Coastal roads lined in palm trees with turquoise ocean views...
A unique ride to help another community.
The ride begins in Georgetown (the capital of Exuma) and follows a rolling 70kms route that takes participants along freshly paved roads to Shoreline Beach Resort in Rolleville and back
Soak up the picturesque landscape and be cheered along the way during a fully supported ride with police escort with two rest stops long the way.
Join in the fun!
There will also be a shorter community ride (35K) where family and friends can join the fun.
About The Great Exuma 70K Ride
VIP Rider
Join a select few riders who have committed to donate a minimum of $2500 to the Exuma Foundation Canada to help vital causes on the island related to health, education and social justice. VIP riders benefit from an exclusive experience that includes:
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Police escorted and fully supported 70 kms ride with rest stop
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Custom event jersey and finisher belt buckle
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Private transportation to all VIP events over the weekend
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Professional mechanic support to build and pack your bike for a hassle-free experience
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VIP cocktail reception at Grand Isle sponsored by WCPD
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VIP after party at Howard and Michele’s DillyCrab Beach House with island food and award winning cuisine by chef Haan Palcu Chang
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50% off accommodations at the 5 star Grand Isle Resort
Rally Rider
If you donate a minimum of $500 but less than $2500 you will join our Rally Rider experience which includes:
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Police escorted and fully supported 70 kms ride with rest stop
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Custom event finisher belt buckle
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50% off accommodations at the 5 star Grand Isle Resort (depending on availability)
In Support of The Exuma Foundation Canada in Partnership with Friends of Exuma
The Exuma Foundation Canada is a not-for-profit based in Exuma that is focused on enhancing the lives of the people of the Exumas by investing in education, health, and environment. Some of the initiatives we have funded through the Tour de Turquoise include a bus for the hospital, bikes and computers for the high school, a children's shelter, environmental education for local children, a new bus for the high school and new basketball courts for Georgetown. All our donations are informed by local community leaders who help us identify areas of need within our 3 pillars of education, health and the environment.
Additional Information
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*We suggest participants bring their own bike. For VIP riders we will have a professional mechanic at the event to unpack, set up and repack your bike as part of our service.
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Snacks and drinks will be provided enroute at the rest stops
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Rides will be police escorted
with marshals -
There will be a sag wagon in case of mechanical or medical issues
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Make sure you carry full travel medical insurance as its plenty expensive to fly you off island to a hospital if the local hospital is not able to treat the injuries.
Thursday, Jan. 18
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Arrive/Check in
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Dinner at your leisure (informal dinner at the Fish Fry optional)
Friday, Jan. 19
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9 am start 50 km fun ride from Grand Isle to Barreterre
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Lunch at your leisure
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Afternoon optional excursions including swimming pigs and Chat 'n Chill
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VIP rider dinner and reception at Grand Isle
Saturday, Jan. 20
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Transport from Grand Isle departs at 7:15 am
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Registration starts at 8 am
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The Great Exuma Charity Bike Ride begins at 8:30 am (VIP + Community Riders)
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Approximate finish time: 12 pm
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Transport back to Grand Isle departs 12:15 pm
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Afternoon at your leisure
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Big after party blow out for VIP riders at Howard and Michele's beach house. And award winning chef Haan Palcu Chang is back to delight original dishes just for our event using locally sourced ingredients.
Sunday, Jan. 21
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Free day/Travel home (including the famous Dillycrab Beach House VIP airport lounge and diner…)
Weekend Program
Travel + Accommodation
Travelling to Exuma
Daily flights to Exuma are available through a variety of airlines. Most will have a connection through either Nassau, Miami or Atlanta. Air Canada offers a direct flight to Georgetown Exuma (GGT) on Sundays from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Please check in advance which costs or restrictions exist for bike transport. All participants are responsible for booking their own flights to GGT.
Staying in Exuma
Accommodations can be found throughout Exuma. First and foremost, we highly recommend our official partner, Grand Isle Resort. A 50% discount on the suite rentals is available exclusively to VIP riders.
Here is a list of other popular hotels and resorts
Other services
Personal drivers
Patrick
P: (242) 464-1411
Cab services
Exuma Travel and Transport
(242) 345-0232 Great Exuma
Junior Taxi Service
345-0641 Exuma International Airport
7.1 mi. (11.4 km) northwest of Georgetown
Leslie Dames Taxi
(242) 357-0015 Great Exuma
Luther Rolle Taxi
(242) 345-5003 Great Exuma
Smitty's Taxi
(242) 358-4045 Great Exuma
Car rentals
Airport Car Rental
Moss Town, Great Exuma
P: (242) 345-0090
F: (242) 345-0091
e: taro@coralwave.com
Don's Car Rental
Moss Town, Great Exuma
P: (242) 345-0112
F: (242) 345-0113
Thompson's Car Rental
George Town, Great Exuma
P: (242) 336-2442
F: (242) 336-2446
E: thompsonsrental@hotmail.com
About Exuma
Exuma is NOT Nassau. It’s a secluded, gorgeous chain of 375 island jewels in the southern part of The Bahamas. Great Exuma, where the ride will be based, is a draw for adventure seekers looking for beautiful water, friendly people and some blissful tranquility. The island is very safe – everybody knows everybody! There are less than 5,000 people spread out amongst the hundreds of islands and the bustling centre of Georgetown has just 900 residents – yep, that’s it!
