By Gayle Patterson, charter broker at Edmiston Monaco.

With more than 700 islands and over 2,400 cays to choose from, the Bahamas are an ideal destination for chartering. Each of the three island chains offers something different: the northern Abacos Islands offer a turquoise nirvana for sailors, the middle Bahamas and Berry Islands are renowned for sportsfishing and my favourite, the Exuma Cays (above), are tiny jewels set in topaz water. The conditions for snorkelling and diving are first class: divers can marvel at the spectacular marine life including turtles, beautiful coral reefs, numerous wrecks and the famous Dean’s Blue Hole, which has an unbelievable depth of 202 metres.

Embark at Nassau with its blend of Vegas glamour, and cruise to Allen Cay, home to the protected Bahamian iguanas. Or you can hop off at Staniel Cay to visit the settlement of brightly coloured houses, before snorkelling around the cave featured in the Bond movie Thunderball. If you prefer to take it easy, the Bahamas are an idyllic tropical backdrop in which to relax. Choose your charter yacht carefully as the shallow waters of the Bahamas don’t allow yachts with deeper draughts to cruise close to the islands.

This feature is taken from the November/December 2011 edition of SuperYacht World. Click here to buy the issue for your iPad.