is signed.
Can a charter from Nassau include Harbour Island and Eleuthera?: Yes, in the right weather. The route from Spanish Wells to Harbour Island crosses the Devil's Backbone, around five miles of coral heads that captains take, by convention, with a local pilot and in late-morning light, and never in a strong northerly. Yachts berth at Dunmore Town or anchor off it, and Pink Sands Beach runs for about three miles along the Atlantic shore.
When are the busiest weeks in Nassau?: Christmas and New Year. Junkanoo, the Bahamas' great street festival, parades along Bay Street in downtown Nassau on Boxing Day and in the early hours of New Year's Day, and the festive weeks carry a premium over the winter rate across the region. The yachts available for them are committed early, so requests for those dates are best sent well ahead.
What is the weather like for a charter from Nassau?: From December to April the weather is mostly dry, with trade winds of around 10 to 15 knots and water at around 24 to 26 degrees Celsius. Crossings to the Exumas, the Berry Islands or Eleuthera are timed to the forecast. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, with its peak in September.