Coco Cay was formerly known as Little Stirrup Cay. Admiral, the cruise line, leased Little Stirrup Cay for their private use as a tourist destination in 1986. Royal Caribbean later acquired Admiral Cruises and took possession of the lease. Royal Caribbean renamed the island Coco Cay.
Coco Cay is a small island, less than two square miles, located approximately 50 miles south of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.
Coco Cay is a private island and can only be reached from cruises affiliated with Royal Caribbean. These include the Royal Caribbean ships, the Disney cruises and the Carnival cruise line. Coco Cay only has a shallow harbor, so passengers must take tenders, or smaller boats, from their cruise ship to the island.
There is no indigenous population on Coco Cay. All of the people you might meet on the island are either fellow tourists from a cruise ship or people employed by Royal Caribbean. The Royal Caribbean employees don't live on the island, but commute in every day by boat or along with the cruise ships.
Although it's a very small island, Coco Cay has a few different beaches visitors can enjoy. Coco Cay has a small lighthouse, called the Stirrup Cay lighthouse and a small harbor for the tenders called Slaughter Harbor. One beach features an aqua park for kids to play on, while others are more secluded.
The entire purpose of Coco Cay is to cater to tourists from cruise ships, and the island has a decent selection of things to do if you get tired of swimming on the beach. You can rent a wave runner, go parasailing, hike nature trails, snorkel or visit the Caylanas Aqua Park, a floating playground.
Coco Cay does not have any local shops or restaurants, but Royal Caribbean does operate a barbecue and a number of bars and concession stands on the island if you get hungry. You can sit in a hammock and sip fruity tropical drinks while nibbling pineapple and treats from the grill.
