At the top of my list of things to do when I visited Castaway Cay on the beautiful Disney Wish earlier this year was to finish the Castaway Cay 5K. Castaway Cay is Disney Cruise Line’s private island located in the Bahamas and despite visiting Castaway Cay four times prior to this cruise, I never imagined that I would ever be able to complete the 5K. However on this trip, I really wanted to push myself and try something new and different, so I decided to walk (as I cannot run to save my life) the Castaway Cay 5K.

The Castaway Cay 5K is a completely free of charge “fun run” that is open to everyone of all ages. Whilst you used to have to sign up in advance and register for this activity onboard, this is no longer the case anymore and you are able to complete (by running, jogging or walking) the 5K whenever you are ready on the day – you can even have a lay-in if you want – and in your own time which is so much better than it was before.

I have written this blog and included photos, tips and advice as well as all of the latest and up to date information about the Castaway Cay 5K in 2023. I am also writing this from the point of view and perspective of a complete non runner – whilst I cannot run, I can happily walk or hike anywhere for miles!

Even though you can complete the Castaway Cay 5K at any time whilst you are on the island, it is definitely recommended to start as early as possible in the day when the temperatures are cooler before it gets too hot and humid. As soon as the ship was cleared for disembarkation, we walked from our stateroom down to Deck 1 Aft where there was a small line to disembark which moved very quickly and at 8:40am we stepped foot onto Castaway Cay.

Whilst the majority of people were lining up for the trams to take them to the beaches for a day of sunbathing and swimming, we walked past them and continued onto the empty Island Pathway – however you could take the tram to Pelican Point if you wanted to which is located close to the starting point of the 5K. We had never disembarked the ship so early at Castaway Cay and it was so interesting to see the island so quiet at this time.

The starting line for the Castaway Cay 5K is located next to the Bike Rental stand (to the left of the By the Seashore shop) and you can simply start whenever you are ready. The route is clearly signposted the entire way and the first part of the course takes you out onto the runway – as we had rented bikes on our last trip to Castaway Cay, we were already familiar with the route.

Once out on the runway make sure to follow the signs and stay to the right as the trams travelling to and from Serenity Bay run on the left hand side. The entire 5K route is completely flat and paved making it very easy to walk or run along. Further along the runway, turn right onto the Observation Tower loop – again this is clearly signposted.

We were definitely not the only people walking the 5K route that day – I saw some people running as well as some people walking and there is absolutely no shame in how you choose to do the Castaway Cay 5K as there are no rules. At the end of the day it is not a competition or a race as you are on an incredible Disney Cruise in the Bahamas to have fun and enjoy yourself so take as much time as you need as no one cares if you are fast or slow.

As it was January it was not too hot and humid which was the perfect weather for walking the Castaway Cay 5K – it would have definitely been a different story if we had attempted to do it last summer on our previous cruise when the temperatures were a lot hotter!

Fifteen minutes after crossing the 5K starting line, we reached the Observation Tower where we took a few minutes time out to see a side of Castaway Cay that most people never see. Only 55 of the 1000 acres of the island are developed and the views across the nature reserve as well as looking back towards the ship are beautiful. I even spoke to some people at the Observation Tower who were carrying binoculars and combining the 5K with their birdwatching hobby.

After leaving the Observation Tower, we continued walking around the loop and it was so nice to just be walking around a beautiful Bahamian island whilst enjoying the peace and quiet – I was actually so happy that the Castaway Cay 5K was no longer an organised activity as I would have hated being amongst a big group of people the entire time.

Once you have completed the loop, turn right back onto the runway and continue all the way down to Serenity Bay before doing a U-turn and heading back – once again this is all signposted. Make sure to cover up and wear plenty of sunscreen as well as a hat as there is little to no shade from the sun along the entire route.

There are water stations located around the entire course as well as the drinks station located at the Serenity Bay BBQ area – there are paper cups available but we simply filled our reusable water bottles that we had with us instead. There are also several benches along the route where you can take a few minutes out to sit and rest if needed.

After walking back along the runway, you need to turn left to complete one more lap of the Observation Tower loop – if you do not do the loop for the second time, you will not have completed the 5K. I actually found it a lot easier to walk the Castaway Cay 5K as opposed to when I cycled around the island last year – though the humidity on that trip was an absolute killer. I also loved being able to easily take photos of everything along the route as we were walking along.

After leaving the loop, turn left back onto the runway and the final stop is the finish line next to the Bike Rental stand where you can also collect your Castaway Cay 5K medal which is a great souvenir to take home. It had taken both of us just under an hour (including the stop at the Observation Tower) to complete the route and our next stop was Cookies Too BBQ for a sit down in the shade with a cold drink to celebrate for a few minutes as it had started to get very hot and sunny so I am glad that we had disembarked as early as we did to do it.

There is Castaway Cay 5K merchandise available in the Buy the Seashore shop next to the finish line and we treated ourselves to the Castaway Cay 5K pin as it seemed like the perfect memento for the occasion.

Whilst we could have gone straight to the beach for a swim to cool down, we walked straight back to the ship to finally get some breakfast and it tasted simply amazing. We were back onboard at 10:20am and as Marceline Market was still open, we headed straight there. One of the advantages in doing this is apart from it being the perfect motivation to complete the Castaway Cay 5K as you are getting hungry, it is also very quiet onboard the ship at this time as everyone else has already had their breakfast and disembarked for their day on the island.

I was so proud of myself for completing the Castaway Cay 5K and I really felt such a sense of accomplishment as it is not something that I would ever normally do or once ever thought I could do. It was such good fun and it was a great way to spend some time on Castaway Cay and do something completely different – it really was a bucket list moment!

The Castaway Cay 5K is not just for runners, it is for absolutely everyone and it is the perfect way to burn off all of those cruise calories! And if you are going to do a 5K for the first time ever, Castaway Cay is an epic start!

Since this blog post was written back in 2023, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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