Cruisers Beach derives its name from the sailing and cruising community that gathers at this anchorage location on Big Majors Cay in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas, where the beach serves as an end-of-day social hangout for sailors exploring the archipelago. Located on Big Majors Cay, positioned in the northern Exuma Cays approximately 80 miles southeast of Nassau, the beach occupies the second cove from the northern end of the small uninhabited island. Big Majors Cay achieved international fame for its population of swimming pigs that paddle out to visiting boats seeking food, creating one of the Bahamas' most unusual and photographed tourist attractions that began in the 1990s when farmers released pigs on the uninhabited island. The Exuma Cays comprise a 365-island chain stretching over 130 miles through the central Bahamas, with crystal-clear turquoise waters so vivid their color remains visible from space. The area's development as a yachting destination accelerated during the 1950s and 1960s when wealthy Americans including industrialists and celebrities discovered the islands' pristine beaches, excellent fishing, and protected anchorages ideal for extended cruising. Staniel Cay, the nearest inhabited island located approximately 2 miles south, provides services, fuel, restaurants, and supplies for cruisers anchoring near Big Majors Cay. The establishment of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in 1958 as the world's first marine protected area created a no-fishing, no-collecting zone preserving coral reefs and marine ecosystems across 176 square miles of the northern cays, contributing to the exceptional underwater visibility and abundant marine life that attracts divers and snorkelers worldwide.
Cruisers Beach offers pristine Bahamian natural beauty with powdery white sand composed of pulverized coral and shells, lapped by shallow turquoise waters exhibiting the characteristic clarity of the Bahamas' limestone platform environment. The beach provides an ideal gathering spot for cruising sailors to anchor their boats offshore, dinghy to the beach, and socialize with fellow travelers at sunset while sharing sailing stories and route information. The surrounding anchorage attracts numerous nurse sharks that swim peacefully among anchored boats and near swimmers, creating unique snorkeling opportunities to observe these gentle sharks in their natural habitat. The beach's location on uninhabited Big Majors Cay means no facilities, services, or development exist—visitors must be completely self-sufficient with supplies aboard their boats. Swimming conditions prove excellent with calm, protected waters and sandy bottoms extending from shore, while the shallow depth allows wading considerable distances from the beach. Snorkeling around the rocky points flanking the beach reveals colorful reef fish, sea fans, and coral formations characteristic of Bahamian waters. The famous swimming pigs inhabit beaches elsewhere on Big Majors Cay, with tour operators bringing visitors from Great Exuma, Staniel Cay, and cruise ships to feed and photograph the pigs, though Cruisers Beach itself maintains a quieter atmosphere focused on the sailing community. Birdwatching opportunities include Brown Pelicans diving for fish, Magnificent Frigatebirds soaring overhead, and various shorebirds foraging along the waterline. The beach's exposure provides spectacular sunset views across the cays with unobstructed western horizons creating brilliant evening light displays. Evening bonfire gatherings occasionally occur when cruisers organize beach parties, fostering the community atmosphere that characterizes the live-aboard sailing culture in the Exumas. The beach's social function as a cruiser gathering spot creates a welcoming environment where experienced sailors share local knowledge with newcomers, discussing weather patterns, anchorage conditions, and recommended stops throughout the cays.
Cruisers Beach on uninhabited Big Majors Cay offers no on-site dining facilities, with provisioned cruisers preparing meals aboard their boats or dining at restaurants on nearby Staniel Cay, approximately 2 miles south by dinghy. Staniel Cay Yacht Club provides fine dining at Sea Level restaurant with sweeping views of the Exuma blues, serving Bahamian lobster tail with drawn butter (market price, typically 5-60 depending on season), conch fritters with spicy aioli, and grouper fingers with tartar sauce, with advance dinner reservations required for two seating times. The Captain's Lounge at the yacht club offers casual dining operating since 1956, with cracked conch, Bahamian mac and cheese, and rum punch cocktails in a laid-back island atmosphere for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Flyin' Pig Cafe on Staniel Cay serves breakfast and lunch from 8am to 3pm with freshly roasted coffee, breakfast sandwiches with eggs and bacon, conch salad, and fish tacos, representing the island's only dedicated coffee shop. Big Dog's restaurant functions as a local hangout with home-style Bahamian dishes including fried snapper with peas and rice, chicken souse (traditional Bahamian soup, 2), and johnnycakes, served in generous portions. Hill House on nearby Fowl Cay provides upscale dining perched atop one of the highest points in the area with panoramic cay views, offering seared mahi-mahi with mango salsa, grilled Bahamian lobster, and coconut shrimp, with dinner reservations required though lunch serves villa guests only. Cruisers typically provision at Georgetown on Great Exuma before exploring the cays, supplementing boat provisions with occasional restaurant meals at Staniel Cay while enjoying beach gatherings at Cruisers Beach with fellow sailors sharing the cruising lifestyle in this spectacular Bahamian paradise.
