The Secret Remote Bahamas Island With Postcard-Perfect Beaches, Clear Water, And A Notorious History

The Exuma Cays stretch like a string of jewels, arcing through the central Bahama islands between Nassau and George Town on Great Exuma Island. The islands are isolated and hard to get to — you basically need a boat or to charter a small plane. These islands have always been a playground for the wealthy; celebrities like Johnny Depp, David Copperfield, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Nic Cage have private islands here — or in Cage's case, they had private islands there.

Not all of these beautiful islands are private, though. Some of them have exclusive resorts or villa rentals. The surroundings are tranquil enough to make you feel like you own a private island, even if you must share it with a select few. Dotted along the islands, you'll find some of the best resorts in the Bahamas, as well as the amazing Norman's Cay.

Norman's is a small island, only a few hundred acres in size, located about 42 miles southeast of Nassau. It is shaped almost like an atoll in the South Pacific, with a narrow crescent of land nearly enclosing a central lagoon. The shores are lined with long, picturesque beaches. The most significant part of the island is on the west side, where there's a new marina, an airstrip, and a handful of private homes along a single road.

It's the early 1980s. Far from the prying eyes of government officials, Carlos Lehder, co-founder of the Medellín drug cartel, has set up shop on a small island in the Bahamas. The few island residents who were there fled after he bought a hotel and a home and built a 3,300-foot-long airstrip. The airstrip would become central to the kingpin's plans: Small planes would ferry cocaine into small airports in the United States under the radar. It worked for a while, and the island became legendary for its blowout parties. It all ended when the Bahamian government began cracking down on Lehder's activities in the mid-1980s.

The story of Lehder, Pablo Escobar, and their playground island in the Bahamas has been retold many times, notably in the movie "Blow" with Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz. The infamous Fyre Festival, the music festival that never was, attempted to capitalize on the island's history. Various scenes from the island were shown in the promotional video.

It's easy to see why the organizers wanted to hold the festival on Norman's Cay. The place is gorgeous and glamorous, with ghosts of this tantalizingly dark past. The Exumas are known for their exceptionally clear water, and Norman's is no exception. Crystal-clear seas lap at incredible beaches that go on for miles. Snorkeling and diving abound in the surrounding waters. It's a boater's paradise, but there's a little something for everyone looking for an intriguing vacation on a remote, secret island.

Relics of the island's past haunt the island to this day, but now they only add to its appeal. Many visitors like to explore the ruins of Lehder's house. The island's lagoon is home to the wreckage of a C-46 cargo plane that crashed during those days. Whether the plane was overloaded with drugs or just being flown by an inebriated pilot who ran out of luck, we will probably never know for sure. But what is certain is that it's now one of the best snorkeling spots in the Bahamas, with ghost stories and fish of all stripes.

Norman's Cay certainly has a super-exclusive feel, but villas and bungalows offer this little slice of paradise to anyone who wants a taste. The biggest challenge is getting there. If you don't have an airplane or boat to get you there, several charter airlines can drop you off at the island's airstrip. The flight is less than an hour from South Florida and about 20 minutes out of Nassau. There are villa, cabana, and cottage rentals on the island along with three dining options. Several private homes are available on Airbnb. Just across the lagoon, the even more exclusive Wax Cay operates as a "private island retreat." The team that operates the cay can pick you up by boat at the Norman's airstrip and give you the whole island, suitable for up to 24 guests.

The Exumas are a year-round destination. Despite their location east of South Florida, they have a more temperate weather pattern thanks to steady easterly sea breezes. Monthly average temperatures always range between 70 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and water temperatures range from 76 in the winter to 85 in the summer — perfect for beach days and snorkeling adventures. Hurricane season affects this part of the Bahamas, so be mindful of that when you book, with the peak of the season hitting in September.