Beaches of Stocking Island
Beaches of Stocking Island
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
824 reviews
Excellent
613
Very good
145
Average
53
Poor
9
Terrible
4
Clare W
Fort Myers, FL21 contributions
Feb 2022 • Friends
A beautiful hike on Stocking Island. We started at Peace and Plenty beach resort and walked all along the Kahari resort beach to the path that takes you up to the lookout and then down to the beach on the Atlantic side (see map in photos). You can also get to the Atlantic side from Chat ‘n Chill by wading across the narrowest part of the channel at low tide and following the path over. Go left along the beach (a good 20 mins or so) until you see the white bouy in the trees (see photo) that marks the path up to the monument. Amazing 360 views. On the way back we had fun in the huge waves.
Written 6 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
deborah w
Lockport, NY65 contributions
Jan 2020
I can't believe I actually took the water taxi across to Stocking Island from Exuma but I'm so glad I did. It was a wonderful afternoon just being a beach bum. Did I mention the stingrays? They literally were swimming around my feet looking for food. The young man at the conch salad shack (hola Ronaldo) gave me some conch scraps and showed me how to feed them. What an experience! Don't expect gourmet dining. Just burgers,ribs fries and salad and plenty of cocktails but it was just fine and added to my beach bum fantasy.
Written 13 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie V
Katy, TX10 contributions
Jun 2021
Fun day seeing stingrays ! We took the water taxi - Elvis, we called him and he had someone watching for us on the road and helped us park. After he dropped us off on Stocking Island - we knew on the hour he would come back to pick us up. Thanks for a good day!
Written 12 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DannaMRay
Hoover, AL47 contributions
Mar 2023
Complete tranquility and relaxation x 1000! You can't go wrong chilling at a spot with a beach chair, umbrella, cooler and some tunes. Highly recommend renting a boat to get around. Be experience b/c the tides are tricky!
Written 11 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
craig m
2 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Many trails trails traverse Stocking leading to breathtaking views, private beaches, diverse sea life and Exuma blue water. Pending on the wind and tide you can explore tidal pools, body surf or lazily float the day away. We truly enjoyed all the unique animals from watch a snail make a heart shape trail in the sand, a baby octopus hiding in a crevice, to many starfish and sand dollars. We watched some large stingrays migrate from the harbor to the ocean while wading in the shallow water. Make sure to bring lots of water and snacks because you will probably stay out there longer than you planned.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelbug118
New Orleans, LA94 contributions
Jan 2020
We headed to Stocking Island because of Chat N Chill. The beach was beautiful, per usual. We played with the stingrays, ate great food and tasty drinks. We paid $15 round trip to get here.
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
seabrookspace
Charleston, SC53 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
My friend who is Bahamian was determined to show us ALL of Exuma in one afternoon. Well once we took the boat from the hotel over to Stocking Island we didn’t want to leave. Lovely shallow water beach with a view to die for. The beach attendant/bar tender was so nice and attentive. While we didn’t eat the food smelled delightful. What a lovely day. I’m in love with Exuma!
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
oregon52
Oregon83 contributions
Dec 2012 • Friends
This former NOAA research center, also called the Perry Institute, appears to have been abandoned as of December 2012. We tried hailing them from our boat on VHF radio, hoping to get a tour. No response, so we landed on the dock and walked about the island. There was no sign of life or recent habitation. One skiff was in the water, tied to the dock, but it was half full of water and the gunwales were heavily abraded from rubbing against the dock. Ashore, fish pens were empty. We strolled around the island, which has several nice beaches, for a couple of hours, but never saw anyone.
I tried to find information about the closure of this facility on the Perry Institute website, but there was no information newer than 2010. Does anyone know what happened?
I tried to find information about the closure of this facility on the Perry Institute website, but there was no information newer than 2010. Does anyone know what happened?
Written 31 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shannon g
Atlanta, GA12 contributions
Apr 2017
What's the best way & cost to get from Sandals over to the gov't dock where the water taxi picks up? Taxi? I hear taxi is expensive?!
Written 30 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
verhoev4
Baltimore, MD278 contributions
Aug 2019
Spent 1 day at Stocking Island with a family of 4 (two older teenagers). This place is amazing. It’s a lot more than just a beach… it’s a whole experience and requires a full day.
