There are really only 3 top things to do in the Bahamas. If you consider all the islands, experiences, activities and adventures; years of experience in the Bahamas tells us what everyone looks for can be distilled down into just 3 spectacular experiences!
As an island nation with over 700 islands in the Bahamas archipelago, and such variety of tropical islands, there are just 3 islands that visitors continue to flock towards; Pig Island, Compass Cay and the Exumas!
The Bahamas is a unique destination, because of such a diverse portfolio of things to do in the Bahamas. The islands have a rich cultural tapestry and a fascinating history which stretches back hundreds of years; from British Loyalists to Caribbean Pirates; there are many interesting stories and legends.
Discover the best things to do in the Bahamas!
Plentiful activities and adventures await visitors to the Bahamas, these include scuba diving, snorkelling kayaking, jet skiing, sailing, fishing, adventure trekking and golfing. But if there were one activity that stands above the rest it would be Swimming with Pigs at Pig Beach. The undeniable best place to go in the Bahamas for 2021!
Enjoying these splendid things to do in the Bahamas couldn’t be easier with a Bahamas Day Trip from Bahamas Air Tours. Take flight for an amazing day adventure by plane from Florida or Nassau: on the Miami to Bahamas Day Trip or the Nassau to Exuma Day Trip. Visit all 3 of the top things to do in the Bahamas on an exciting Day Adventure by Plane with Bahamas Air Tours.
1. The Best Place to go in the Bahamas: Pig Beach
The most sought after activity in the entire Bahamas and Caribbean: Swimming with Pigs at Pig Beach! The famous Bahamas Swimming Pigs live on a small island in the Exuma Cays, called Big Major Cay, but affectionately known as Pig Island. As the top place on the list of things to do in the Bahamas, getting to the Swimming Pigs is easy with the Bahamas Air Tours & Day Trips to Exuma.
Big Major Cay is one of 365 islands that make up the Exuma Cays archipelago – a unique collection of tropical islands surrounded by the turquoise blue waters of the Bahamas Sea.

Pig Beach is actually called Big Major Cay and one of the top things to do in the Bahamas
With Day Trips and Excursions available from both Florida and Nassau, finding the perfect itinerary – whether a group tour or private experience – is a simple matter of booking with Bahamas Air Tours!
Many visitors are intrigued by the origin story of the Swimming Pigs – though more legend these days. The legend is that the pigs were shipwrecked at Pig Beach during a hurricane, and then swam ashore where they took residence on their Pig Island! Another legend is that the pigs were deliberately left on Big Major Cay by sailors who had intentions to return for them but never did.

Pig Island is one of 365 islands in the Exumas Archipelago
In fact the real reason that we have not just pigs in the Bahamas, but Swimming Pigs, is from the days when the next door island, Staniel Cay was a farming community; and the pigs having a naturally foul stench were put there at an acceptable distance from the nearby Staniel Cay Village. And surprisingly when the farmers sailed out to Big Major Cay to feed their pigs, the pigs would associate the sound of the boat with feeding time, so they swam out to the farmer’s boat to get their food in haste! And from that day onwards the Pigs began their daily practice of swimming in the sea!
Discover for yourself why Swimming with Pigs is the top things to do in the Bahamas, with a Bahamas Day Trip by Plane.
2. Swimming with Sharks
The second most sought after places to visit in Bahamas, also within the Exuma Cays is the Compass Cay Marina, home to the Swimming with Sharks Experience.

Best Things to do in the Bahamas: Swimming with Sharks in Exuma
The type of sharks at Compass Cay are Nurse Sharks. National Geographic describe them as being for the most part harmless to humans. They are actually pet sharks, having lived their lives at Compass Cay under careful ownership.
They have become one of the top things to do in the Bahamas. The allure of capturing the popular Instagram snap of floating in the sea above swimming sharks!
Compass Cay itself is a tropical oasis in it’s own right. There is a stunning crescent beach a short walk from the Compass Cay Marina, and with no roads or homes, apart from vacation rentals, Compass Cay is one of the best places to visit in the Bahamas and stay for week long vacations or longer.
3. Paradise Found at Staniel Cay in Exuma
Last but not least, and certainly sharing equal position at the top of the things to do in the Bahamas list, Staniel Cay is the Jewel in the Crown of the Bahamas Islands. It’s striking beauty and tranquility are unmatched by any island in the Bahamas or Caribbean.

Staniel Cay Yacht Club and Marina is the focal point on the otherwise quiet and tranquil Staniel Cay Island
Staniel Cay is the one place you must go in the Bahamas. If you spend a week long vacation in Nassau, then a day trip to Staniel Cay is easy to book with Bahamas Air Tours Nassau to Exuma Day Trip.
Staniel Cay is one of those rare diamonds in the travel world that continues to appeal to visitors that having becoming back and again over decades. Some of the highlights that Staniel Cay offer’s:
- The authentic Bahamas Small island experience
- Friendly Bahamian Staniel Cay Village life
- Gateway to the Exuma Cays
- Neighboring island to Pig Beach and first stop for visitors going to the Swimming Pigs.
- A fantastic social hub at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
- Close proximity to the top Exuma Attractions like the underwater plane wreck and Thunderball Grotto James Bond Cave.
Looking for where to stay in the best place to go in the Bahamas? The Staniel Cay Water Villas are a collection 3 luxury 2 bedroom villas on the water’s edge. With direct boat access and all the expected home comforts, the Staniel Cay Water Villas are some of the best Bahamas Vacation Rentals in the Exuma Cays!
In search of the best things to do in the Bahamas
Everyone’s vacations to the Bahamas can feature the 3 best things to do in the Bahamas – by taking a Bahamas Day Trip by Plane with Bahamas Air Tours. With Departures from Florida and Nassau, visiting the Bahamas Swimming Pigs, Compass Cay Sharks and Staniel Cay are easy on a one of a kind Day Tour excursion.
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