Anchorage· Little San Salvador (Half Moon Cay)· Bahamas — Eleuthera, Andros & the Out Islands

Little San Salvador West Bay Anchorage (Half Moon Bay)

24° 34.9′ N · 75° 57.4′ W

The broad white-sand bay of Little San Salvador, the Carnival-owned cruise-ship island now branded RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. It is a gorgeous stop when no ship is in and a convenient halfway point between Eleuthera or the Exumas and Cat Island.

Eleuthera

Practical

Easily approached from the west; from Cat Island come west from Bennett's Harbour, keeping well south of Long Rocks and Tee Cay and watching for coral heads near Long Rocks, in good light. Anchor in about 8-11 ft MLW of white sand with superior holding, clear of the tender channel and swim-area buoys. The SE corner by the tender channel gives the best shelter, but reviews are split: many nights rolled badly in SE-S winds (2015-2023), and any W is untenable. Check the cruise-ship schedule; ships usually leave by between about 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Call the island manager on VHF 74 for permission to land. Boaters may use only the beach, outside the roped swim areas; resort facilities are for passengers. No pets ashore when a ship is in. There are no trash bins, so pack everything out. Fast 4G from BTC and Aliv off the island tower. Snorkel the north end beyond the 'no passengers' sign and a sunken work barge. Cruisers have reported smoke from trash burning after ship departures. Construction: in February 2025 cruisers reported a long cruise dock being built out to deep water at the north of the bay (ActiveCaptain hazard at 24°35.01'N 75°58.18'W), working night and day; anchoring in the south was still peaceful. Carnival announced in June 2026 a new port so ships no longer tender, so expect a changed layout and keep well clear of the pier.

Best for

A pretty overnight between Eleuthera/Exumas and Cat Island on non-ship days

Season

Settled E–NE, on days with no cruise ship; untenable in W

Nearby