Many travelers visiting Nassau hope to see islands with pigs in The Bahamas. From seeing pigs splash around in turquoise water to watching them play and trot across white sand beaches, the Swimming Pigs have become one of the most popular attractions in the country. Thankfully, a Pig Island Tour from Nassau makes them easy to see.
In this post, we’ll cover everything you should know about visiting the Island With Pigs. From the location of the Swimming Pigs to other attractions you can explore during your visit, we’ll help ensure you know what to expect when it comes to making the most of the experience.
Read on to learn about the Swim With Pigs Bahamas excursion!
Pig Island Tour From Nassau: Visit the Islands With Pigs
Islands With Pigs in The Bahamas
A quick Google search will reveal that there is no single home to the Swimming Pigs. In fact, you can find several islands with pigs throughout the archipelago.
Swimming Pigs have become an iconic attraction in The Bahamas.
Some of the islands offering Swim With Pigs Bahamas excursions include:
- Big Major Cay
- Athol Island
- Freeport
- Rose Island
- Meeks Patch Island
That said, while these locations have pigs on beaches, most of them aren’t authentic homes for pigs. Rather, tour companies have brought pigs to beaches to capitalize on the popularity of the original Pig Island.
While these locations can be fun to visit, they don’t let you experience the true mystery and whimsicality of the original Pig Island.
The Big Major Cay Pigs
As mentioned, islands with pigs exist throughout The Bahamas, but the original Pig Beach is on Big Major Cay.
Big Major Cay is a small island in the district of Exuma. Located southeast of Nassau, the Exuma Cays comprise 365 beautiful islands. Besides the Big Major Cay Pigs, travelers can also visit Exuma to experience the incredible natural beauty of The Bahamas. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, for example, is a protected area of the country. Home to protected flora and fauna, the park offers eco-friendly access to some of the top wildlife in the archipelago.
Big Major Cay is the home of the original Swimming Pigs.
While many of the other islands with pigs are manufactured, the Big Major Cay Pigs reside on an otherwise uninhabited island, with their origins being a mystery. From shipwreck to a dinner that never was, several theories seek to explain how the Swimming Pigs came to be.
Regardless of their true origins, the Big Major Cay Pigs have become one of the country’s staple travel destinations.
Excursions From Nassau Bahamas to Exuma
Big Major Cay is around 80 miles away from Nassau, but a Pig Island Tour from Nassau makes the island easy to reach.
On such a trip, you travel to Exuma in the morning, tour the area for a couple of hours, and return to the capital later in the afternoon. These types of day trips are great as they prioritize sightseeing while saving you from needing to concern yourself with accommodations and other logistics.
When you research a Pig Island Tour from Nassau, you’ll see that you have two ways to travel: by boat and by plane.
Traveling by Boat
Boat tours are one type of Pig Island Tour from Nassau. At first glance, they seem dreamy – cruising across the azure waters of the archipelago to visit the Big Major Cay Pigs seems like something out of a travel bucket list. However, reality is often different.
For one, the journey is longer and more uncomfortable than most travelers realize. It takes a couple of hours to travel by boat from Nassau to Exuma. This ends up eating up a good chunk of the day, limiting the number of attractions you can see upon arrival.
Likewise, boat excursions generally don’t offer a comfortable experience. As you pass over rough, open waters, your boat bounces across the waves. That combined with endless exposure to sun and wind leaves you feeling battered by the time you finally arrive.
Finally, since boat tours are the more popular option, expect to share your vessel with many other travelers. This limits the intimacy and personalization options of the trip.
Traveling by Plane
In contrast, signing up for a Pig Island Tour from Nassau that travels by plane avoids all of these issues.
Instead of spending half of the day in roundtrip transit, you land in Exuma around 30 minutes after departing Nassau. This saves you enough time to allow you to visit additional locations that boat tours miss out on. Likewise, you can also visit some of the more popular local attractions before the boat tours arrive.
Additionally, air travel prioritizes comfort. Far from needing to hop aboard a commercial vessel, you board a private-class plane, with every seat offering a window view. Sitting back and gazing out the window at the menagerie of colors beneath you will be something you’ll never forget.
Given all of the benefits it offers, air travel is the best way to enjoy a Pig Island Tour from Nassau.
Book the Nassau to Exuma Day Trip with Bahamas Air Tours!
Exuma From Nassau: What to See
As Big Major Cay is uninhabited, flying on a Pig Island Tour from Nassau first takes you to Staniel Cay. Known as the Gateway to Exuma, this small island is close to the Swim With Pigs Bahamas experience and features a regional airport.
After landing, you’ll switch over to a boat and begin visiting the nearby attractions. Altogether, you’ll visit seven Exuma destinations.
The Swimming Pigs
A visit to Pig Island makes for a quirky and memorable experience.
The highlight of the trip, the Big Major Cay Pigs don’t disappoint. As your boat pulls up to the island, you’ll see them paddle out in the water to greet you, snorting along the way. After tossing them pig-friendly foods, you’ll then get to hop into the water yourself to spend some time on their beach.
From watching the pigs run around their beach to bottle-feeding piglets, the stop at Big Major Cay is even more fun than many travelers anticipate. Knowing that you’re seeing the original pigs and not just a knock-off touristy version of them makes the experience even better!
Sandbars
While all seven of the stops on a Pig Island Tour from Nassau deserve mention, another stop worth highlighting, in particular, is the sandbars at Pipe Creek.
Also located near Big Major Cay and Staniel Cay, the Pipe Creek sandbars are accessible at low tide. At that time, the tide pulls back revealing slices of snow-white sand you can walk atop. From the blues and greens of the water to the foliage of nearby islands, you’ll find the colors and views around you both as enchanting as a kaleidoscope.
The white sandbars at Pipe Creek dazzle in the sunlight.
When you visit Pipe Creek, there’s a good chance you’ll have the sandbars entirely to yourself. This makes them even more enjoyable, as you’ll feel like you’ve set foot in your own private postcard.
Pig Island Tour From Nassau: Visit Exuma From Nassau
If you’re not looking to sign up for a Pig Island Tour from Nassau, you should be! From meeting the Big Major Cay Pigs in Exuma to visiting other nearby attractions, visiting Exuma from Nassau ensures an unforgettable Bahamas vacation.
While you can find excursions from Nassau Bahamas to Exuma that travel by both boat and plane, make sure to sign up for day trips by plane. Flying saves time, lets you avoid the crowds, and offers a much more comfortable experience.
Book a Pig Island Tour from Nassau with Bahamas Air Tours today!
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