This Crowd-Free Caribbean Island Boasts Picturesque White-Sand Beaches

When you think of The Bahamas, you likely imagine places like Nassau on New Providence or Georgetown on Great Exuma, but the country is made up of 700 islands. Each is more beautiful than the next, but while The Bahamas features some of the best tropical destinations on the planet, some of the more well-known ones can have lots of tourists. If your version of getting away from it all includes avoiding tourist areas, you may want to consider the crowd-free island of Mayaguana. This is a place with fewer than 400 residents and doesn't have lots of resorts or big-ticket tourist activities like swimming with pigs on Big Major Cay. What it does have, however, is peace and quiet, white-sand beaches, and opportunities to relax in a way you can only do when there is no one else about. 

Mayaguana — which is the only Bahamian island to have an Arawak name — takes a bit of doing to get to. However, the island has a new airport terminal that opened in early 2026. You can generally fly in on Bahamasair from Nassau, though that may require a night in Nassau as the 1.5-hour flights to Mayaguana depart in the morning. You can also take the mail boat from Nassau, but that takes at least two days. Additionally, you can take a private boat, though you do have to go through customs and immigration at your first designated port of entry. It's all part of the price for this kind of seclusion. The weather is warm all year, but you may want to skip summer when the rains are more prevalent.

While some tourists are less inclined to take a Caribbean vacation these days because of rising prices and fuel costs, an unspoiled, peaceful island may be worth more than the cost of the trip. The 110-square-mile Mayaguana is the least-visited island in this Caribbean country. The main settlement is Abraham's Bay, and there is also one at Betsy Bay. You have your pick of picturesque, quiet beaches around the island, including Horse Pond Beach, 10 miles east of Abraham's Bay, where you may find land crabs. You can relax in the sand, look for shells and sand dollars, or do some swimming in the clear water. However, if you want to explore the ocean, this is a great location for diving and snorkeling, with undisturbed reefs and few other swimmers to get in the way. You can also hit Booby Cay, east of Mayaguana, or spot wild goats in Pirate's Well. 

One person on Tripadvisor says, "Mayaguana is a great island to just completely relax. The locals are quite friendly. There are some eco things to do but the main pastime would be fishing." If you don't have a boat along, you can ask a local to take you out, though you can fish from shore as well. You can try your hand at the bonefish flats or catch permit or tarpon. There is spin fishing, fly fishing, and even big-game fishing if you have the equipment. Spearfishing requires specific authorization and is limited to Hawaiian slings or pole spears, without scuba gear. Spearguns are prohibited, as is spearfishing within 200 yards of an Out Island's coast.

On an island this small, there are only a few places to stay. Baycaner Beach Resort in the Pirate's Well area is the main lodging, though you can ask around and negotiate for places to stay when you get there. At Baycaner Beach Resort, rooms cost around $170 per night at the time of this writing, though there are deals for all-inclusive weeklong stays. They have a restaurant, and you can rent some equipment for your leisure activities, like tanks and weights for scuba (though you have to bring the rest), snorkel gear, bikes, canoes, and even vehicles. They'll take you on tours of the island if you ask, to see things like historic areas and old pirate haunts. 

The Baycaner Beach Resort Restaurant & Bar serves three meals a day, as well as cocktails and beverages. Dishes include lots of seafood options, such as land crabs and conch fritters. However, there are other dining spots. Mel's On Da Bay is one such place, known for its conch salad and a weekly fish fry, while TNT Restaurant & Bar has local snacks, crab and rice with cracked conch, and fish salad. Paradise Villas Restaurant & Bar in Abraham's Bay features conch dishes, and locals play dominoes there. You may be able to play as well. Best of all, your pictures of Mayaguana may not have another soul in them besides yourself.