Beaches Exuma

I am Jim, a Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Diamond Elite member who travels both Sandals and Beaches with my own family. I have stayed at every Beaches resort that has opened so far, and I track the Beaches expansion pipeline closely. Beaches Exuma is the planned conversion of Sandals Emerald Bay into the first Beaches resort in The Bahamas, on Great Exuma’s pale-sand shore.

This is my 2026 preview of Beaches Exuma: where it will be, what is planned for the rooms, dining, waterpark, and Kids Camp, how it will fit alongside the other Beaches resorts, and when I expect it to open. I will replace this preview with a full hands-on review the moment I have stayed there. You can register interest at Beaches.com so you are first in line when bookings open.

---

Quick take for 2026

• Where: Great Exuma, The Bahamas (former Sandals Emerald Bay)
• Rooms: conversion of the existing 245 Emerald Bay rooms (final count TBC)
• Airport: Exuma International (GGT), about 15 minutes from the resort
• Best for: families who want the most secluded Beaches in the chain (when it opens), with a championship golf course and a Bahamian beach
• Skip if: you need direct nonstop flights from many US gateways – Exuma is harder to reach than the Jamaica or Turks & Caicos resorts
• My rating: not yet rated (preview only. Full review at opening)

Where Beaches Exuma is and how to get there

Beaches Exuma will sit on the same pale-sand crescent on Great Exuma where Sandals Emerald Bay has operated for years. The location is one of the most photogenic in the Caribbean: a long, calm crescent of white sand fronting the kind of pale turquoise water Exuma is known for, with a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course running along the peninsula. Full Bahamas context lives in my Bahamas destination guide.

Flights to Great Exuma land at Exuma International (GGT). Nonstop service is available from Miami, Atlanta, and Toronto, with connecting service from many other US hubs through Nassau (NAS). The transfer from GGT to the resort is short. Around 15 minutes. And is included in the Beaches Luxury Included rate. The catch: GGT is a smaller airport than Providenciales or Montego Bay, so flight options are more limited and prices can run higher than the bigger Beaches gateways.

My take on the family vibe at Beaches Exuma

Sandals Emerald Bay has long been the chain’s quietest, most secluded property. Converting it into a Beaches will inject family energy into a setting that has historically been very calm and couples-focused. That cuts both ways. For families who want a more secluded Caribbean week without giving up an all-inclusive Kids Camp, this should fill a real gap in the Beaches lineup. For families who want the energy and scale of the Turks & Caicos flagship, Exuma will feel small and quiet by comparison.

The conversion is a real opportunity to keep the parts of Emerald Bay that always worked (the spectacular beach, the marina, the championship golf, the mature landscaping) while bolting on the family infrastructure (a Kids Camp, a splash deck, a Pirates Island Waterpark, character experiences) Beaches is known for. The result, if executed well, will be the chain’s first true family-and-golf hybrid.

Sandals Resorts International has not published a confirmed Beaches Exuma opening date. The conversion is expected to be a phased rollout, so the most likely scenario is a soft opening at some point in late 2026 or 2027 with the family programming ramping up over the following year. I will update this preview as soon as Beaches publishes a firm reopening date.

The beach

Emerald Bay’s existing beach is genuinely one of the best in the Beaches and Sandals portfolio. It is a long crescent of pale, fine sand, the water is shallow and protected, and the color is the otherworldly pale turquoise the Exumas are famous for. For young kids who you actually want in the water, the swim conditions are excellent. For paddleboarders and kayakers, the calm bay is genuinely flat almost every day.

Snorkeling off the beach is decent. For the famous Exuma snorkeling experience (the swimming pigs at Big Major Cay, the iguanas at Allen’s Cay, Thunderball Grotto), book a half-day boat charter. Those are some of the best Caribbean excursions anywhere and they are an easy ride from the resort marina.

The pools and the waterpark

Public plans confirm that Beaches Exuma will add a Pirates Island Waterpark and a dedicated splash deck for younger kids on top of the existing Emerald Bay pool inventory. The exact waterpark scale has not been confirmed publicly, but expect a meaningfully smaller waterpark than the Turks & Caicos flagship. More in line with the Beaches Negril waterpark. Given the property’s smaller footprint.

The existing pool count at Emerald Bay is more modest than the Beaches flagship, with a main resort pool, a smaller quiet pool, and a few private-villa pools. Swim-up suite categories may carry over from the Sandals configuration; my swim-up suite guide covers what to look for in the room category.

The rooms (which suite to book for a family)

According to Beaches, the conversion will deliver brand-new rooms (the existing Emerald Bay rooms are getting a full renovation), expanded family suites, and continued access to the existing villa inventory. The original Emerald Bay carries 245 rooms and suites, including a small number of multi-bedroom villas. The final Beaches Exuma room count and category mix will be confirmed at relaunch.

For families, expect the standard Beaches room ladder to apply: Caribbean and Concierge tiers for couples and small families, family suites for families of four to six, and the existing butler-tier villa inventory at the top. My Concierge vs. butler upgrade math will apply identically.

