A walk on the beach is about as iconic of a beach vacation activity as you can get.  The Salt House is situated near the center of the gorgeous Love Beach on Little Exuma island in The Bahamas.  Rather than a long stretch of sand, Love Beach is a crescent cove about 300 yards long and bordered by ancient rock outcroppings.   Just a few other beach houses share the cove keeping the quiet setting focused on the natural surroundings.  Walking down and back, the waves hit your feet and ankles, while you share a story or a few laughs, and take in the vibrant blues of the ocean and sand rimmed islands out at sea.

And for those that like to get more exercise while on vacation, a jog on the beach is a true treat.  From the house, 3 round trips from end to end on the cove (rocks-to-rocks as I call it) makes for the prettiest mile you've ever run.  Jogging in the sand is quite a bit more challenging than on a sidewalk, but the view is unbeatable.  Low tide is the best time where the sand is more compact making for a firmer surface...and when the tide returns, the waves will wash away the footsteps refreshing the unspoilt nature of the beach.

Before there was The Salt House, there was the idea for my family to have our own beach house on gorgeous beachfront lot we had purchased a few years before.  A house where we could escape with family and friends to enjoy days under the Exuma sun with palm trees swaying and the soothing sound of the ocean waves filling the air.  We wanted high end furnishings and details that fit a luxury casual beach house vibe.  No kitschy or cheesy beach decor.  

We thought about how we lived and how we wanted to live at the beach.  Spending time together as a family was the focal point.  In Exuma, it was about being outside during the day and then at night sitting around the dining table playing games or cards, telling stories, laughing, smiling...creating memories. Or maybe gathering to watch a movie or a sporting event before retiring to bed.  The bedrooms were thoughtfully designed to be comfortable, but never about being a place to hang out, because that would defeat the purpose of being together.

While in the planning stage, we had a group of friends reach out to us about going to Exuma for their couples vacation and we struggled to help them find a house that would meet their tastes and needs.  While not our original intention, we decided that we would open our house to rentals and being the beach house that people with discerning tastes would appreciate and value.

Yet, even though we would have others coming to the house, we didn't deviate from our casual luxury beach vibe mission.  Guests at The Salt House get to enjoy everything we do.  Restoration Hardware furnishings throughout, a kitchen fully stocked with quality appliances and details, and a layout that encourages you to spend time with your loved ones.

So come stay at The Salt House and experience a vacation that makes you feel at home, but better.

I spent a few days at the house in January and wanted to share some of my favorite photos.
​1. Turquoise Cay (a former boutique hotel) while crossing The Ferry Bridge to Little Exuma at sunset
​2. Flying in over the uninhabited and rarely visited Brigatine Cays at low tide.
3. Enjoying another beautiful mid-January day at The Salt House. 77° and full sun.
4. Explore the secret coves along Little Exuma
5. ​Came across 4 dolphins just as we pulled up to Chat 'N' Chill on Stocking Island

#crushworthypics #exuma #littleexuma #bahamas #winterescape #endlesssummer

It's been awhile since I posted to this blog. I have been focused on sharing pictures and thoughts on our Instagram account @thesalthouseexuma and have neglected The 23 N blog.

Recently, I received a couple of very nice notes from guests and I wanted to share them with prospective renters. Our guest from the first week of August wrote:

"We want to thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us. We so enjoyed the serenity and beauty of Exuma and, to be honest, mostly enjoyed relaxing at the Salt House. We have been extremely fortunate to travel the world and to stay at many luxurious places (hotels and villas), but I have to say your vision in creating this home was impeccable. Every detail, down to hand soaps from Bath & Body (my favorite) did not go unnoticed. The home is so comfortable, yet so tasteful. The location is incredible and the home is a reflection and a compliment to the beauty surrounding it." - Marilia C.

While updating the reviews, I decided that I need to get back to keeping my blog. Check out our Guest Reviews page and see why The Salt House is the most desirable beach house on Great and Little Exuma.

