Great Exuma

island, The Bahamas

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June 29, 2026

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Great Exuma is a large island in The Bahamas, located in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Exuma Cays, a chain of over 360 islands and cays. Great Exuma, with an area of 61 square miles (158 square km), was settled by American Loyalists during the American Revolution. While cotton plantations were established, they proved uneconomical, and slavery was abolished in 1838. Today, tourism is the primary driver of the island's economy. Many inhabitants also live on Little Exuma. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, established in 1958, protects the area's reefs and uninhabited cays.1

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Exuma Cays
Great Exuma, with an area of 61 square miles (158 square km), was a place of settlement for American loyalists during the American Revolution. Several thousand acres of Great Exuma were granted to the Englishman John Rolle in the late 18th century. The cotton plantations…
Read More
Great Exuma, with an area of 61 square miles (158 square km), was a place of settlement for American loyalists during the American Revolution. Several thousand acres of Great Exuma were granted to the Englishman John Rolle in the late 18th century. The cotton plantations…
Read More