Booking onto a magical Exuma pigs tour and day trip is one of the most memorable things you can do on your Bahamas Vacation. Visiting the famous Bahamas Swimming Pigs is now the at the top of the list of the best things to do in Bahamas.
Fly across dreamy tropical island archipelagos with their white sandy beach and turquoise blue waters. Discover the authentic Bahamas – the small island experience – in the stunning Exuma Cays.
The Exuma Cays are a collection of 365 spectacular islands, that make up some of the 700 islands that make up the overall Bahamas Out Islands. The unique feature of the Exuma Cays, is the secluded strip of sand known as Pig Beach on Big Major Cay island, the official home of the original Swimming Pigs.
And the only way to visit the Swimming Pigs is by taking an Exuma Pigs Tour from Nassau or Miami! Bahamas Air Tours offers exciting day trips and excursions by plane to Pig Beach.
Exuma Pigs Tour by Plane
With only two ways of travelling to the Exuma Pigs, by plane or boat, visitors have limited travel options. Essentially there are Exuma Pigs Tours run by tour operators like Bahamas Air Tours. These tour are full day excursions where the guest can be picked up in their hotels and everything on the tour is included, from the transportation to their lunch. This makes their Exuma excursions both relaxing and convenient.
Because of how far is Exuma from Nassau, it is highly recommended to fly there!
Disadvantages of taking a speedboat from Nassau to Exuma Pig Beach:
- Uncomfortable journey across open ocean, often rough conditions and sea swell, prone to sea sickness
- Long journey time 3 hours, Nassau to Pig Beach
- Speedboats exposed to the sun, wind and rain
- Speedboat operators frequently cancel at short notice due to poor sea conditions or weather
Benefits of flying from Nassau to Exuma:
- Stunning views of the Exuma Cays islands from aircraft windows
- Quick journey time 40 minutes, Nassau to Staniel Cay Airport
- Comfortable journey in climate conditioned aircraft
- Quick journey allows maximum time spent on islands enjoying tour activities
There is no public transportation to Exuma Pig Beach. There is a ferry service that operates between Nassau and Georgetown Exuma which takes 14 hour ferry ride. From Georgetown (Great Exuma) it would then be another 2 hour go-fast speed boat ride to the Swimming Pigs Exuma. Go-fast speed boats also operate from Nassau to Exuma Pig Beach but these are private tour companies, and for the above reasons not recommended for your day trip.
Swimming with Pigs on an Exuma Tours from Nassau
Exuma Tours from Nassau
Bahamas Air Tours has daily departures of its Exuma Pigs Tour from Nassau. The Nassau to Exuma Day Trip is by plane, where guests are flown from Nassau to Staniel Cay island. Staniel Cay is the nearest airstrip to Exuma Pig Beach. From here, guests are taken on a boat tour that stops at the Swimming Pigs on Big Major Cay.
Because of the time saved by flying to Exuma, rather than taking the boat, guests have a much longer day spent in the Exuma Cays. For this reason they are taken on a full day guided tour of the other exciting attractions in Exuma like the Swimming with Sharks at Compass Cay Marina (see below article).
Exuma Excursions from Miami
Guests can take an Exuma Pigs Tour from Florida, with weekly departures from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Bahamas Air Tours offer unique Exuma Excursions to Staniel Cay and Pig Beach.
With a slightly longer flight time of 1 hour and 30 minutes from Miami to Staniel Cay, the Exuma Pigs Tour from Florida is a full day excursion from 7am to 7pm. But without doubt being able to visit Exuma Pig Beach and the famous Swimming Pigs on your vacation in Miami, perhaps somewhere popular like South Beach, is a one of a kind thing to do in Florida!
The Exuma Pigs tour from Florida requires guests to have passports because of the international flights and customs/border crossings.
Pig Beach and Swimming with Pigs
The Pig Beach, as it’s been commonly known to visitors in the Bahamas, is a beautiful stretch of white sand on an uninhabited island called Big Major Cay. It is now the star attraction of the 700 Bahamas Out islands.
The origins of the Swimming Pigs is an interesting story! Some say that the pigs were abandoned here by sailors, who had the intentions of returning to them for their provisions, but never returned. Another legend has it that these Exuma Pigs were shipwrecked here during a tropical storm. The actual reason there are pigs on a beach in the Bahamas? Well, you’ll just have to book onto an Exuma Pigs tour to find out from one of our friendly local guides!!
Pig Beach on an Exuma Pigs Tour to Big Major Cay
Top Things to do on an Exuma Pigs Tour
1. Swimming with Sharks
Nearby to the Exuma Pig Beach is Compass Cay. Another small island in the Exuma Cays, except this one is inhabited with holiday homes, local residences and a Marina – the Compass Cay Marina – which is home of their friendly pet Nurse Sharks. This is where you can go swimming with sharks in the Bahamas, and certainly where the craze of being photographed laying back on the water whilst sharks swim beneath you began. There are other marinas in the Bahamas that try to recreate this unique experience, but Compass Cay, as with Big Major Cay, is the home of the original swimming with experience.
Swimming with Sharks on an Exuma Excursions to Compass Cay Marina
The Nurse Sharks are in the most part harmless to humans. The pet Nurse Sharks that live at Compass Cay Marina are very docile having been living with visitors to these waters for over 30 years!
Compass Cay island has a stunning beach on its eastern shore – the Crescent Beach, is an uninterrupted stretch of white sand, that attracts strong swells from the Atlantis side of the Exuma Cays.
2. Thunderball Grotto
James Bond features on the Exuma Pigs Tour, since the 1965 film Thunderball was filmed here. And found between Staniel Cay and Big Major Cay is a small rocky island with a hollow cave. Called “Thunderball Grotto” and referred to as the James Bond Cave, snorkeling inside this underwater cave is one of the top things to do in the Exuma Cays.
3. Staniel Cay Island
Staniel Cay, the main visitor hub for travel on the Exuma Pigs tours, is considered the Jewel in the crown of the Bahamas Islands. This small piece of paradise, isn’t just the landing spot for your Exuma Pigs tour, it has its own treasure trove of exciting attractions and tropical sights. Be sure to visit the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, established in the 1960’s, it remains the beating heart of Staniel Cay and now home to a 16 luxurious bungalows as a boutique resort with lively bar and restaurant.
Book onto a Pig Beach Bahamas Tour and discover the Exuma Cays
Bahamas Air Tours is flying daily to Staniel Cay and you can book onto their Exuma Pigs Tour by plane for the ultimate day trip and excursions experiences from Nassau and Florida. Experience the Bahamas Out Islands the authentic Bahamas with a Bahamas Day Trip to the Exuma Cays.
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