Musha Cay

Musha Cay is not a single island but an entire archipelago in the southern Exuma Cays, a collection of 11 islands totaling roughly 700 acres of private tropical landscape. The property is owned by David Copperfield and operates exclusively as a whole-island rental, never subdividing its accommodations for individual bookings. Walking the entire perimeter of all connected islands takes roughly two to three hours at a leisurely pace, with the main anchorages and villa clusters connected by a series of sandy paths and boat access. The archipelago sits in clear turquoise water surrounded on all sides, creating the complete island privacy the rental model promises. On the horizon, depending on your exact vantage point on Musha Cay, you can see several neighboring cays in the Exuma chain, but the surrounding water and the archipelago's size mean these distant islands never intrude on the sense of solitude.

The accommodation consists of five distinct guest houses with a combined 12 bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms. These plantation-style homes are scattered across the island, each with its own private beach access and separated by tropical foliage, so guests in different villas rarely encounter one another except at shared dining venues. The largest villa, The Landings, serves as both a residence and the island's hub, overlooking the main dock and housing the administrative quarters. The other four homes sit on elevated positions, set into the landscape, or positioned at the water's edge. The arrangement allows the maximum guest count of 24 to stay together while maintaining the privacy of separate households. Each villa is fully furnished with contemporary amenities inside a traditional Caribbean architectural shell.

The staffing model is essential to understand. Musha Cay maintains a permanent staff on the island to run all operations: meal preparation, housekeeping, maintenance, and guest services. The staff quarters are integrated on-site, so the island's logistics run without interruption during your rental. If guests wish to bring additional personal staff, the property offers island accommodation for those employees at $750 per night per person, including meals and lodging. This pricing is separate from the guest rental rate and accommodates personal assistants, nannies, security, or other household staff guests wish to bring with them.

Getting to Musha Cay involves a multi-leg journey with specific travel times and costs you should plan for. From the U.S. mainland, you fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, then take a commercial flight to Exuma International Airport on Great Exuma, a journey of about one to one and a half hours. From Exuma International, you have two transfer options to reach Musha Cay. A charter aircraft flight takes approximately 20 minutes and costs roughly $1,500 to $2,500 per person depending on the charter service and group size (the property can arrange this). Alternatively, you can drive to Georgetown Airport on Great Exuma and take a scenic boat transfer of approximately 45 minutes, which is typically arranged by the property at no additional charge beyond what is quoted in the rental rate. A third, less common option is private seaplane landing directly on the beach at Musha Cay, available for those arriving by yacht or private aircraft. The entire journey from Miami door-to-Musha Cay door typically takes six to seven hours when everything is timed efficiently.

The rental rates start at approximately $50,000 to $57,000 per night for up to 12 guests, with additional guests charged at $1,500 per person per night up to the maximum of 24. This means a party of 24 would pay somewhere in the range of $72,000 to $79,000 per night (the base rate plus 12 additional guests at $1,500 each). The property enforces a five-night minimum stay. For a full week at the maximum guest count, you would budget roughly $504,000 to $553,000 for seven nights, though the exact number depends on how your group falls within the 12-guest base plus additional pricing structure. The entire rate is all-inclusive, covering all meals, premium alcoholic beverages, wines, and spirits, prepared by the island's culinary staff. The rate also includes access to all island facilities, water sports equipment, and recreational amenities. There are no hidden per-person meal costs or activity charges; everything beyond the baseline nightly rate is inclusive.

Musha Cay has 40 private beaches distributed across its 11 islands, giving guests an extraordinary number of sand-and-water options without ever encountering others. Some beaches face the open ocean, offering dramatic wave action and deep-water visibility, while others are protected lagoon-side anchorages with calm, clear water ideal for children or swimming directly off the sand. The variety means you can plan different beach days for different moods and water conditions. Beyond the beaches, the islands host several formal dining pavilions: the signature Balinese Beach Pavilion where the freshest seafood and contemporary cuisine are prepared in an open-air setting, The Landings for more casual meals overlooking the dock and the approach channels, and Coconut Beach for beachside dining. There is also a main dining hall used for larger group meals and celebrations. Snorkeling is excellent from multiple island locations, and the staff can arrange fishing expeditions, diving trips to nearby sites like Thunderball Grotto, and boating excursions to neighboring cays if guests wish to venture off the property.

The nearest medical facilities are in Georgetown on Great Exuma, reached by the same boat transfer route that brings you to the island. Georgetown has a government clinic and a private Doctors Hospital Exuma Medical Centre that operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed weekends and holidays). The boat transfer takes roughly 45 minutes, so a non-emergency medical situation can be managed with advance notice. For serious medical emergencies requiring immediate evacuation, the Bahamas has established helicopter medevac services; Musha Cay staff are trained to coordinate emergency response with Coast Guard or air ambulance services if needed. Evacuation by helicopter from the island to a trauma center in Nassau or Miami takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes depending on the weather and the specific emergency, but this is a rare event and the island's isolation is not typically a medical risk for most guests.

Musha Cay stands out as the only large-scale whole-island private archipelago in the Caribbean that exclusively operates as a whole-property rental. The scale (11 islands, 700 acres, 40 beaches) combined with the five separate guest houses creates a rare model where 24 people can vacation together with complete privacy and multiple distinct spaces, unlike a single-island resort. The property's 35-year track record, owned and operated by Copperfield, means systems for guest services, emergency response, and logistics are mature and refined. This is a destination for very large parties seeking absolute seclusion and white-glove service in a genuinely remote Caribbean setting.