Bucket List Trip: Island Hopping over the Bahamas

We were a small group of friends with three aircraft: two Piper PA-28s and a Cessna 182. I flew one of them myself.

The distance looks almost harmless: the first islands are only around 50 nautical miles off the Florida coast. Beyond them begins another world of turquoise lagoons, reefs and sandbanks.

Our first landing in the Bahamas was Chubb Cay in the Berry Islands. The island was our airport of entry, so the trip began with customs and immigration.

Since then a Texan oil billionaire has bought Chubb Cay. Anyone who wants to visit the island today has to become a member and first pay 60,000 US dollars. We therefore plan our trips with a different airport of entry.

From Chubb Cay we flew on to North Eleuthera. There we took the boat across to Harbour Island, because we wanted to see the famous Pink Sands Beach. The colors are simply incredible: the sand really does shimmer pink, and the water in front of it glows turquoise.

The crossing from Eleuthera is short. On the island, Dunmore Town awaits with its small historic houses, and everything is close at hand.

From North Eleuthera we continued to Norman's Cay. The island seems peaceful today, but it has a wild past. In the late 1970s it was a hub of Pablo Escobar's Medellín cartel: from here the planes flew cocaine into the USA.

An aircraft wreck from that time still lies in the shallow water off the island. The pilot had probably miscalculated his weight and balance, or was forced to load the aircraft too heavily. For pilots it is a special sight: on the approach the wreck lies clearly visible beneath the surface.

From Norman's Cay we flew to Staniel Cay. The Exumas are the heart of this route, because nowhere else are so many highlights so close together. Staniel Cay is the ideal base.

We reached Big Major Cay by boat from Staniel Cay. This is home to the famous swimming pigs. It sounds like a marketing gimmick, until the animals really do swim towards you through the water.

Thunderball Grotto lay on the way back, so we took a look while we were there. The cave became famous through the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. You swim in, and my tip: it is easier at low tide. Inside, light falls through the openings in the rock onto turquoise water.

Dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club is a must. Book yourself a table there, it is simply brilliant.

From Staniel Cay we flew on to Little Farmer's Cay. Here you land, walk through a garden gate and find yourself right on the beach. Where else in the world can you do that?

For me this moment shows why flying yourself is so worthwhile here. There is no long transfer. Between the parked aircraft and the crystal clear water there are only a few steps.

Long Island lies further to the southeast and is much quieter than the better known islands. Stella Maris is our base here, with palm trees and long beaches.

The real natural spectacle awaits near Clarence Town. Right next to the beach, Dean's Blue Hole drops to around 202 meters and is one of the deepest blue holes in the world. Freedivers from all over the world train here and compete in championships. The contrast is best seen from the air: an almost black-blue circle in the middle of the turquoise.

You can experience this trip with us: twelve days in the Bahamas and Florida in a Cessna 182, at the controls or as a passenger.