• Overview map locating Highbourne Cay in the northern Exuma Cays, The Bahamas.

    Island Overview Map

    Get your bearings around Highbourne Cay and the surrounding coast.
  • White cabin cruiser with navy canvas and hanging fenders beside a wooden dock, with turquoise water and low coastal vegetation behind.

    Marina & Waterfront

    Sunlight ripples across the cruiser’s hull beside weathered dock boards, with a coil of line marking the step between boat and shore.
  • Stern view of a sailboat motoring toward a low limestone shoreline, with one person at the helm beneath a blue canopy.

    Harbor Approach

    With the sails tucked away, the last stretch toward shore leaves a narrow wake and time to take in the cay’s low, green profile.

Why This Harbor Matters

Highbourne Cay gives an Exumas cruise a useful place to pause near the northern end of the island chain. For sailors and powerboaters coming from Nassau or continuing between the cays, its appeal begins with the ability to attend to the boat and still make something of the day ashore. A stop here can serve the itinerary without feeling entirely consumed by it.

The island has a different rhythm from a settlement harbor. Highbourne is privately owned, and the marina provides the practical connection between visiting vessels and the island beyond. Its beaches add a reason to step away from the dock: time ashore can become part of the visit rather than an errand squeezed between passages.

Keep the island, marina and surrounding waters distinct when choosing how to stay. A berth brings access to marina guest amenities; a visit from a tender requires landing approval. The marina’s naturally sheltered setting is one of its strengths, but that description should not decide where a boat spends the night elsewhere around the cay.

Highbourne also marks a change in the kind of cruising day you can plan. The wider Exumas offer park visits and island stops that reward leaving room in the schedule. With redevelopment affecting parts of Highbourne’s facilities from fall 2026, a conversation with the marina before booking will help shape a visit around what is available during your stay.

Harbor Snapshot

Country The Bahamas
Region The Exumas
Harbor Type Private island with a marina
Primary Cruising Role Marina-supported island visit and onward Exumas cruising
Best Known For Marina services and beaches in the northern Exumas
Protection Naturally sheltered marina; assess surrounding anchorages separately
Provisioning Highbourne Store for groceries and basic supplies
Fuel & Water Fuel, fresh water, ice and shore power at the marina
Customs & Immigration Not a port of entry; clear at an appropriate entry port before arrival
Typical Stay Day visit or overnight marina stay
Cruising Importance A service stop linking Nassau-based cruising with the Exuma Cays

Cruising Highlights

At-a-glance features that define the cruising experience at this harbor.

Make the berth work for your visit

Make the berth work for your visit

  • Reserve marina dockage ahead
  • Discuss your vessel’s requirements with the marina
  • Use guest showers and laundry during a berth stay
  • Ask about work affecting your planned dates
Put the boat’s needs in order

Put the boat’s needs in order

  • Arrange fuel before the next cruising leg
  • Plan fresh-water and ice purchases
  • Discuss shore-power requirements when booking
  • Separate supply stops from specialist repair needs
Give the shore its own time

Give the shore its own time

  • Request approval before landing by tender
  • Ask which beaches you may visit
  • Combine store errands with a meal ashore
  • Leave time beyond the marina for an island walk
Plan beyond Highbourne

Plan beyond Highbourne

  • Use Nassau as a wider cruising connection
  • Consider Shroud Cay for an onward park visit
  • Include Warderick Wells in broader Exumas planning
  • Allow separate passage time for farther-south Staniel Cay

Explore Highbourne Cay

Overhead view of nurse sharks in clear turquoise water beside a wooden dock with visitors, a roofed shelter and a moored tender.
Overhead view of nurse sharks in clear turquoise water beside a wooden dock with visitors, a roofed shelter and a moored tender.
A woman in the water holds a boat’s boarding ladder while laughing with a seated man holding a yellow swim fin.
A woman in the water holds a boat’s boarding ladder while laughing with a seated man holding a yellow swim fin.
Gray inflatable dinghy with its outboard raised at a sandy beach, beside sandals and a canvas bag, with a sailboat offshore.
Gray inflatable dinghy with its outboard raised at a sandy beach, beside sandals and a canvas bag, with a sailboat offshore.
Brad / Adobe Stock - stock.adobe.com · Adobe Stock Standard License. Cropped to 1800 × 1200 pixels and optimized as WebP. Slightly upscaled from the supplied JPEG. Original capture date unknown.

