Discover the Heartbeat of the George Town Cruising Regatta

Elizabeth Harbour, located between George Town and Stocking Island, is considered the jewel of the Exumas and centerpiece of George Town cruising life. The harbour is protected from the Atlantic by Stocking Island, acting as a natural breakwater, making it one of the safest and calmest anchorages in The Bahamas. It’s deep enough for sailboats, yachts, and trawlers, with a sandy bottom. Snorkeling and diving on coral heads, blue holes, and reefs offer great underwater exploration. Explore wildlife, stingrays, turtles, dolphins, seabirds, and plenty of fish. Calm water makes for perfect paddle boarding or kayak exploration between anchorages. 

George Town is the capital of the Exumas, on Great Exuma island with Lake Victoria in the center of town. The town area has a government building, customs & immigration office, boat repair & maintenance, rental cars, taxis, golf carts, shops, multiple restaurants, hotels, a hospital, churches, telecommunications offices, etc. It’s also home to Exuma International Airport (GGT) for domestic and international flights. 

Junkanoo is one of the most vibrant and important cultural celebrations in The Bahamas featuring music, dance, costumes, where community all come together. Costumes are elaborate, colorful, and themed. Each Bahamian Junkanoo performing group often competes based on costume design, music, performance. Local George Town, Exuma, Junkanoo groups include The Warriors, The Musical Youth, and The Crusaders. Join the community, cruisers, and visitors for the annual George Town Junkanoo parade taking place in downtown George Town in January. 

Lake Victoria is a small lake in the center of George Town, connected to Elizabeth Harbour via a small short bridge under the High Street area in town. Boats or dinghies can navigate into it under that bridge to access a public dinghy dock for water, and nearby small dock for fuel. 

Stocking Island is a long, narrow island about one mile across Elizabeth Harbour, sheltering George Town from the swells of the Atlantic. Hiking trails run from Northern to Southern Stocking Island. 

Cruisers enjoy these special areas:

Flip Flop Beach — a cruiser hangout with table, fire pit, nature trails located just North of DaSandbar beach bar. 

Monument Hill — an iconic landmark on Stocking Island, originally built as a navigational aid and land marker. At the top of the hill sits a tall white stone obelisk, served as a visual reference for sailors approaching Elizabeth Harbour from the ocean side — you can see it from miles offshore. Start your hike from the Harbour side, the path climbs steadily through low scrub and sandy soil, ending your hike on the Atlantic beach side. From the top, you get panoramic views of Elizabeth Harbour, George Town, and the Atlantic side, one of the best photo spots in the area! 

Honeymoon Beach — a separate, smaller cove just south of Monument Hill before Volleyball Beach/Chat ’N’ Chill. Because it’s less well known, it tends to be quieter and more peaceful. Good for relaxing, picnics, or taking time away from crowds.  

The Hurricane Holes — coves tucked beyond the entrance at Chat N Chill, this area features a blue hole for snorkeling, mangroves lining the shorelines, and a beach. Hole 1 & 2 are more protected areas for cruisers to find a mooring. The Fruit Bowl is the mooring area where cruiser houseboats with creative fruit names are located. This is also an area of calm water for dinghies to pull up on the beach a short walk from our Volleyball Beach Regatta activities. 

Volleyball Beach — located at Chat ‘N’ Chill beach bar & grill, just South of the Fruit Bowl on the beach side. Cruisers join here to enjoy playing volleyball, socializing, an ideal location for several of our Regatta events! A great way to meet fellow cruisers just like you!  

Sand Dollar Beach — south of Volleyball Beach and around the bend of the island, stretching along the harbour side. Its chiller laid back vibe is a favorite of the cruising community. You’ll often see dinghies pulled up on the sand and people socializing under the shade.

The Art Trail — path created by cruisers who use found materials like driftwood, buoys, shells, debris and natural items to make small art installations along a walking trail. It starts at Sand Dollar Beach with a Cruiser Shack with picnic tables and fire pit. The art on the hiking trail leads all the way to the Atlantic side. 

Regatta History

George Town Cruising Regatta was established around 1982. We’ve been embraced by the local community, and support all efforts to preserve and protect the environment. We’ve formed into a cruising community family with a strong history creating what it is today!  Each morning in season, there’s a VHF cruiser’s net at 8am on channel 72, with local announcements, weather, and social updates. We invite all cruisers to come to the area, participate in our Regatta, the George Town Cruisers’ Net, and join us in the fun.