An island of your own
Over Yonder Cay lies in the Exuma Chain in the southern Bahamas, 265 miles (425 km) southeast of Florida. It began as a remote fishing outpost and is now a private island rented to one party at a time, with room for up to 30 guests.
The island is taken as a whole. No other booking runs alongside, and a wedding has the beaches, the pools, the marina and the grounds to itself. The events team arranges the day around the couple’s wishes, the chefs plan the menus, and the service and spa teams look after the wedding party.
Four villas, fifteen bedrooms
Four villas stand around the island: Meridian House, West Sands, East Cove and South Point. Between them they hold 15 bedrooms and sleep 30, and each has an infinity pool, a hot tub or jacuzzi, a private beach and places to eat outdoors.
Meridian House is the largest. It sleeps eight in four suites, a master suite of 2,300 sq ft and three guest suites of 663 sq ft each, in a house of 11,125 sq ft with a conservatory and grand piano, a 12-seat movie theatre, a gym, a sauna and steam room, a massage suite and a beauty salon.
West Sands sleeps eight, a few steps from Whale Bone Beach, with a fire pit and a hot tub. East Cove also sleeps eight and stands high above Exuma Sound, with a three-tier infinity pool. South Point sleeps six on the southern tip of the island, with a hot tub, a fire pit and a games room. Single villas can be rented when available, on separate terms from a full island rental.
The Beach Club and the table
The Beach Club sits beside a large saltwater infinity pool, with a bar and beach frontage. In the evening it becomes a party space, with a DJ station and a solid dance floor, for the island’s guests only.
Dining is in-house, with lighter international cooking built around local seafood. All meals and drinks are part of the rental, including soft drinks, house wines, spirits and champagne, though rare vintages and requests outside the usual offering can carry a surcharge.
Golf, spa and the water
A nine-hole par-three golf course runs across the island, and there is a floodlit tennis court, beach volleyball and a gym. The spa cabana opens to the beach, with Thai massage, deep tissue, shiatsu, hot stone and reflexology, and yoga is held at sunrise in the pavilions. On the water the island has boats, waverunners and paddleboards, with diving, snorkelling and game fishing.
Arriving, and what powers the island
Guests can fly by seaplane from Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Those who fly privately to Nassau or Great Exuma continue by seaplane, about 30 minutes in each case, and the island can also be reached by boat from Staniel Cay, which has a 3,000-foot paved airstrip, or by helicopter. Yachts can come into the private marina, which takes vessels up to 150 ft (45 m) with a 12 ft (3.6 m) draft.
Three wind turbines and a 1.5-acre solar field supply the island, with batteries and a weather-forecasting micro grid controller, meeting more than 96 per cent of its energy needs. In 2024 the island was named World’s Best Private Villa at the Boutique Hotel Awards.
Read the magazine issue or see the full island listing.