We took a water taxi from George Town to Stocking Island. When got to the dock, Elvis’ water taxi was not there so we went with another guy (Gavin I think). It’s $15 per person for a round trip. We asked Gavin to pick us up at 5 pm at Chat-n-Chill in order to get to the grocery store before it closed at 6 pm. He did not arrive so Elvis called him on our behalf. He finally made it by 5:40 pm and we barely made it to the store lol. No big deal, just know that everything runs on island time and you need to be flexible. The nice thing about Gavin is he will drop and pick up people at other beaches like Hamburger beach or Sand Dollar beach, which is what caused the delay. All the water taxis stop around 6 pm.
Gavin dropped us off at Chat-n-Chill on Stocking Island by about 11 am. What a place. It has a bit of a party vibe with loud music and drinks flowing. There is a tree shaded area with lots of tables. When we got there the conch shack next to Chat-n-Chill was still open. While it’s open, tons of sting rays come in for feeding. They are super friendly. They literally swim all around you, and you can pet them as they go buy. We grabbed some left-over conch and fed them ourselves. A lot of fun. Once the conch runs out, the conch shack closes and most of the rays leave. Every once in a while, you’ll see a couple rays still pass through. The conch shack closed by 12:30 the day we were there so try to get there before noon and order your conch salad immediately as they run out.
We tried the food at Chat-n-Chill. It was decent and pretty basic. It’s busy and really warm inside. There’s also a small gift shop there (horribly expensive 45$ t-shirts).
My favorite part of the day was a short hike over to the Atlantic side of Stocking Island. Facing Chat-n-Chill, go left and follow the beach. You’ll first walk around a small circular cove where some boats are anchored. Then you’ll reach a small section where you need to wade across a small channel. It was waist deep for us, but depends on tides (totally clear and safe water). Once you cross, there is a small path over the dunes to the Atlantic side. The hike is really short... 5-10 min.
As you come over the dunes, the view on the Atlantic side is stunning. In fact, there is a small path that leads to a wooden bench on a hilltop up and to the left. Take the time to go up. Probably the best view of our entire trip. On one side you’ll see the harbor and all the little coves of Stocking Island. On the other side you’ll see an amazing view of the Atlantic.
We spent at least an hour swimming and walking down the beach on the Atlantic side. We think we saw a shadow of a small shark swimming along the reef.
Next, we headed back to Chat-n-Chill and just swam and relaxed in the shallow area. While we were swimming, a small light brown (lemon?) shark cruised through the shallows, which was neat to see. Also, while we were waiting for our water taxi back to George Town, we saw a small black tip shark swimming near the deeper area on the right. Overall, it was a great day and highly recommend Stocking Island.
Here’s how we would rate the beaches we visited in Great Exuma (have reviews on each):
1. Coco Plum
2. Stocking Island
3. Tropic of Cancer
4. Hooper’s Bay
5. Forbes Hill
Did not make it to Jolly Hall but hear that’s also nice.
We took a water taxi from George Town to Stocking Island. When got to the dock, Elvis’ water taxi was not there so we went with another guy (Gavin I think). It’s $15 per person for a round trip. We asked Gavin to pick us up at 5 pm at Chat-n-Chill in order to get to the grocery store before it closed at 6 pm. He did not arrive so Elvis called him on our behalf. He finally made it by 5:40 pm and we barely made it to the store lol. No big deal, just know that everything runs on island time and you need to be flexible. The nice thing about Gavin is he will drop and pick up people at other beaches like Hamburger beach or Sand Dollar beach, which is what caused the delay. All the water taxis stop around 6 pm.
Gavin dropped us off at Chat-n-Chill on Stocking Island by about 11 am. What a place. It has a bit of a party vibe with loud music and drinks flowing. There is a tree shaded area with lots of tables. When we got there the conch shack next to Chat-n-Chill was still open. While it’s open, tons of sting rays come in for feeding. They are super friendly. They literally swim all around you, and you can pet them as they go buy. We grabbed some left-over conch and fed them ourselves. A lot of fun. Once the conch runs out, the conch shack closes and most of the rays leave. Every once in a while, you’ll see a couple rays still pass through. The conch shack closed by 12:30 the day we were there so try to get there before noon and order your conch salad immediately as they run out.
We tried the food at Chat-n-Chill. It was decent and pretty basic. It’s busy and really warm inside. There’s also a small gift shop there (horribly expensive 45$ t-shirts).
My favorite part of the day was a short hike over to the Atlantic side of Stocking Island. Facing Chat-n-Chill, go left and follow the beach. You’ll first walk around a small circular cove where some boats are anchored. Then you’ll reach a small section where you need to wade across a small channel. It was waist deep for us, but depends on tides (totally clear and safe water). Once you cross, there is a small path over the dunes to the Atlantic side. The hike is really short... 5-10 min.