Nearby Harbors

Discover the natural next stops for your cruise, whether you are looking for customs clearance, protected anchorages, marina services, or planning your next passage.

Nassau

Nassau

Nassau gives a Bahamas cruise a useful urban interlude: a place to replenish the boat, arrange marina time and step ashore into the capital’s history. Its harbor lies between New Providence and Paradise Island, bringing two distinct waterfronts into one boating visit.

Explore Harbor →
Warderick Wells

Warderick Wells

Warderick Wells puts the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park at the center of a boating visit. The park headquarters is here, and its moorings give cruising crews a base for exploring an island whose appeal extends well beyond the view from the boat.

Explore Harbor →
Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay gives an Exumas cruise a place to bring the practical and memorable parts of the trip together. A marina, rental moorings and island shops support life aboard, while an outing to Thunderball Grotto adds something beyond the next fuel or grocery stop.

Explore Harbor →
Elizabeth Harbour

Elizabeth Harbour

Elizabeth Harbour brings two valuable parts of an Exuma cruise together: a town where the boat can be replenished and an island shore where the crew can settle into life beyond the cockpit. Around George Town on Great Exuma, everyday shopping and marina support give a stop practical purpose.

Explore Harbor →
Highbourne Cay Harbor Collection keepsake

Harbor Collection

Celebrate This Harbor

Every harbor tells a story. Create a personalized Harbor Collection keepsake to remember your time in Highbourne Cay, from moments on the water to a favorite stop ashore and the people who shared the journey.

Four Timeless Designs

Home Port Favorite Harbor Harbor Memory Coordinates

Celebrate

  • Boat Name
  • Harbor Name
  • Year Visited
  • Coordinates (Optional)
  • Design Style
  • Personal Message (Optional)

Crafted to Last

  • Premium Acacia Hardwood
  • Precision Laser Engraving
  • Food-Safe Finish
  • Made in the USA
Shop Harbor Collection

Frequently Asked Questions

Find practical answers to common questions about visiting Highbourne Cay, including harbor facilities, shoreside services, trip planning, and what boaters should confirm before arrival.

Do I need a marina berth to visit Highbourne Cay by dinghy? +
A tender visit does not necessarily require an overnight berth, but you must obtain landing approval. Contact Highbourne before using the floating tender dock and explain whether you intend to shop, dine or spend time ashore.
Can I walk to the beaches from Highbourne Cay Marina? +
Yes, the island’s beaches are within walking distance of the marina. Highbourne is privately owned, so ask the operator which beaches and areas are available to you during your visit.
Is Highbourne Store suitable for restocking the boat? +
Yes, it sells groceries and basic supplies, including dry goods and fresh produce. Treat it as a useful restocking stop and arrange larger or specific orders ahead rather than relying on the day’s shelf stock.
Can I clear into The Bahamas at Highbourne Cay? +
No. Highbourne Cay Marina is not a port of entry, so complete international clearance at an appropriate designated entry port before arriving. Arrange clearance independently of your Highbourne berth booking.
What should I ask about before booking during the redevelopment? +
Ask whether work affects your berth, shore access, restaurant or store during your dates. Marina and island improvements were announced to begin in fall 2026, with continued visitor operation planned; new facilities should not be assumed available simply because they have been announced.
Does Highbourne Cay fit a cruise from Nassau into the Exumas? +
Yes. Nassau-based recreational cruising itineraries include Highbourne alongside stops such as Shroud Cay, Warderick Wells and Staniel Cay. Use those relationships to shape the trip, allowing passage time appropriate to your own sailboat or powerboat rather than adopting a power-charter schedule unchanged.

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Harbor Collection personalized nautical keepsake

Personalized Keepsake

Harbor Collection

Celebrate your favorite harbor, home port, or unforgettable sailing adventure with a personalized Harbor Collection keepsake.

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© 2026 Fern Valley Supply Company,

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