Most visitors reach Exuma by air, and the first decision is which airport to use. Exuma International Airport (GGT), on Great Exuma, is the practical gateway for George Town, the rest of Great Exuma, and Little Exuma. Staniel Cay Airport (TYM) is the gateway for Staniel Cay and the central cays. They are not interchangeable.
Airline routes to small Bahamian islands change with the season, sometimes from one year to the next. Use this page as an overview, then confirm flights on the airline’s own site before you book lodging you cannot change. Check prices for flights, and read Where to Stay if you are still choosing a base.
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Flying into Exuma International Airport (GGT)
GGT is the main airport for Great Exuma, a short drive from George Town. It is the simplest arrival if you are staying on Great Exuma or Little Exuma: you land, collect a taxi or a rental car, and you are already on the island with most of the hotels, villas, and restaurants.
As of late 2026, recent schedule data and airline announcements have shown nonstop service to GGT on the following routes. Always re-check, because frequencies rise and fall, and tourism pages can lag behind real schedules:
- American Airlines, from Miami (MIA) and Charlotte (CLT). Winter schedules from Miami are often the most frequent of the U.S. routes; Charlotte has typically been more limited.
- Delta Air Lines, from Atlanta (ATL), usually as seasonal service rather than a year-round daily flight.
- Air Canada, from Toronto (YYZ), typically in the winter season.
- Bahamasair, from Nassau (NAS) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
- Western Air, from Nassau (NAS), a useful connection if you arrive in the capital first.
Smaller operators, including Aztec Airways, have also served Fort Lauderdale–Exuma at times, on a scheduled or charter basis. Silver Airways, which older tourism pages may still list, ceased operations in June 2025 and should not be part of a current plan.
If there is no convenient nonstop from your home airport, the usual path is a connection through Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, or Nassau (Lynden Pindling International Airport, NAS). Build a comfortable connection, especially later in the day. Out-island flights are easier to miss than to recover, and GGT is not a hub with hourly backup flights. Check prices for flights to GGT.
Flying into Staniel Cay (TYM)
Staniel Cay Airport is a small airstrip for the central cays, not a second terminal for Great Exuma. Fly here if you are staying on Staniel Cay, Fowl Cay, Compass Cay, or nearby, and you want to avoid a long boat day just to reach your bed.
Makers Air operates scheduled service between Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) — a different airport from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) — and Staniel Cay, and also offers private charters. The official page has listed daily scheduled flights; times and fares change, so book directly and read current travel notices. The flight is a small-aircraft hop, not a mainline jet arrival.
From Nassau, Titan Air and Flamingo Air have offered scheduled service to Staniel Cay on small propeller aircraft, typically in about half an hour, during daylight hours. Schedules change, and some flights operate only on certain days. Confirm on the airline’s booking page, and do not cut a Nassau connection tight: Out Island flying in The Bahamas is generally limited to daylight, and there are no routine night arrivals at Staniel Cay.
If you fly into GGT and then want to reach Staniel Cay, you are looking at a long boat transfer, a charter flight, or a routing back through Nassau, not a quick taxi. Plan the arrival to match the stay. For lodging in the cays, see Where to Stay.
Ferries and mail boats
There is no regular passenger ferry that most visitors would use instead of a flight to George Town. Bahamas Ferries, the main inter-island ferry company, states that its service from Nassau to George Town is currently freight only, and that it does not sail to Big Major Cay, home of the swimming pigs.
Mail boats from Nassau’s Potter’s Cay have historically carried passengers and cargo to parts of the Exumas, but schedules and whether a given sailing takes travelers are not a fixed timetable. If you are considering a mail boat, confirm the departure locally, allow a great deal of time, and understand that this is a utilitarian cargo run, not a cruise. For nearly everyone, flying is the practical way in.
Once you are on Great Exuma, water taxis connect George Town with Stocking Island and other nearby harbor points. Agree on the pickup and return before you go.
Getting around after you land
On Great Exuma and Little Exuma, a rental car is the most flexible way to reach beaches, groceries, and a villa that is not in the middle of George Town. You drive on the left, and Queen’s Highway is a single main road with occasional tight stretches. Book the car before you fly, especially in high season, and confirm pickup at GGT. Check prices for rental cars at GGT.
Taxis are available at the airport and can be arranged for hotels and villas. If you do not want to drive, a pre-booked transfer is often less stressful than hoping for a cab at a late arrival. We can also help arrange a transfer if you plan your trip with us.
On Staniel Cay, you will not need a conventional rental car. Golf carts and boats are the usual ways around, and many stays are close to the marina. Boats and charters are how you reach the pigs, the grotto, and the neighboring cays; see Things to Do. Check prices for tours if you are arriving via Great Exuma instead.
Documents, money, and a little insurance
You will need a valid passport to enter The Bahamas. Entry rules can depend on your nationality, the length of your stay, and current policy, so check official immigration guidance before you travel rather than relying on a summary in a guide. The Bahamian dollar is pegged one-to-one with the U.S. dollar, and U.S. dollars are widely accepted; still, it is useful to have small bills for taxis, water taxis, and beach stands.
A week in Exuma is a week of flights, small-aircraft or boat connections, and weather. Compare a travel-insurance policy against your airline and lodging cancellation terms, especially in hurricane season (June through November) or if a boat day is the centerpiece of the trip. Check prices for travel insurance.
If your itinerary is more complicated than a single GGT arrival — a few nights on Great Exuma and a few in the cays, a villa stocking, a private charter — plan your trip with us, and we will help you line up the pieces.