Exuma

Just 56km (35 miles) southeast of Nassau, this 588km- (365-mile-) long string of islands and cays -- most of them uninhabited -- is the great yachting hub of The Bahamas, rivaling or even surpassing Abaco. These waters, some of the prettiest in The Bahamas, are also ideal for fishers (bonefishers especially). Many secluded beaches open onto tranquil cays. Daily flights service the Exumas from both Nassau and Miami.

This island chain's commercial center is George Town on Great Exuma, while the Exuma National Land and Sea Park -- protected by The Bahamas National Trust -- encompasses much of the coastline. The park is accessible only by boat and is one of the major natural wonders and sightseeing destinations of The Bahamas, with an abundance of undersea life, reefs, blue holes, and shipwrecks. Portions of the James Bond thriller Thunderball were filmed at Staniel Cay.

Each year in April, George Town hosts the interisland Family Island Regatta, a major event on the yachting calendar. A big new Four Seasons resort and gold course opened in 2003 at Emerald Bay in Great Exuma, bringing a new crowd here; there are also a few good inns centered mainly at George Town; and the locals are very hospitable. Otherwise, you'll practically have the archipelago to yourself.