The Berrys are the yacht charter vacation islands closest to the United States. They offer small uninhabited islands (inhabited ones too..!!) with gorgeous white beaches and clear almost totally transparent waters. To get to the Berrys you have to cross the Gulf Stream from Florida and then cross the Bahamas Banks where 7' of water is DEEP. if you start from the South, you will be heading from Miami to Chubb Cay, about 120 nautical miles. There's a nice itinerary if you click here.

With landmass totaling about a dozen square miles, the Berry Islands are a cluster of 30 islands and close to 100 cays that lie 60 miles East of Bimini and 35 miles north of Nassau. A permanent home to approximately 700 people, the Berry Islands lure vacationers seeking privacy. Many desolate cays are home to those who have created their own private paradise, and are the nesting grounds of wildlife such as terns, pelicans and noddies.

These islands, (including Chubb Cay) mostly known to yachtsmen as a stopover between Florida and Nassau, have some of the most private, unspoiled beaches in the world. Underwater life is equally protected and tranquil. Many big game fish like sailfish, blue marlin and giant blue fin tuna roam these waters, making it yet another choice Bahamian spot for the dedicated fisherman.

To get to the Berry Islands from Miami, you need to cross the Gulf Stream and the Banks to Chub Cay and start your Berry Islands trip from South to North. From West Palm, you can start from North to South by sailing across the Gulf Stream to Great Harbour Cay .

Highlights:

• The largest of the Berry Islands is Great Harbour Cay and its main settlement, Bullock's Harbour, at six miles long and two and a half miles wide.
  
• The southernmost cay of the Berry chain is Chub Cay, known to many as the billfish capital of The Bahamas. Due to its location, Chub Cay overlooks the deep-sea trench, The Tongue of the Ocean, a haven for big game fish.
  
• Great Stirrup Cay, located north of Great Harbour Cay, is home to a lighthouse that dates back to 1863 and the wreck of an unidentified ship lies just offshore.
  
• Sugar Beach Caves is considered by many to be the most beautiful spot in The Islands of The Bahamas and is an area of numerous sandy coves set among tall cliffs.
  
• A must for divers, Mamma Rhoda Rock is a shallow coral reef only 16-feet deep, where crawfish and moray eels share living space in the hole-filled rocks.
  
• Sand Dollar Hill is a sandy shoal that offers great shell pickings.
  
• Hoffman Cay is a 600-foot blue hole whose only living inhabitants are oysters.
  
  The Berry Islands are the Bahamas best kept little secret. But they are not for everyone - pretty secluded and off the beaten track for Yacht charters and vacations. But if you're into solitude and not into traffic or shopping, hey, you won't find a place that is closer to nature.