Many Florida vacationers have caught onto the trend of doing a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip. Who could turn down a day on the white sand beaches of the Exuma Bahamas while staring out at fifty shades of blue in the sea?
The Exuma Cays are a collection of 365 islands, cays, and islets which make up what everyone considers the most beautiful region of the Bahamas. It just so happens, there are day tours leaving every day from Fort Lauderdale to the heart of the Exuma Cays for people vacationing in Florida.
What better thing to do on your vacation than visit a new country and return home to the comfort of your hotel all in one day? Below, we let you in on the fun of the Bahamas and what you can expect to see on a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip.
Contrasting colors of the Exuma Cays.
Top Things to do on a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas Day Trip
Without further ado, we bring you the best things to do on a day trip to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale:
Swimming with Pigs Bahamas on Pig Island (Big Major Cay)
The star attraction of the Bahamas happened by accident. It is said that farmers from Staniel Cay received complaints from the villagers that their pigs were producing a stench. The solution was to move the pigs to Big Major Cay.
Every day, the farmers brought their pigs food until one day, the pigs started swimming out to the boat to be the first ones fed. The farmers had struck tourist gold.
Millions of visitors later, Big Major Cay (or Pig Island as it has come to be known) is one of the most popular spots in all of the Bahamas.
Take your family on our swimming pigs tours to Pig Beach to see the Exuma pigs in the Bahamas today! It is one of the best things to do on a day cruise to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale.
Swim, pig! Swim! Big Major Cay on a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip.
Explore Hollywood’s Famous Thunderball Grotto
Tucked in between Big Major Cay and Staniel Cay is a tiny rock formation that goes by the name Thunderball Grotto. From the boat, it doesn’t look like one of Bahamas top attractions. However, grab a snorkel and get closer to reveal hidden entrances to a hollow grotto on your Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip.
Inside, you might recognize the natural skylights and lively marine and coral reef from a blockbuster movie from the Sixties starring Sean Connery. It was the setting of James Bond 007’s “Thunderball”. For Bond fans, there must be no bigger thrill in the world than to explore the setting of an actual 007 movie.
If you are looking for one of the best excursions on a one day cruise from Fort Lauderdale, look no further than Thunderball Grotto.
Spot Endangered Iguanas on Bitter Guana Cay
There is only one place in the world where you can still find the rare and endangered Northern Bahamian Rock Iguanas. That is in the Exuma Cays at Bitter Guana Cay which you can see on a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip.
There used to be more places to spot these large iguanas, however, humans have almost killed off their entire population by illegally hunting them for their meat.
They can grow up to be four feet in length, but most of the iguanas you find at Bitter Guana Cay will be about half the size. No matter, though. Bitter Guana Cay will be one of the best trips to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale you will take.
Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana at Bitter Guana Cay on a one day cruise from Fort Lauderdale.
Dive Through Underwater Plane Wreckage
Decades ago, the Colombian cartel used to use Norman’s Cay as a halfway point smuggling drugs to the United States.
One night, one of those planes went down short of Norman’s Cay and into the shallow water surrounding Staniel Cay. It was abandoned and full of marijuana when it landed and remains ten feet under water to this day.
It is one of the most accessible underwater plane wreckages in the world so get on out there and bring your camera to capture a part of Pablo Escobar’s army.
One of our favorite Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip is diving (or snorkeling) around this unique part of Bahamian history.
Go Deep Sea Fishing with an Expert
The Bahamas are known as one of the best places for fishing in the world. There are so many exotic species and new tastes to try. You can rent a boat and a fisherman as a guide for half a day or full day.
Your expert guide will put you over some of the most populated parts of the Caribbean so you are all but guaranteed the opportunity to take home a nice dinner.
If you are traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Bahamas, might as well take home a taste of the Bahamas while you are at it.
Tread Caribbean Water with Reef Sharks at Compass Ca
Compass Cay Marina has become a shallow water habitat for many sharks in the area. Additionally, you are presented the opportunity to swim side-by-side them if you are daring!
These Reef and Nurse sharks aren’t dangerous. They are bottom-dwelling creatures which feed off of marine life on the seafloor. They can grow to be up to ten feet in length, which is terrifying of a carnivorous animal, but they are harmless if left alone.
Besides the swimming pigs, swimming with sharks at Compass Cay may be a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip favorite among Bahamas vacation goers.
Relax on White Sand Sandbars
White sand beaches jutting out of nowhere in the turquoise blue sea at low tide — this is a site which is hard to picture until you are in front of it but you won’t believe the beauty.
However, there is one sandbar that stands out as more beautiful than all the rest and it happens to be a lovely secret only those familiar with the area know. If you only have time to spend at one sandbar, you must go to Pipe Creek.
Bahamas Air Tours wants to make your day trip to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale worth every penny which is why we skip the mediocre sandbars and take you straight to the best one at Pipe Creek.
A picture perfect day in a Bahamas paradise.
Get a Drink at Staniel Cay Yacht Club
Imagine sipping on a Bahamas Mama (local cocktail) in the same bar stool Sean Connery and many other celebrities once sat in. It isn’t a one day cruise from Fort Lauderdale until you have had a drink at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Take a break from the sun in the best lunch spot in the Exumas.
Why you should take a day trip to Bahamas from Florida
There are plenty of reasons you should take a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip. Hell, we just listed eight great reasons in front of you. However, if you are not convinced, here are some of the advantages of taking a day cruise to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale via plane rather than the slow ferry.
Advantages of taking Exuma day trips via Bahamas Air Charter
Aboard our private charter flight from Florida to Bahamas, everyone has access to a window seat. Good luck trying to get a good view inside a crowded ferry with limited terrace room outside.
We will fly you right over the heart of the Exuma Cays which astronauts say is the most beautiful view from space. You will be able to judge their accuracy as you gaze down from the largest viewing windows aboard any aircraft in the world — and in the company of your family/party only!
Not to mention, we will get you there fast. More than twice as quick as the quickest ferry can get you there on a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip. Time is precious on these sort of things — let us help you spend a majority of the time doing the things you paid to do.
Staniel Cay day trips are one of our favorite trips to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale which is exactly why you need to book your flights to Bahamas instead of taking the dreadful ferry. If you are traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Bahamas, you at least deserve to go in comfort.
Book Your One Day Cruise to Bahamas Today!
Thinking about a Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip? Why not book your Bahamas day trips by plane!
Take a one day cruise to Bahamas and let us show you the best of what makes the Exumas so special. We promise you will have your feet in the sand and sea breeze on your face quicker than you can say “Bahama Mama!” OK, maybe not that fast, but definitely quicker than a ferry will get you there!
Get our FREE Bahamas Guidebook
Discover the Bahamas Out Islands
With beautifully illustrated maps and informative destination guides.
Download the Guidebook
