A Bahamas day trip from Miami is fun for the whole family which can forge memories for a lifetime. Day trips to Bahamas vary in activities and prices, so we want to make sure you find the right things to do for your itinerary and can make the most of your day trip to Bahamas from Miami.
How to organize the best Day trip to Bahamas from Miami
The best day trips to Bahamas happen in the Exuma Cays. Though, many people don’t know how accessible the day trip Miami to Bahamas is. Here is a bit more information for your planning.
How long is a Bahamas day trip from Miami?
This depends on if you take the Miami to Bahamas ferry or take a one day cruise to Bahamas via a private air charter.
By ferry, the round trip can take up to 5-6 hours. Most of your time is spent in security checks and queues. The ferries carry up to 200 passengers so just getting everybody on board can take a while.
To contrast, a private charter carries only 10-20 people and can be a private party which means quick boarding and a two-hour round trip or less. A Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip leaves from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and has one stop at Bahamas immigration before reaching Staniel Cay in under an hour.
What you can plan on seeing on a day trip Miami to Bahamas
There is plenty to see on a day trip to Bahamas from Miami. Below, we have listed some of those Exuma attractions worth your time.
Bahamas Swimming Pigs at Big Major Cay
No Bahamas day trip is complete without the Exuma pigs!
This is the number one attraction in the entire country! The pigs in the Bahamas are the most famous attraction in the country. You can see them on any Fort Lauderdale Bahamas day trip or from Miami. Though, we’ve written a lot on these Exuma pigs already, so we will save the information for the other attractions around Pig Island Bahamas.
Play 007 at Thunderball Grotto Exuma
Thunderball Grotto is a perfect stop on any Bahamas day trip from Miami. Spend an hour exploring the grotto and acting like you are on a Bond mission. This site is the inspiration of the Hollywood film, “Thunderball” starring Sean Connery.
Explore underwater wreckage belonging to the Colombian cartel
This plane was used for drug trafficking in the ’70s and ’80s and was found abandoned in the shallow waters near Staniel Cay. Legend says the plane was found still with bales of marijuana in it. Today, it is one of the most accessible underwater plane wrecks in the world sitting only ten feet below the surface level. It is so fun to explore with a snorkel on your Bahamas day trip from Miami.
Live large at Staniel Cay Yacht Club
Known as the ‘Gateway to the Exumas’, the Staniel Cay Yacht Club serves as a half-way point for fishermen and sailors to stop and get a break from the trip from northern to the southern Bahamas. Stop in and have a drink at its famous U-Shaped bar!
Take a dip in the water with the Compass Cay Sharks
If you are fearless and a little bit crazy, this is the perfect thing to do on your Bahamas day trip from Miami. Of course, these reef sharks at Compass Cay are harmless to humans and even completely habituated, but it still takes a certain level of courage to wade in the water with a creature whose jaw is strong enough to crunch through the coral.
Ride a Golf Cart around Staniel Cay
Have some time in the afternoon? Cruise around Staniel Cay – the area’s most developed island – via the preferred mode of transportation on the island; a golf cart. Zip-around to some of the island’s best beaches.
Track down endangered species of iguana at Bitter Guana Cay
Last but not least, see if you can track down some endangered iguanas on your Bahamas day trip from Miami. The Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana, whose species is numbered to less than 5,000, can only be found in the Bahamas and specifically on three remaining islands. Bitter Guana Cay has the highest population still remaining. Whether you are taking a day trip to Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale or Miami, these reptiles are a must-see!
Visit Bitter Guana Cay on your day trip from Miami.
The best day cruise to Bahamas from Miami
Want to book a Bahamas day trip from Miami to Pig Beach in the Exumas? Then be sure to contact one of our Swimming with Pigs Experts via our contact form.
