Samana Cay
Island Remote Bahamian island in Crooked Island district
A small Bahamian cay in the Crooked Island district, Samana Cay appeals to boaters and divers for coral, clear water and quiet anchorages off main tourist routes.
Samana Cay is a small, low-lying island in the Bahamas, administered as part of the Crooked Island and Long Cay district. It is uninhabited or sparsely inhabited and consists mainly of coastal scrub and sand.
There are no developed visitor facilities on the cay; people who visit typically arrive by private boat or charter and explore shoreline and shallow-water environments. The island’s unaltered coastal landscape is the primary feature for visitors and researchers.
Samana Cay is best known in scholarship for being one of several Bahamian islands proposed by researchers as a possible site of Christopher Columbus’s first 1492 landfall; the hypothesis remains one of several debated by historians. Otherwise the cay has little recorded modern habitation or development.
Located in the central Bahamian archipelago within the Crooked Island and Long Cay administrative area, Samana Cay lies off the larger Crooked and Acklins island groups in the Atlantic.
- Status and location: An uninhabited, low-lying island in the central Bahamas that is part of the Crooked Island and Long Cay district.
- Historical note: Has been proposed by some researchers as a possible location for Christopher Columbus's first landfall in 1492.
How to Get to Samana Cay #
Access typically requires a private boat from nearby inhabited islands in the Crooked Island district or charter from larger Bahamian ports. There are no regular ferry services.
Tips for Visiting Samana Cay #
- Bring snorkeling gear and a reef guide; the underwater world near the cay is variable and best approached with local knowledge.
- There are no services on the cay - bring all supplies and pack out what is brought in.
- Watch for seasonal jellyfish and currents; local captains know the safest approach and moorings.
Best Time to Visit Samana Cay #
Best in the dry season for marine activities; avoid hurricane season for safety.
Weather & Climate near Samana Cay #
Samana Cay's climate is classified as Tropical Savanna - Tropical Savanna climate with hot summers (peaking in August) and warm winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 19°C to 32°C. Moderate rainfall (790 mm/year).
January
January is mild with highs of 26°C and lows of 19°C. Moderate rainfall (37 mm).
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February
February is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 20°C. The driest month with just 28 mm.
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March
March is warm with highs of 28°C and lows of 21°C. Moderate rainfall (30 mm).
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April
April is warm with highs of 28°C and lows of 23°C. Moderate rainfall (49 mm).
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May
May is warm with highs of 28°C and lows of 24°C. Moderate rainfall (78 mm).
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June
June is warm with highs of 30°C and lows of 24°C. Regular rainfall (87 mm).
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July
July is hot with highs of 32°C and lows of 25°C. Moderate rainfall (50 mm) and breezy conditions.
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August
August is the hottest month with highs of 32°C and lows of 25°C. Moderate rainfall (71 mm).
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September
September is hot with highs of 31°C and lows of 25°C. Regular rainfall (95 mm) and breezy conditions.
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October
October is warm with highs of 30°C and lows of 24°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (142 mm).
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November
November is warm with highs of 29°C and lows of 22°C. Moderate rainfall (77 mm) and breezy conditions.
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December
December is warm with highs of 28°C and lows of 21°C. Moderate rainfall (46 mm).
