George Town is a funny little place and every cruiser has an opinion about it. Some folks leave home and buzz on down to G-Town for the whole entire winter. No Land and Sea Park, no piggies at Staniel, no laundry at Black Point, they just head for G-Town. Others refuse to even enter the harbor because they don’t “do” organized cruising. And some of us are intrigued and insist on forming our own opinion of the place.

George Town has been accurately described as “day camp for adults.” During peak season, each day is jam packed with organized activities, pot lucks, and informal get-togethers at Volleyball Beach all outlined clearly during the structured Cruiser’s Net every morning at 8 am on channel 72. As a teacher, George Town feels strangely like a culminating activity after a long, intense unit in cruising.

The geography of George Town is interesting in itself. It is really made up of 2 places, Stocking Island and George Town proper on Great Exuma Island. Stocking Island is the cruiser’s side. There is a bar/restaurant named Chat ‘N Chill, a ton of nice beaches, lots of hiking trails, a few resorts, and infinite places to tie or beach your dinghy. It’s also where many of the organized activities take place. When we first arrived in George Town, there was free yoga every morning at 8:45. You had me at free yoga ;) Across the harbor is George Town, a real city with real Bahamians. It has the largest grocery store we’ve seen in the Exumas; consistent access to propane; a butcher (ask JR about the meat truck); free R.O. water; a nice bar with Wi-Fi; a nice, long pier for dinghy tie-up; and lots of other fun, city-like, cruiser-friendly stuff. In between Stocking Island and Georgetown is Elizabeth Harbor with a ton of anchorages for all of your directional, social, and weather needs.  Here’s a map of George Town.  The sailboats signify the places we anchored while there.  The town of George Town is in the yellow box to the left :)

George Town

When we finally made it to George Town, peak season was over. So although we did make it to a few of the organized activities, they dwindled quickly. We really enjoyed our time in George Town. If we wanted to be near town, Kidd’s Cove was super convenient. If we wanted to be social, we could head to Volleyball Beach. If we wanted to be on our own or wanted better protection from cold fronts, Red Shanks was right around the corner. If we wanted to beach and hike, Monument or Sand Dollar was the place to be. We reunited with friends we had met all over the east coast and down the Exumas, and shared stories of familiar places. We also met lots of new friends because you run into cruisers everywhere!

Some of the highlights of George Town are as follows:

• The meat truck (ask JR about it)
• A big ol’ Batelco store (looks like a Best Buy Mobile)
• Freediving class given by a world record-holding chic (and really nice young cruisers)!
• We met Anthyllide <3
• It’s a good place for having visitors!
• Eddie’s Edgewater has great wi-fi and a fun dancin’ time at the Rake and Scrape on Monday night!
• 3 cold Kaliks for $5.50 at the John Marshall liquor store (right before the Shell gas station)
• 2 awesome grocery stores!
• $30 bikinis (both pieces!) at Sandpiper Gift Shop :)
• We re-ran into Sea Major, Summertime Rolls, White Pepper, and Adamant
• Tons of anchorages like Peace & Plenty, Kidd’s Cove, Red Shanks, Sand Dollar Beach, Hamburger Beach, Volleyball Beach, Monument Beach, Goat Cay, Crab Cay, and February Point just to name a few :)
• The town folk are super nice (but they have been all over the Bahamas)
• Chat ‘N Chill’s cole slaw is delicious.
• Fish Fry Village was pretty poppin’ and the food was yummy.
• There are resorts scattered around if you want a resort day or a fancier restaurant.
• The beach walking on the ocean side is incredible.
• Basket weaving opportunities!
• FREE beach yoga (as long as Suzanne is there :)
• Good snorkeling spots spread out around the harbor!

Here are a million and one pics of our time in George Town. If you feel like they are lacking in the George Town proper department, please see this post from when my mom and BFF visited :)  Click the first pic for a slideshow and more ramblings…

You know you’re in George Town when you see this sign! At Chat ‘N Chill on Stocking Island.

The ocean view from the end of one of the many trails on Stocking Island!

A beautiful tree swing at the beach!

Monument Beach anchorage at sunset. Can you find Journey?!

A get together of ladies from our Woman Who Sail Facebook Group (hubbies were invited too!)

Me paddling to yoga! Can you imagine? Paddling every morning to free yoga. I was in HEAVEN!

Our basket weaving teacher! Kim from Anthyllide really got into the basket weaving. Me, not so much :)

Me floating around Monument anchorage.

The prize at the end of Nev’s Trail on Stocking Island.

A beautiful mural at the Batelco store.

Playing with my fisheye lens at the beach!

Us at the ocean <3

The view from one of the trails on Stocking Island. Elizabeth Harbor is on the left, Exuma Sound is on the right.

Me and JR at the top of Monument Beach.

On one of the many marked trails on Stocking Island.

From left to right: me, Natalie, JR, Mitchell, Scott, and Kim chilling on Sea Major for the evening! Photo courtesy of Natalie!

JR at the fish fry! Time for a haircut, maybe?

‘Bout to give Jake a haircut in the cockpit!

Snorkeling in Elizabeth Harbor.

Kim from Anthyllide, me, and JR walking the beach at sunset (notice JR’s haircut!)

The beach at sunset.

A hot dude in a dink :)

There were the sweetest little, tiny shells on the ocean side. We became addicted to finding and collecting them!

The line for a propane tank refill! Can you spot JR?

The dinghy dock maintained by the Exuma Market.

A shot of a well STOCKED Exuma Market (and my captain <3 )

Yup, this is how we bathe!

The dinghy ride can be long and sometimes WET!

Exuma point restaurant had swings :)

Remember these folks?! Sea Major!

Our new CFFs, Anthyllide.

Boo Kitty napping with his favorite napping buddy: Explorer Charts!