21 Best Hotels in The Southern Out Islands, Bahamas

This stunning resort consists of spacious beachfront villas that sleep up to eight and beachfront one-bed and two-bed bungalows that each have a screened-in veranda—all overlooking serene turquoise waters on a gorgeous 4-mile-long white-sand beach. The 15 bright, designer-style luxury two-bed villas have 1,800 square feet of complete comfort, including Wi-Fi, fully equipped entertainment centers, jetted tubs, and full kitchens, including dishwasher. The Beach House has a small fitness center, gift shop, library, TV room, and Wi-Fi. Upstairs is the restaurant with huge windows offering views of the gorgeous beach and Exuma Sound. The beachfront bar has the best view of the golden and magenta sunsets and a daily evening happy hour. Complimentary water-sports equipment and beach toys are available, and there are bicycle, paddleboard, Hobie Cat, and car rentals on-site. The resort offers myriad excursions such as diving, snorkeling, and nature tours. The Cape is one of The Bahamas' renowned beautiful places.

This owner-run resort is one of The Bahamas' most famous and successful—and one of the best kick-back retreats anywhere. It boasts rustic but charming villas (two), houses (three), cottages (eight), and suites (two) spread along a dazzling, crescent-shape white-sand beach shaded by casuarinas and coconut palms. Friendliness and enthusiasm to please is evident everywhere. Villas and houses have full kitchens, private gardens, and accommodations for four to six people. Cottages are for two people and have private stone patios and fresh-air garden baths. All but one feature cool air-conditioning and refrigerators, and most are right on the beach. Complimentary bikes, paddleboards, Sunfish sailboats, kayaks, and snorkeling equipment add to the fun. The staff are expert at hiring boats and guides to take you fishing, snorkeling, and on ecoexpeditions. Tropical charm and ambience exudes within the large beachfront lodge, its dining room, beach patio, and honor Tiki Bar. FBV serves three delicious meals daily at set times: tasty international and island dishes, including lobster, fresh fish, conch, and prime meats. You can opt for meals-inclusive packages.

This cozy, small, owner-operated resort is elegant and sophisticated, offering both quiet solitude on a stunning private beach and serious adventure for sports enthusiasts. Each villa (two one-bedroom, one two-bedroom) has an outside veranda with breathtaking views of the snow-white beach. Owners Carlo and Elena please with great service and superb Italian cuisine. Guanahani is famous as a kiteboard and catamaran sailing center and offers complimentary kayaks, a catamaran, and snorkeling gear. Airport transfers are included.

Stella Maris is more than a resort; it's a long-standing family-fun community that sits atop a hilly ridge offering many accommodations choices (including private homes), complemented by multiple pools, breathtaking views of the Atlantic, fun bars and restaurants, and activities for every interest—it's also within walking distance of Stella Maris Airport. Free morning and afternoon activity programs include beach trips, island tours, sailing at Deal's Beach, and boat cruises with snorkeling and kayaking. The resort can also arrange all sorts of excursions, such as deep-sea fishing, bonefishing, and scuba diving. The service is outstanding, and each week the resort hosts a rum-punch pool party, a cave party, barbecues, and other lively events.

These quaint, self-catering full-kitchen suites sit just steps away from a quiet private beach on Salt Pond with a large grassy garden space—perfect for family picnics, naps in the hammock, and a vacation without the bustle of a busy resort. Units are simple but well maintained and nicely decorated, and include air-conditioning, cable TV, and Wi-Fi. Kayaks and beach toys/gear are available for use.

Six modern cottages sit on a half-mile stretch of white-sand beach between Landrail Point and Pittstown Point Landings. Each has a full kitchen, free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and a western-facing deck to watch the magnificent sunsets. A local market, gas station, and two restaurants are 2 miles away in Landrail Point. The management will treat you like family and can arrange meals in your cottage with advance notice, find you a rental car, or set up a diving excursion. They will also book you with the top fly-fishing guides on the island.

Lining lovely Millers Bay beach, this rustic, remote resort has six simple cabins on stilts right on the beach, making it a real "get-away-from-it-all" place (guests should be self-sufficient and adventurous). Room rates include two meals daily—and Chef Pierre is touted by many as the island's best. Explore nearby cays in available sea kayaks, wade the adjacent flats for bonefish, or just enjoy the peaceful solitude relaxing on a lounge chair (but bring bug repellent). Fishing guides, diving, car rentals, and airport transfers can be arranged. The oceanfront restaurant is worth dining at, even if you're staying elsewhere.

