Best Time to Visit Exuma: Weather and Water by Month
The best time to visit Exuma is December to April, the dry season. See weather by month, sea temperatures from 76°F to 85°F, winter fronts and hurricane dates.
The best time to visit Exuma is December through April, the Bahamas’ dry season, when rain is scarce and the breeze is at its freshest. For a crewed week in the Exuma Cays, that window runs from the holiday carnival at Staniel Cay to the April sloop races in George Town.
George Town, Exuma’s main settlement, sits on Great Exuma just north of the Tropic of Cancer, in the central Bahamas. Exuma has no official climate normals of its own. The Bahamas files 1991-2020 normals with the World Meteorological Organization for a single station, the airport in Nassau, about 130 nautical miles to the northwest (NOAA NCEI, 2023).
When is the best time to visit Exuma?
The best time to visit Exuma is December through April. At Nassau, the nearest official station, those five months average just over a quarter of the monthly rain of June to September. April and May are the sunniest months of the year, at 282 hours of sunshine each (WMO 1991-2020 normals, NOAA NCEI, 2023).
The year divides into these seasons:
- December to April: the driest and breeziest stretch, with the coolest air and water of the year. Winter cold fronts reach the islands in these months and swing the wind around to the north.
- May and June: the water warms quickly and the rain returns.
- July to October: the hottest air and the warmest sea, with the lightest wind in August and September.
- November: the last month of the hurricane season, with the rain falling back toward winter levels and the trade wind filling in again.
Exuma weather by month
Exuma’s weather by month changes far more in rain than in heat. At Nassau, average daily highs move only 12°F between January and August, while the number of days with rain more than triples from February to August (WMO 1991-2020 normals, NOAA NCEI, 2023). The sea warms later than the air and peaks in late summer.
| Month | Air high / low (°F, Nassau) | Rain (in, Nassau) | Days with rain (Nassau) | Sea (°F, central Exumas) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79 / 65 | 1.8 | 7 | 76 |
| February | 80 / 65 | 1.9 | 5 | 76 |
| March | 81 / 66 | 2.1 | 6 | 76 |
| April | 84 / 70 | 2.9 | 7 | 78 |
| May | 86 / 72 | 5.5 | 10 | 80 |
| June | 89 / 76 | 8.7 | 15 | 83 |
| July | 91 / 77 | 6.2 | 16 | 84 |
| August | 91 / 77 | 8.3 | 18 | 85 |
| September | 90 / 76 | 7.7 | 17 | 85 |
| October | 87 / 74 | 5.9 | 13 | 83 |
| November | 83 / 70 | 3.4 | 9 | 80 |
| December | 80 / 67 | 1.7 | 7 | 78 |
Sources: air, rain and rain days (1 mm or more) from the WMO 1991-2020 climate normals for Nassau, Lynden Pindling International Airport (WMO 78073), archived by NOAA NCEI; sea surface temperature from NOAA OISST v2.1, 1991-2020 monthly means over the central Exumas (23.5-24.25°N, 75.75-76.5°W, a box that takes in the cays, the banks to the west and part of Exuma Sound), NOAA PSL. Converted to °F and inches by Vital Charters.
See which crewed yachts are free in the Exumas on your dates.
How warm is the water in Exuma?
The sea around the central Exumas warms about 9°F over the year, from a January-to-March low to an August and September peak, in NOAA’s 1991-2020 satellite record (NOAA OISST, 2026). Those figures average a box that takes in the cays, the shallow banks to the west and part of Exuma Sound to the east.
In winter the sea is warmer than the night air. Nassau’s January low is well below the temperature of the sea around the cays, so you’ll want a light layer on deck in the evening, even after an afternoon swim that felt warm.
If you feel the cold, pack a thin wetsuit top for a winter snorkel through Thunderball Grotto, the cave beside Staniel Cay.
What do the trade winds and winter fronts mean aboard?
The trade wind decides where the yacht spends each night. The Bahamas lie “within the area of direct NE trade winds influence” (NGA Sailing Directions, Pub. 147, 2016). Exuma’s cays run between Exuma Sound and the shallow Great Bahama Bank to the west, so in the usual east wind the crew anchors in a cay’s lee, on the bank side.
Measured ashore at Nassau’s airport, the breeze averages 7 to 8 knots from November to April and under 6 knots in August and September (WMO 1991-2020 normals, 2023).
Winter brings the northers. The same Sailing Directions say “northers of diminished strength” reach the northwest Bahamas, and they call a Long Island harbor across the sound “much exposed during the winter months” (NGA Pub. 147, 2016). When a front swings the wind into the north or northwest, the crew moves the yacht to a sheltered anchorage or into a marina such as Compass Cay for the night.
When is hurricane season in Exuma?
