Starting some 20 miles south east of the island of New Providence, and Nassau, the Exumas consist of a chain of 365 islands strewn over a 100 mile expanse of the most breathtakingly beautiful stretch of waters in the Bahamas

Most of the cays are unpopulated. The chain ends with two large islands, Great Exuma, and Little Exuma, some 40 miles and 20 miles long respectively. Modern history of the Exumas dates to 1783, when American Loyalists, remaining true to the British king after the United States won the American Revolutionary War, resumed their former way of life in these islands, complete with cotton plantations and African slaves. Remnants of these plantations still remain. The major landowner was Lord John Rolle.

When he freed his slaves in 1835, he bequeathed his land to them for life. Several towns are named after him and many of the people in The Exumas bear the name of "Rolle". Shore attraction In line with the Bahamian Government policy there has been a lot of interest in developing outside investment and the tourist trade in Exuma, which is arguably the prettiest of the Bahamian Islands.

Tourist activities include fishing (there are a number of guides for fly-fishing for Bonefish on the extensive sand flats which surround the island), snorkelling, boating and yachting (an annual regatta takes place every April). Stocking Island, with its expansive sandy beaches and bordering Elizabeth Harbour on the Atlantic shore, is a local attraction. There are also countless other pristine sandy beaches around the Islands, some of which are so isolated that they are only approachable by boat.

Eco-development
Over the last five years there has been considerable development on Exuma, in terms of attracting more visitors, this includes the construction of a Greg Norman designed Golf Course, and several very high end multi-million dollar home developments, along with a Four Seasons Hotel Resort. The Cays development, owned and operated by an ex-pat, Norman Wells, a former Technology Consultant, from East Sussex, has however taken a different approach. Starting five years ago, Wells, an ardent conservationist, and fanatical fly-fisherman, built a small eco-friendly development with three bedroom, three bathroom colonial style houses, on the shore of a shallow bay, where the sunsets have to be seen to be believed. This beautiful development boasts a swimming pool, beach area, Tiki Bar, dock, and small harbour, with kayaks available for use by owners.

There is a small monthly community maintenance charge to maintain these facilities. Wells says "I came here to fly-fish for Bonefish, semi retire, and get away from the Rat Race, but got carried away. I have however, blended the natural surroundings with the need for affordable, modern and comfortable holiday and investment homes". Property pricing With the exception of one larger property for sale at $1,000,000, the properties are all priced at under $500,000. A property management service is also available; to provide both long and short term rentals, if owners wish.