Allan's Cay

The Allan's Cays are three small islands at the top of the Exuma chain, and they hold one of the surviving wild populations of the Northern Bahamian rock iguana, a species restricted to a handful of cays. The iguanas come down the beach when a boat lands, having learned that people arrive with food, and that habituation is exactly the problem: feeding is discouraged, and grapes and lettuce given by visitors have caused documented health problems in the population.

What you actually see

• The rock iguanas - an endangered endemic species, coming down the beach on arrival.
• The beaches - small sheltered strands where boats land.
• The shallows - clear turquoise water between the three cays.
• The anchorage - a sheltered spot used by cruising yachts overnight.

When to go

November to April is the dry season and calmest for the crossing. Iguanas are most active in warm daylight. Winter fronts can make the run from Nassau rough.

Honest expectations

Do not feed the iguanas: it is discouraged by conservation authorities and has caused real harm to the population, whatever a boat operator hands you. The cays are uninhabited with no facilities. The crossing from Nassau is long and open.

Nearby

Highbourne Cay is south, and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park begins below it.