Hurricane season in Exuma is the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center puts its peak on September 10, “with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October” (NOAA National Hurricane Center, 2026).
June, July and November fall outside that busiest stretch. The season runs on the same dates across the whole Atlantic basin, so it shapes the best time to charter in the Caribbean as well.
Watches and warnings for the islands come from the Bahamas Department of Meteorology (met.gov.bs), and the captain plans each day’s route around the forecast.
What’s on in Exuma through the year?
Exuma’s events run from the Staniel Cay Yacht Club’s holiday carnival to the Black Point Regatta on Emancipation weekend. Each April, Bahamian-built sloops race in five classes in Elizabeth Harbour, off George Town, at the National Family Island Regatta. The 70th ran April 21 to 25, 2026 (ZNS Bahamas, 2026). The 2027 dates hadn’t been announced when we checked in November 2026.
The rest of the Exuma calendar, from December:
- Winter Carnival, Staniel Cay (December 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027): ten days of events at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, with a pirate party on December 29. On December 30 there’s a “Longest Drive” golf contest with floating balls, and on December 31 a New Year’s Eve dinner (Staniel Cay Yacht Club, 2026).
- Wahoo Blitz, Staniel Cay (February 11 to 14, 2027): the yacht club’s annual offshore wahoo fishing tournament (Staniel Cay Yacht Club, 2026).
- George Town Cruising Regatta (February 17 to March 3, 2027): two weeks of races, a poker run, a dinghy parade and beach games in Elizabeth Harbour. The regatta raises money for local community and youth programs (George Town Cruising Regatta, 2026).
- Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival, George Town (March): rake-and-scrape bands, traditional games, crafts and food at Regatta Park. The 20th festival ran March 13 and 14, 2026 (ZNS Bahamas, 2026).
- Independence Day, Staniel Cay (July 10): the yacht club marks Bahamas Independence Day with “a full day dedicated to local food, music, and tradition” (Staniel Cay Yacht Club, 2026).
- Black Point Regatta, Great Guana Cay (Emancipation weekend): native sloops racing off Black Point, with food stalls and a Junkanoo rush-out. The 2025 regatta ran from July 31 to August 4 (ZNS Bahamas, 2025).
Which Exuma highlights change with the seasons?
Bahamian spiny lobster, called crawfish locally, is the Exuma highlight with an official season. It’s open from August 1 to March 31 and closed from April 1 to July 31, which “corresponds to the peak breeding time for the species” (Bahamas Trade Info, 2024).
We couldn’t find an official source that gives the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay a season. A February visit and a July visit differ in the weather and the water around the beach.
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park doesn’t change with the calendar either. The Bahamas National Trust runs it as a no-take zone in every month, where “nothing living or dead may be removed” (Bahamas National Trust, 2020), so shells from the park’s beaches stay on the beach.
Choosing the best time to visit Exuma for your group
December through April is the best time to visit Exuma for most groups, since those are the dry months in Nassau’s 1991-2020 normals (WMO, NOAA NCEI, 2023). June and July suit groups who want warm water, and they come before the hurricane season’s busiest weeks (NOAA National Hurricane Center, 2026). Two dates on the calendar can decide it too:
- Holiday weeks: Christmas to New Year, around the Staniel Cay carnival.
- Bahamian sloop racing: late April in George Town, once the regatta dates are out.
Tell us your month and group size and we’ll match you with a crewed yacht for the Exumas. The yacht search at Vital Charters shows which yachts are free on those dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is December a good time to visit Exuma?
Yes, for dry weather: December opens the dry season. It’s Nassau’s least sunny month, though, averaging 217 hours of sunshine (WMO 1991-2020 normals, 2023), and the hours climb through the winter to a spring high.
Which month gets the most rain in Exuma?
The wet months run from June into the autumn, but the sources disagree on the single wettest one. Nassau’s 1991-2020 normals put June first, with August close behind. The NGA’s Sailing Directions name September for the northwest Bahamas and November for the southeast (NGA Pub. 147, 2016), and Exuma lies between those two groups of islands.
Is the water warmer in Exuma or the BVI in winter?
If you’re weighing a BVI or Bahamas yacht charter for a winter week, the BVI’s water is warmer. In February and March, NOAA’s 1991-2020 record puts the sea around the British Virgin Islands at 79°F, about 3°F above the central Exumas (NOAA OISST, 2026).
Is the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park open all year?
As far as its rules go, yes: they set no seasonal closures, and Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines “are stationed at Warderick Wells all year round” (Bahamas National Trust, 2021). The park office at Warderick Wells lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays (Bahamas National Trust, 2026).
Plan an Exuma week in the dry season.
Tell us your dates and group size, and we’ll shortlist crewed yachts cruising the Exumas that week.
