Are you wondering about the best places to visit in Bahamas? As an archipelago with 700 islands and thousands of cays, there are many fantastic things to see. You can find powdery soft, white-sand beaches where you can sink your toes into the sand. You can explore crystal clear, turquoise water, diving through schools of fish, and even swimming with pigs. And you can also learn more about the unique culture and history of the islands.
But while you can spend a lifetime exploring the many islands, there are some Bahamas tourist attractions that you won’t want to miss out on your first time visiting.
Here are five of the best places to go in the Bahamas.
If you’re looking for azure, crystal-clear water, you may find the Exumas to be the best place to vacation in the Bahamas.
1. Nassau
Most people who arrive in the Bahamas do so through Nassau. The country’s capital has an international airport and a huge cruise ship port that welcomes dozens of ships each month. But regardless of how you get there, Nassau has a lot to offer visitors — especially if you venture into the city’s Old Town.
Nassau is the first stop of many on their Bahamas vacation.
Founded by British settlers in 1670, Nassau is one of many great places to go in the Bahamas since it allows you to immerse yourself in the country’s rich history. From strolling around Fort Fincastle to seeing democracy at work at Parliament Square, a walk through Old Town allows travelers to connect with the country’s deeper elements.
2. Paradise Island
While in Nassau, you have the opportunity to travel to another one of the best places to visit in Bahamas: Paradise Island. While Nassau Old Town is the place to learn more about the culture and history of the Bahamas, Paradise Island is where you can go to enjoy some of the country’s modern amenities.
The island houses the massive Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis. With 141 acres of waterslides, pools, and lazy rivers, Aquaventure’s action and excitement make Paradise Island one of the top Bahamas tourist attractions.
With beautiful beaches, an aquarium, and an aquatic theme park, Atlantis will always be one of the top Bahamas tourist attractions.
After splashing around in the waterpark’s many pools, make sure to pop over to nearby Cabbage Beach for some can’t miss Caribbean views!
3. The Exumas
The Exumas are a chain of 365 islands, renowned for water so blue, astronauts can see the region from space. Whether you’re in the Bahamas for a day or a month, a trip to the Exumas is a must.
Many visitors to the Bahamas take a boat to get to the Exumas. If you choose to do that, you’ll eventually arrive in one piece, but you’ll also end up wasting a large chunk of time in transit. That’s why we recommend flying to the Exumas by plane with Bahamas Air Tours. Besides getting there much quicker (in around 30 minutes), you also get to fly in comfort. Plus, nothing beats the other-worldly view that you get to enjoy while soaring through the sky.
Turquoise water and soft powdery sand make the Exumas the best place to vacation in Bahamas.
Once you land, here are some of the best places to visit in Bahamas that the Exumas has to offer.
Places to Visit in Bahamas, Exumas
The Swimming Pigs
While many people consider the picturesque beaches to be the top Bahamas tourist attractions, not everyone realizes that the Exumas house a very special beach: Pig Beach! Officially known as Big Major Cay, Pig Island is no more than a mile in length. That said, millions of visitors make a trip there each year to see the island’s famous inhabitants — the Exuma pigs.
Although many origin stories surround the Exuma pigs, the most accepted version tells that farmers on nearby Staniel Cay were unhappy with the smells the pigs were creating. To give their noses some relief, they brought them to the abandoned Pig Island. Villagers from Staniel Cay fed them, and eventually, they began to associate boats with food.
Today, there are a couple of dozen pigs on the island, as well as some cats and goats. All of them are friendly and will happily swim alongside you.
If your Bahamas vacation takes you to Nassau, you can embark on swimming pigs tours with Bahamas Air Tours. You’ll have plenty of time to interact with the pigs, snap some pictures, and appreciate another one of the stunning beaches that the Bahamas has to offer.
Friendly, water-loving pigs help make the Exumas one of the best places to visit in Bahamas.
The Exuma Nurse Sharks
In addition to swimming with pigs Bahamas, a day trip with Bahamas Air Tours gives you the chance to swim with another famous animal: nurse sharks.
Just seven and a half miles north of Staniel Cay is Compass Cay — another beautiful island with a famous attraction. The owner of the local marina has befriended a school of nurse sharks, and now, people flock from all over to observe them up close while the truly brave hop in the water to swim next to them.
While nurse sharks might seem intimidating (they can grow over ten feet in length!), they’re nothing like other, more dangerous types of sharks. That said, they are still wild animals, so whether you jump in the water or observe them from above, just make sure to be smart.
Feeling brave? Swimming with sharks at Compass Cay might be the highlight of your Bahamas vacation!
On account of the stunning scenery and schools of friendly sharks, Compass Cay is further evidence that the Exumas really is the best place to vacation in the Bahamas.
Staniel Cay Yacht Club
If pigs and sharks aren’t enough to convince you that the Exumas is the best part of Bahamas to visit, Staniel Cay Yacht Club might.
Add the Staniel Cay Yacht Club to your list of places to visit in Bahamas!
Despite being an island no larger than two miles, the Staniel Cay community has everything that visitors and full-time residents need — including a well-known yacht club. Established in the 1950s, the club has become a staple in the community. Today, it serves as a hotel, restaurant, bar, and boat rental facility. It’s the perfect place to grab a drink, enjoy the fresh catch of the day, and soak in everything that a trip to Bahamas can offer.
If you decide to embark on Staniel Cay day trips with Bahamas Air Tours, you’ll get the chance to stop for lunch at the yacht club.
4. Dean’s Blue Hole
Located towards the southern end of the Bahamas Out Islands, Long Island is another must-see site on your Bahamas vacation. But while it has many great spots to see, Dean’s Blue Hole is what really makes Long Island one of the best places to visit in Bahamas.
With a depth of 202 meters (663 feet), the blue hole is the second deepest in the world. While adrenaline junkies enjoy freediving into its depths, Dean’s Blue Hole is an excellent stop for travelers of all sorts. In addition to diving, the hole also offers fantastic snorkeling opportunities. Likewise, travelers who don’t want to get their feet wet can enjoy hiking around the surrounding bay.
If you’ve never seen a blue hole, Dean’s Blue Hole is one of the many can’t-miss places to go in the Bahamas.
5. Harbour Island
Another popular destination in the Bahamas Out Islands, many people consider Harbour Island the best place to vacation in the Bahamas.
While the country contains hundreds of picturesque white-sand beaches, Harbour Island’s Pink Sands Beach might take home the prize. The beach gets its name and color from the millions of microscopic shells found along the shore. These shells appear red when wet, which is why visitors to the beach can enjoy a hue of colors that range from white to gentle pink. If you’ve never seen a pink-sand beach, you might leave the country thinking that Harbour Island was the best part of Bahamas to visit!
Besides beaches, the small island also contains plenty of historical sites, as well as great restaurants and bars.
With a stunning pink-sand beach, many travelers find Harbour Island to be one of the best places to go in the Bahamas.
Make Time for the Best Places to Visit in the Bahamas
As visitors looking for the best places to visit in Bahamas have plenty of options to choose from, deciding on an itinerary can be overwhelming. That’s why we recommend turning to the experts for help.
By working with Bahamas Air Tours, you’ll have the opportunity to travel to the Exumas on a Bahamas day tour. From soaring through the skies in comfort to swimming with pigs and sharks and dining at the yacht club, our specially crafted itinerary is the cherry on top of any Bahamas vacation.
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