After a long closure, this 89-acre oceanfront village reopened in 2022 and remains one of Club Med's most luxurious resorts, with state-of-the-art dive facilities and every water sport and activity imaginable. The all-inclusive resort caters primarily to upscale European, Canadian, and American couples, who stay a minimum of seven nights. The vibe is more low-key (except during parties!) than at most Club Meds, and it is one of the most recommended by Club Med fanatics. The GO staff is friendly and always offering assistance. Sailing, snorkeling, scuba, and tennis are the main sports here, and you can also enjoy yoga, exercise, and pool volleyball. The cocktail hour and beach-hut parties buzz with excitement and dancing, fueled by fast-moving, gleeful mixologist-bartenders and techno-playing DJs. Nonguests can also enjoy the fun with a day and/or night pass, which includes meals, all you can drink, and activities. Guests can enjoy free, guided snorkel trips twice daily on top of complimentary snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, and paddleboarding. Bikes are available for rent. The main poolside dining area, The Christopher's, serves a well-presented buffet feast with a daily theme, and La Pinta Beach Lounge Restaurant is the more elegant restaurant with table service. Spa services are available at L'Occitane for an additional charge, and the on-site boutique is excellent, offering swimwear, resort wear, souvenirs, accessories, and even John Watling's fine Bahamian-made rums and vodka. Rooms have recently been renovated and are bright, clean, and comfortable, with good maid service. With its amazing beach and fun-loving staff, Club Med–Columbus Isle is a special place you can't get out of your head—or your heart. Prices vary seasonally and are influenced by the frequent special packages offered by the resort.

A true anglers' paradise, this is one of the best fishing destinations in The Bahamas and Caribbean for bone- and deep-sea fishing. Shaded by coconut palms, the remote property on Crooked Island's northwestern tip has miles of powdery beach and views of the emerald waters surrounding Bird Rock Lighthouse. Rooms are basic motel-style units, and some have ocean views (book in advance if you want a view). The main lodge—which has a restaurant, bar, and library—once housed The Bahamas' first post office. Expect American breakfasts and island seafood dinners and sandwiches for lunch. All-inclusive stay/fish/dine packages are available (seven nights/six days of fishing for $2,400, double occupancy).

This affordable inn is a block from the sea and consists of three brightly colored, two-story Bahamian-colonial-style cottages with five guest rooms in each. They all have front porches and one building has a full kitchen shared by guests; the other has a meeting room. Rooms are spacious, modern, and exceptionally tidy with air-conditioning, bathrooms, refrigerators, microwaves, and flat-screen cable TVs. Across the street is Champ's Chicken takeout and RJ's convenience store. On-site laundry facilities are available as are free airport transfers, and the manager will arrange meals on-site for breakfast, lunch, or dinner upon request.

Situated on 16 acres of pink-sand beachfront property, overlooking low-lying Clem Cay and the Atlantic Ocean as far as the eye can see, this resort occupies a rare and superb site. All balcony rooms and condos are sea-view and have either king, queen, or two twin beds. The condos have full kitchens, and although there is no restaurant on-site, there is an honor liquor and snack bar, and you can also prebook a meal plan through the hotel in conjunction with one of the three restaurants less than a mile away. Diving, kayaks, and deep-sea, reef, and bonefishing are available. It is highly recommended that you rent a car if you stay here.

Great Inagua Outback Lodge is the dream of Inaguan Henry Hugh, who wanted to relax in his own quiet island paradise. Roughly (and the road is very rough) 15 miles from Matthew Town, Outback sleeps six people in two cottages, sited within walking distance of a nice beach and flats fishing. Off the grid, Henry uses sun and wind power backed up by a generator for those who prefer air-conditioning. The nicely designed cottages have full bathrooms and quality beds and linens, along with Wi-Fi, satellite TV, free international calling, and even cell phone coverage. The cozy dining room and bar, with its lovely gazebo, are perfect places to enjoy the scrumptious fresh seafood that Henry catches himself. Make sure your rental car is a high-clearance SUV so you can easily traverse the road. Stay/fish/dine packages are $2,125 per person for a week or $1,215 per person for four nights. Both packages include a tour of Lake Rosa.

Set on an 8-mile stretch of pink shell-strewn sand, this remote resort is about 35 minutes from the Bight airport, but the peaceful solitude is what brings regulars back. The large clubhouse, with its yellow-and-white walls and vivid tropical paintings, is the center of activity, and you can relax at the attractive stonework honor bar or on the veranda, where you can decorate your own piece of driftwood for display. The on-site restaurant serves three meals a day, and many guests praise the food. Greenwood is a dive center noted for its dives and research with oceanic white-tip sharks. When dive clubs descend (mid-March–late April), there's no room for others. Dive equipment and guided dives are available on request, or divers can go out right from shore (snorkelers will also enjoy the coral heads just in front of the resort).