Dining at Beaches Exuma

Public plans confirm “expanded dining” as part of the Beaches Exuma conversion. Sandals Emerald Bay carries 11 restaurants today; the converted Beaches Exuma should carry that many or more, with the addition of the kid-focused outlets (diner-style breakfast spot for the Sesame Street character breakfasts, a kid-friendly pool grill) that every Beaches needs.

The Bahamian seafood scene is genuinely strong, and I expect Beaches Exuma to lean into local conch chowder, fresh-grilled snapper, and the regional flavors that Emerald Bay’s kitchens already do well. Kids menus, no reservations at most outlets, and 24-hour butler-tier room service will all carry over from the Beaches blueprint.

Kids Camp, Sesame Street, and family programming

The dedicated Kids Camp and splash deck are confirmed parts of the Beaches Exuma conversion. Expect the standard Beaches Kids Camp programming: age-banded camps from Tots through Teens, credentialed nannies, daily 9am to 9pm hours including dinner, and the full Sesame Street Caribbean Adventure programming (character breakfasts, the stage show, the Elmo tuck-in service, the weekly dance party).

The IBCCES Autism Center certification will likely extend to Beaches Exuma at relaunch – Sandals Resorts International has rolled the certification out across every opened Beaches resort and that pattern is likely to hold here. For tweens and teens, the Trench teen lounge concept is universal across Beaches properties.

What there is to do for the adults

The headline adult amenity Beaches Exuma will carry over from Emerald Bay is the Greg Norman-designed Emerald Reef championship golf course. It is one of the best Caribbean resort courses anywhere, with several holes that play directly along the Atlantic. Once Beaches Exuma opens, this will be the chain’s only family Beaches with championship golf on property. A real differentiator for families where one parent is a serious golfer.

Beyond golf, expect the standard Beaches adult-included menu: scuba for certified divers (the Exuma reefs are excellent), full watersports, Red Lane Spa as a paid add-on, fitness center, tennis. The off-resort excursions. The swimming pigs, the iguana cay, the Thunderball Grotto snorkel. Are some of the best Caribbean excursions anywhere. My best Sandals and Beaches resorts for golf guide will be updated to include this property at relaunch.

Weddings, vow renewals, and multi-gen trips at Beaches Exuma

Once it reopens as a Beaches, expect the full Beaches wedding and vow-renewal program: beach ceremonies on the calm Emerald Bay shoreline, included basic wedding packages with qualifying length-of-stay, and upgraded packages adding photography, décor, and reception dinners. The free Beaches vow renewal at the seven-year mark will apply.

Multi-generational trips that combine a wedding or vow renewal with an extended family week are a natural fit for the property’s existing villa inventory. Exuma’s quieter setting also makes it a good pick for milestone birthdays and small family reunions where you want a less crowded backdrop.

How Beaches Exuma compares to the other Beaches resorts

Once it opens, Beaches Exuma will be the chain’s smaller-and-quieter family option. It will not compete with Beaches Turks & Caicos on sheer scale, restaurant count, or waterpark size. What it will offer instead: a more secluded setting, a championship golf course, the famous Exuma swimming-pig and Thunderball Grotto excursions, and a Bahamian beach that is genuinely one of the prettiest in the Caribbean.

For families who have already done Beaches Negril or Turks & Caicos and want a fresh Beaches without giving up the brand’s family programming, Exuma will be the obvious next booking. See my full best Beaches resort guide for the head-to-head comparison once Exuma reopens.

When to go and how to find a deal

Beaches Exuma is not yet taking bookings as a Beaches resort. Sandals Emerald Bay’s existing bookings are being honored under the Sandals brand until conversion. The most plausible Beaches reopening window is late 2026 to 2027.

Once Beaches Exuma opens, the same Bahamas seasonal pattern will apply: April through June and late August through early November are the value windows; mid-December through New Year’s and the late-June through mid-August school-out stretch are the premium-rate weeks. The Sandals and Beaches deal-stacking playbook applies to Exuma identically.

My verdict for 2026

Watch Beaches Exuma if you want a more secluded family Beaches with championship golf on property, you have already done the existing two open Beaches resorts, or you want a Bahamas family trip without giving up an all-inclusive Kids Camp. Register interest at Beaches.com to be first in line when bookings open.

Skip the wait if you need a 2026 family trip, you need easy direct flights from a wider range of US gateways, or you want the brand’s biggest waterpark. Book Beaches Turks & Caicos or Beaches Negril instead.

More family travel reading after Beaches Exuma

If you want to keep researching, here are the guides I send families to most often after they read this Beaches Exuma review:

• Where Beaches Exuma ranks in my best Beaches resort guide
• Every Beaches location with a map
• How to stack the Beaches 7-7-7 family deal in 2026
• Sandals vs. Beaches: which brand is right for your trip
• Why Beaches beats Sandals for families with kids
• How I find real Beaches and Sandals deals (the playbook)
• What the Beaches cancellation policy actually covers in 2026
• Beaches Club Level vs. butler suites: which is worth it
• Beaches swim-up suites and where to find them

---

Frequently Asked Questions