Are you planning a Bahamas vacation? If you are, you’re going to want to look into the best excursions in Nassau. While the capital has a lot to offer, the island nation contains 700 islands – all of which are worth visiting. Luckily, when you fly on Exuma day trips with Bahamas Air Tours, you get to visit seven incredible destinations before returning back to Nassau that evening.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at what those seven destinations you see on the best Nassau Bahamas shore excursions are. From Nassau snorkeling to meeting the Exuma Pigs, there’s a lot to look forward to.
Read on to learn more!
Best Excursions in Nassau: 7 Can’t-Miss Nassau Tours
1. Staniel Cay
While the Exuma Pigs are the highlight of many of the best excursions in Nassau, that’s not the first place you visit on Bahamas day trips by plane. Pig Beach doesn’t have an airport, as it’s uninhabited, so you first fly into Staniel Cay.
The views on the flight to Staniel Cay are hard to beat.
Located just a short distance away from Pig Island, Staniel Cay is the gateway to the Exumas. It serves as a convenient entrance into the region from Nassau, Georgetown, and even Miami. However, the island has a lot more to offer than just a runway.
It also features a charming town, as well as all the natural beauty you’d expect from an island in the Exuma Cays. Nassau tours to the Exumas with Bahamas Air Tours provide you with the opportunity to eat lunch at the local yacht club.
2. The Exuma Pigs
The Swimming Pigs are the highlight of the best excursions in Nassau. Found on Big Major Cay (the official name of Pig Beach), the pigs have become one of the most well-known attractions in the country over the past several years.
If you’re unfamiliar with them, the Exuma Pigs reside on an island without any people. No one is exactly sure how they arrived there, and several stories surround their origins. Regardless of how they came to be, today the pigs are happy to greet everyone who arrives on their shore since farmers have traveled by boat to feed them for years.
A trip to Pig Beach is one of the best Nassau Bahamas cruise excursions.
When you pull up to their island, you can expect the Swimming Pigs to jump in the water and swim out to greet you. Once you step foot on the shore, you’ll then have plenty of time to spend hanging out with them and exploring their stunning home.
3. Thunderball Grotto
If you’re looking for Nassau snorkeling opportunities, Thunderball Grotto is one site you won’t want to miss out on. Found near Staniel Cay and Pig Beach, it’s another site that the best excursions in Nassau take you to.
Thunderball Grotto is a system of underwater caves full of marine life. From reefs and lobsters to fish and more, you can see all sorts of creatures beneath the surface of the water. The underwater cave system is so beautiful, it was featured in the James Bond film Thunderball (hence its name).
Whether you’re a fan of classic Hollywood films or are just on the hunt for the top Nassau Bahamas shore excursions, Thunderball Grotto deserves a place on any Bahamas itinerary.
4. An Underwater Plane Wreck
Travelers can find another great Nassau snorkeling opportunity at an underwater plane wreck near Staniel Cay.
Decades ago, when the Colombian drug cartel was at its height, a smuggling vessel crashed down in the warm Bahamas waters. Saddled to the brim with marijuana, the pilots unfortunately were unable to make it out of the plane. However, since its watery crash, the site has transformed into a place of life.
Today, it’s home to tropical fish and other marine life. As the waters around the plane are quite shallow, it’s also one of the best Nassau snorkeling locations. Diving down to examine the vessel up close is one of the top things to do on Nassau Bahamas excursions.
You can find great Nassau snorkeling opportunities at the underwater plane wreck.
5. Bitter Guana Cay
On the best excursions in Bahamas, you don’t just get to see the Swimming Pigs. At Bitter Guana Cay, another island in the Exumas, you also get to see endangered iguanas.
The Bahamian northern rock iguana is a colorful species of lizard that has seen its numbers decline in recent years. As less than 5,000 animals remain in the wild, Bitter Guana Cay remains one of the best places in the Bahamas to see them.
As you land on Bitter Guana Cay, you’ll see these beautiful creatures slither out from the tropical vegetation and make their way to the beach. Besides appreciating them, you’ll also have time to explore their island on Nassau Bahamas cruise excursions. While all of the islands in the Bahamas are beautiful, Bitter Guana Cay is one of the prettiest!
6. Compass Cay
As if swimming with pigs and hanging out with iguanas weren’t enough, the best excursions in Nassau also let you stop at Compass Cay Marina. Once you arrive, you won’t have to look far to find the animal that’s put the small tropical island on international maps everywhere.
Nassau tours to Exuma let you go swimming with sharks.
The owner of the local marina is a shark fanatic, and years ago, he managed to tame a school of nurse sharks. Since then, the sharks have stuck around the docks ever since. Today, the site is one of the best places in the country to go swimming with sharks.
While jumping in the water with sharks might sound crazy, nurse sharks are one of the most docile species. Attacks are extremely rare since they’re more like catfish than the beasts portrayed in films like Jaws. However, you’ll still go through a safety briefing to ensure that the experience remains safe and enjoyable for you, other people, and the sharks.
While you can always choose to appreciate the sharks from the piers, the experience is another highlight of Nassau tours to the region. If you’re at all interested in hopping in the water with the sharks, you should!
7. Pipe Creek
Nassau Bahamas excursions to the Exuma Cays take you to some of the prettiest places in the country. That said, one that will truly make you feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard in Pipe Creek.
When the tide rolls back at Pipe Creek, you’ll see sugar-white sandbars pop out of the azure water. On the best excursions in Nassau, you don’t just look at these sandbars from afar – you also get to walk on top of them.
Nassau Bahamas shore excursions to Pipe Creek let you see stunning sandbars.
If there’s one place that makes you feel like you’re in the Bahamas and on the vacation of a lifetime, it’s Pipe Creek. Make sure to keep a quality camera on hand, as you’ll want to snap quite a few pictures!
Nassau Bahamas Cruise Excursions to Exuma
The best excursions in Nassau have you venturing out of the capital and into other parts of the country. While you can find many different options, flying out to the Exuma Cays for the day might just be the best excursions in Bahamas.
When you fly, you get to save time, travel in comfort, beat the crowds, and enjoy incredible views outside your window. Once you land, you then have plenty of time to meet the Swimming Pigs and explore other top sites in the area.
Sign up for a Staniel Cay day tour with Bahamas Air Tours today!
Discover the Bahamas Out Islands
With beautifully illustrated maps and informative destination guides.
Download the Guidebook