So if you are looking for shopping and casinos, Exuma is probably not for you. If you are looking for laid-back island life amongst friendly folk, surrounded by the most beautiful, clear, shallow water in the Caribbean, look no further.
Things to Do in Exuma
You may be coming for a bike ride, but there is so much more to do with your down time!
Sugar Adventure: Enjoy half- or full-day tours to see the famous Swimming Pigs.
Thunderball Grotto: Swimming with harmless nurse sharks and much more: www.sugaradventures.com
Tropic of Cancer Beach: One of the most stunning beaches on the planet and the set
of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Chat 'N' Chill: A world famous spot for sailors (and would-be sailors) to, you guessed it,
chat and chill.
Elizabeth Harbour: Dine on delicious BBQ and conch salad while swimming with friendly stingrays in these pristine waters.
Minns Marina: Rent a Boston Whaler for a day and tour beautiful Elizabeth Harbour,
swim with sea turtles and snorkel pristine reefs.
Exuma Beach Resort: On Friday nights get your groove happening at the best dance
spot on the island.
The Fish Fry: Located just minutes outside of Georgetown alongside a collection of local eateries right on the water.
Charlie's: Don't miss karaoke on Sunday nights at Charlie's.
Golf: If you are hankering to play a round, Sandals boasts the top ranked golf course in the Caribbean, designed by Greg Norman. But be warned, the back 9 along Emerald Bay will be so distracting you may as well throw your scorecard out.
Shark Tagging: Shark Tagging is a brand new, full-time program at Grand Isle Resort, combining ocean education and conservation with bucket list tourism experiences. Beneath the Waves is a US and Canadian nonprofit dedicated to promoting ocean health and using science and technology to catalyze ocean policy. To learn more about the Beneath the Waves experience: Click Here
Gallery
Tour de Turquoise 2017
A look back in words and pictures
By: Howard Chang
As an island chain of over 700 cays, the Bahamas is most notably famous for its white sand beaches, turquoise water and millionaire lifestyle. You wouldn’t normally think of this spectacular place as a cycling destination, but there happens to be a little gem of an island chain at the southern tip called the Exumas with a growing bike culture. There you’ll find pristine cycling conditions, quiet roads, friendly people, and, of course, beaches so beautiful they’ll take your breath away.
Michele and I have been riding on this island paradise for four years and a few years back we decided to share the fun with some of our friends for an inaugural charity ride, the Tour de Turquoise. At the time, our intrepid group of only six riders didn’t know how the locals would respond to a bunch of lycra-clad cyclists, but to our surprise we were received with support and enthusiasm.
February of this year marked our third annual ride and the event has gained such incredible momentum that all I can say is – Wow! Not only did 20 riders come from across Canada and the US, but we also had 25 local Exuma riders join in the fun. Among the local riders were nine students from the high school who rode on brand new Kona cross bikes, generously donated to the school by Kona and members of our Toronto cycling club, Les Domestiques.
But of course it wasn’t just about cycling. When you come to an island with arguably the most beautiful waters in the world, you simply must spend time on and in the water. On the day before the race, our riders left the beautiful Grand Isle Resort and took a fantastic boat trip with local legend Tyrone Munroe up the cays to see the famous swimming pigs, pet the iguanas on Nicholas Cage’s island, and walk the two-km sandbar through the middle of the Caribbean sea. Everyone was blown away by the beauty of the experience.
This year we decided to run three routes at the Tour de Turquoise: a ride around town with the kids, some of whom had little bikes with training wheels; a 40-km ride for the community; and a 70-km elite course that included some fun off-roading for the main event. Michele and Josée led the community ride and had a lot of fun coaching the enthusiastic kids eager to race each other. At the finish, the kids didn’t want to stop and continued to race their bikes around town for another hour! Celebrated Olympic medalist Curt Harnett and Tour de France star Christian Vande Velde joined us for the 70-km ride and – just for fun – they got a number of us to ride to and from the starting point, for a total of 110 km.
The ride included nine km of optional dirt roads, which allowed the Kona cross bikes to shine in their element. We stopped for some grapefruit radlers at Johnny Depp’s fave eatery, Santana’s, then headed back to town for the finish with all the community riders. As we congratulated each other and got our medals, we presented a cheque for over $20,000 to the Exuma Foundation of Canada from the funds donated by participants. This donation will go to help build a much-needed children’s shelter and fund bikes for the high school bike club.
That night, Michele and I hosted a party at our place, Dilly Crab Ranch, and we all enjoyed Julian Marshall’s fantastic barbecue, while swapping stories of our great adventure. It was agreed by all that this was a pivotal year that showed how a small group of committed people can make big positive changes.
If a totally unique cycling adventure and doing good along the way sounds like something you’d like to try, join us for Tour de Turquoise 2023! It will be a three day event starting Thursday January 19 to Saturday January 21, 2023 so SAVE THE DATE!