In the settlement of Salt Pond is this small private hideaway, a labor of love for owners Kris and Jean, who offer two lovely guest rooms with sweeping decks facing the ocean on the lower level of their home, along with a newer beach house that sleeps five guests. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, each with a microwave, refrigerator, and coffeemaker. This is a perfect place for water-sports enthusiasts as the owners are professional divers and can arrange all sorts of great experiences for their guests. Both have worked on underwater scenes in movies such as Sphere. Grotto Bay practically sits on top of the Salt Pond cave, one of the largest dry caves in The Bahamas, with two enormous chambers featuring stalagmites and stalactites and six documented species of bats. Guests also have exclusive use of the beach, hammocks, horseshoe pit, beach volleyball, kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and an open-air guest kitchen.

Long Island's newest luxury villas are nestled among garden pathways atop a hillside, each with private balconies affording views of Clarence Town Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. Both one- and two-bedroom or one- and two-story layouts are available, each individually decorated with bright colors for a chic island feel. Wi-Fi is complimentary, and each villa features two flat-screen TVs with access to DIRECTV. Bicycles, kayaks, and snorkeling gear are available for use.

Catering to private pilots, yachties, and serious fishers, this small laid-back resort at Cat Island's southwestern tip has its own 3,100-foot runway and a 28-slip full-service marina with a dive shop for guests. The marina is the best in the area for deep-sea sportfishing, and visitors can see sharks, rays, and other marine life regularly swimming around the marina docks. The rooms are standard but clean and well-maintained seaside cabanas. A nice pool by the clubhouse, surrounded by umbrellas and lounges, makes up for the lack of good swimming near the club, though there's a nice swimming beach a few steps away. They also rent bicycles, paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment. Usually quiet, this resort is booked and bustling during major fishing tournaments that take place every two months or so. At those times, the partying fishing crowd have a dining room and bar at the marina, leaving the rest of the resort in relative peace.

In a wide bay a half mile off the main road just south of Alligator Point, this resort, owned and operated by an American family, has seven deluxe cottages and a "big house" with several rooms, which are all colorfully decorated and perched steps away from a secluded 3-mile stretch of pristine sugary white beach. The island stone and stucco cottages have wood and tile floors, colorful island furniture, fully equipped kitchens, and air-conditioning. The cottages have a lovely, homey feel, and the patios are perfect for having morning coffee and evening tea. Staff will stock your cottage before your arrival if you send your grocery list, and laundry service and childcare are available. Snorkel, kayak, fish, swim, bike, or relax on the beach.

Good for serious divers, this modest motel-style resort is a long-standing property on San Salvador and has a restaurant on-site serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner (included with the all-inclusive dive package). The resort's three buildings have rooms facing either the ocean or the freshwater pool. The marina is in a unique location for boaters accessing offshore fishing and San Salvador's famous diving. Affordable weekly packages include meals, dive trips, and airport transfers. Rental cars are available at reception.

This quiet and secluded owner-run beach resort is perched high on the hill on the northern tip of Cat Island, granting sweeping views of the beautiful beach at Shannas Cove and the north of the island. There are five brightly decorated cottages, each with private balconies with ocean views and designed with different imported Italian tiles. The excellent restaurant serves three meals a day, with a delicious and creative European-style cuisine. Shannas is a fully equipped scuba center with a 22-foot catamaran dive boat to take you to north Cat Island's smorgasbord of superb dives. They also offer beach chairs, umbrellas, bikes, kayaks, and snorkeling gear. Enjoy nature trails leading to fabulous deserted beaches. You'll be delighted by friendly conversation with the staff about life on Cat Island.

This Bahamian-owned 3,000-square-foot, five-bedroom house is completely off the grid, solar powered with a generator as backup. It boasts a large living and dining room space, full kitchen, wrap-around veranda, and three large decks for sunbathing, moon-gazing, and enjoying an almost 360-degree view of the ocean. The house is surrounded by gardens of fruit-bearing trees and flowering plants, and it's just a five-minute walk from a pristine beach. It sits on a 70-foot elevation and is at the end of a 3-mile unpaved road, so ask for 4WD at the car rental company. All that's needed for a time of supreme relaxation is grocery for self-catering, or ask Andrew, the owner, for help with ordering full meals prepared by an excellent cook. There is hot water, air-conditioning, laundry facilities, a hot tub, Wi-Fi, ceiling fans, and a collection of games. If you need anything else, Andrew lives on-property and is available to answer questions and make connections.

These two spacious apartments seated on a rocky shoreline on Matthew Town's southern side are your only option for a room with a water view—and a great place to watch sunsets. The cement units all have modern Caribbean-style terra-cotta tile floors, new furniture, small terraces, a picnic area, and a gas grill. At low tide, there's a nice sandy beach next to the apartments, and about a five-minute walk away is a small secluded beach called The Swimming Hole. Ezzard Cartwright, the owner, is the only fly-fishing guide on the island. He's usually out working, so calling after 7 pm is the best chance to reach him. The apartments are usually fully booked September to June so reserve early.