As you come over the dunes, the view on the Atlantic side is stunning. In fact, there is a small path that leads to a wooden bench on a hilltop up and to the left. Take the time to go up. Probably the best view of our entire trip. On one side you’ll see the harbor and all the little coves of Stocking Island. On the other side you’ll see an amazing view of the Atlantic.
We spent at least an hour swimming and walking down the beach on the Atlantic side. We think we saw a shadow of a small shark swimming along the reef.
Next, we headed back to Chat-n-Chill and just swam and relaxed in the shallow area. While we were swimming, a small light brown (lemon?) shark cruised through the shallows, which was neat to see. Also, while we were waiting for our water taxi back to George Town, we saw a small black tip shark swimming near the deeper area on the right. Overall, it was a great day and highly recommend Stocking Island.
Here’s how we would rate the beaches we visited in Great Exuma (have reviews on each):
1. Coco Plum
2. Stocking Island
3. Tropic of Cancer
4. Hooper’s Bay
5. Forbes Hill
Did not make it to Jolly Hall but hear that’s also nice.
Written 18 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ciao a tutti,andro' ad exuma a fine aprile e visto le numerose recensioni positive ho deciso di organizzare una vita di un giorno per Stocking Island.
Avrei qualche domandina..
Ci sono vari taxy boat o c'è solo una compagnia che si occupa del trasporto?da dove si prendono?ci sono degli orari prestabiliti per l'andata/ritorno? costo aggiornato al 2019?
Inoltre da maps vedo che Chat N' Chill Beach e Hambourger Beach sono distanti l'una dall altra 27 min a piedi..per chi lo ha già fatto è una cosa fattibile? Grazie
per i consigli :)
Written 11 April 2019
Kacee M
Edmond, Oklahoma
Do you use a tour company or just take a water taxi over? Also is the pink beach actually on stocking island? How far from Chat and Chill? Thanks
Written 18 November 2016
Chat and Chill is all very close. Stocking Island is quite small
Written 5 December 2016
Hello -
I was wondering if you could rent a boat from Minns and drive it to see the swimming pigs?? Will you need a guide?
Written 29 March 2016
You have to take an excursion to see the "real" swimming pigs, and it is a full day with other stops to see thunderball grotto, iguana island and other stops. The real pigs you see advertised are about a 2 hour boat ride away, if you get a half day tour you will be going to see some pigs near Great Exuma and I don't recommend that. Read some excursion reviews and choose your excursion from that list.
Written 28 September 2016
Bonjour, merci pour votre commentaire! Je pars avec ma femme sur l'île cet été en Juin pour 2 semaines. Est-ce que vous pourriez nous conseillés une place ou un magasin pou louer un bateau?
Merci pour votre réponse.
Salutations.
Joel
Written 3 February 2016
Bonjour, nous patrons dans une semaine sur Exuma et je souhaite savoir si vous avez pu louer un bateau ? Quelques tuyaux seront les bienvenus. Nous faisons également de la plongée. Bien cordialement
Written 24 July 2016
Visit Chat n Chill, which has a bar, serves good food, has a small store, volleyball, picnic tables, conch shack, stingrays swimming near conch shack. Walk the beach. Climb the hill on Stocking for a great view of Atlantic side and the harbor. Eat or drink at the yacht club. Look for shells on Atlantic side. Hike trails,
Written 15 April 2018
Hi there,
Once you took the ferry to the island how did you get around?
We will be carrying snorkel gear, maybe a cooler, etc.
Many thanks! Please feel free to share anything about Great Exuma.
Warm regards,
Jerri
Written 6 August 2015
The ferry takes directly to the island and it is a one minute walk to the washrooms, restaurant, picnic tables ,volleyball, beach area. IT is a small island
Written 26 October 2015
thank you for the review..how does one get there from sandals resort in exuma?
Written 19 April 2015
From the Georgetown harbor you can take a ferry around 10:00 AM ($12) or you can take a water taxi.
Written 6 August 2015
Getting to Stocking Island is really easy. We stayed at Augusta Bay last year so Elvis' Water Taxi came to the dock at our hotel BUT otherwise get yourself to "downtown" Georgetown and go to the wharf located behind the Straw Market which sadly burned down April 2014. Just walk to the edge of the wharf and there is a sign. Six dollars each way- half price for children. There is more than one boat so be certain to catch the last boat on your return which is at 4PM (I think)even if it is not the same one you came on. Absolutely a must trip. Someone wrote there is no washroom but there is -of course !! Brenda
Written 23 April 2015
oops....Straw Market just burned down April 2015 !!
Written 23 April 2015
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