TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Southern Caribbean Grenadines vs Exumas Opinions Please!

Hi Gang!

I need to finalize our Easter trip and I would really appreciate some opinions from those of you who have sailed both the Grenadines and the Exumas. First a little travel history:

The Exuma Islands are the favorite of our family. We have sailed extensively in the Bahamas on our own boat years ago and also on charter cats (Exumas, Eleuthera, Berrys, Grand B, The Raggeds, Rum, Cat, etc). We love the lack of crowds (except in Nassau of course), and the challenge of provisioning is not an issue. Because this will be late March early April the weather in the Bahamas is typically great. If it were a February trip, I would choose the Caribbean. We have been to Puerto Rico and SVI’s and have sailed the USVI, and BVI’s a few times, and I am not interested in going back to the VI’s at this point.

I am planning a 3 week Easter trip, and an awesome option would be our favorite stuff – couple of days at Atlantis, 11 day charter on a cat through the Exumas, then rent a place on one of the Exuma beaches for a few days.

OR, do we try something new and do a one way southerly charter from St Lucia / Vincent and the Grenadines to Grenada?

So what do you think? For those of you that have been both places, what would you choose? - Is it worth skipping our favorite place to try something new in the Caribbean, or stick to what we know will be a great? My boys are 14, 11 and 11 and we love fishing, snorkelling and beaching. Thank you!

Having done both, I would choose the Exumas -- though you can't go wrong with either. I loved the Grenadines, but I ache for the Exumas -- although I will say that the weather last spring was rough. But you know what to expect.

The Grenadines are terrific, and they offer a much more dramatic landscape compared to the Bahamas. Lush green peaks, palm trees, etc. The passages between islands can be longer and more challenging, and the anchorages are a bit more roll-y. There are a handful of Bahama-quality beaches, as well, so you wouldn't be foregoing that. The islanders are more reserved than Bahamians, and I would say that you are a bit safer (crime-wise) in the Bahamas.