P.S. Most people that rent The Salt House come directly here to our website and book with us (which saves you a nearly $400 fee vs HomeAway/VRBO), so we don't have any reviews on that site. It's there for exposure and helps the occasional group find out about us.

​While the beach is the star, the island boasts spectacular snorkeling along its southern side and the little rock island just off the end (looks connected, but it's not) is hollowed out and you can swim through it! The interior of the island is like a meadow of varying craggy grasses and plants. It also boasts a couple of types of iguanas that you won't come across on the mainland. There are some smaller ones (6-8" long with fatter heads and bodies that the lizards on the mainland) that will approach you at the transition of the beach to the bush...no doubt looking for you to feed them. In the interior are larger stocky iguanas of 1-2' long that don't seem to be interested in people as they scurry off in the grass.

Though the ocean depth is never more than 17' and you can see the sandy bottom the entire distance, don't attempt this on a day when there are waves.

​A closer option is the small unnamed beach island about .75 miles. It's a beautiful spit of sand in it's own right (below) and has a small reef off the western end for snorkeling. No doubt it has that deserted island vibe you've dreamed about.  Click here to check out our availability calendar.

I've posted many times about the amazing sandbars that are found throughout The Exumas...but they are soooo good that I have to do it again.  This time, though, I'm going to help you see one of the most incredible ones.  And ironically, it may just be the most accessible sandbars in Exuma - the sandbars near Rolle Town and Man O War Cay.

First things first.  You have to research the tides, because these temporary private islands appear at low tide and then disappear like magic right before your eyes.  So here's a link to Exuma's Tide Chart.  Find your date and ​check the chart for Low Tide, roughly the time when the water level is the lowest at Steventon, Exuma, on the northwest end of Great Exuma. There are two tide cycles of high and low tide every day that are continuously shifting with the lunar cycle, so check to see if one of there is a Low Tide sometime during the day.  Today (Nov 5, 2016), for example, would not be a good day to see these beauties, as Low Tide hits at 4:58 AM and then again at 8:33 PM, so only in the dark.  As a matter of fact, next Friday is the next time there will be a mid-day Low Tide. Still the sandbars aren't only there at the peak of the tide, so on a day like today, you'd have to plan to get out there as early as you can.

Next, you have to know where to go, which I have circled in the Google Earth image.  Knowing the tides is also important as you plan your approach.  This area is shallow for quite some distance...even where the sand never peaks out, so you don't want to anchor your boat only to find yourself beached if the tide is still going out.  As you can see below we anchored the boat quite a ways away and then walked through the knee and ankle deep water.  ​

If you rent a boat from Minn's it's fun to explore the area on your own, but you'll need someone in your group to be the depth spotter and take it slow.  If you are heading to Stocking Island on Elvis' Taxi, you can ask Elvis or one of the other captains to take you to these Sandbars on your way.

​Did someone just say Selfie!

Click here to check out our availability calendar.

Whether you:

1. Hang out on the pool deck
2. Paddle out to the unnamed cays just off shore
3. Grab lunch at Hulover Bay Bar & Grill in Rolle Town
4. Cruising around Elizabeth Harbour in a boat rented from Minn's
5. Relaxing on the Sunset Porch

Click here to check out our availability calendar.

We are excited to announce that The Salt House will have our first guests arrive on October 1.

That's just 2 weeks away, but we will be ready.  The pool and pool deck are finished and the walkway to the beach is a dream. The pool bar has been completed and the outdoor dining table was built this week.  Privacy fences are being built and the tropical landscaping began to get installed earlier this week.  The fine details are being wrapped up with the utmost attention.  Everything to ensure that The Salt House is exceeds the expectations of our guests.

The Fall calendar is getting booked up, but there are a few weeks left to get in at our introductory rate.  Or plan your winter getaway at The Salt House and enjoy the very best of a tropical island vacation.

Sometimes you need an Adults-only, do-nothing-but-read-booze-sun-and-swim beach getaway.

​The Salt House, Exuma, Bahamas

Sunset swims...They too are Better in Exuma.