The famous Swimming Pigs of the Bahamas live in a part of the country called Exuma. Home to 365 stunning islands, the district is easy to reach via Exuma trips from Nassau.
While Pig Island is a highlight of the day trip, the best part of an Exuma excursion is that the Swimming Pigs aren’t all you get to see. When you travel by plane instead of boat, you ultimately visit seven Exuma attractions.
Keep reading to learn about each of the seven places you’ll visit while on tours in Exuma.
Exuma Trips: 7 attractions on an Exuma Excursion
The Staniel Cay Tour Map
Staniel Cay
When you choose to save time and travel in comfort by signing up for Exuma trips by plane, you’ll fly into Staniel Cay. The flight from Nassau takes just around 30 minutes.
Known as the Gateway to Exuma, Staniel Cay features a charming town and beautiful views, in addition to its regional airport.
Upon landing, you’ll switch over to a boat to visit the nearby islands.
Once your Exuma excursion concludes, you’ll make your way back to Staniel Cay to eat lunch and board your plane.
Big Major Cay (Pig Island)
You’ll visit the original Pig Island on your Bahamas day trips to Exuma.
Big Major Cay (nicknamed Pig Island) is the reason why most people sign up for Exuma trips from Nassau or Miami.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, Big Major Cay is uninhabited by people. However, the beautiful island is home to a group of pigs that have lived on the island for years.
Today, when you visit Pig Island on Nassau to the Exumas trips, you can look forward to
- Feeding the Swimming Pigs from your boat
- Swimming alongside them
- Walking on Pig Beach and seeing the pigs’ island home
- Bottle feeding piglets
All of that makes Pig Beach a highlight of a Nassau to Exuma day trip.
Compass Cay Swimming With Sharks
Another highlight on Exuma trips from Nassau or Miami is Compass Cay Marina. While Big Major Cay is home to the Swimming Pigs, Compass Cay is home to a school of nurse sharks.
Since the owner feeds them, the sharks have stuck by the waters around the local marina for years. Today, the site is one of the best in the world to go swimming with sharks.
Nurse sharks are one of the most docile species of sharks, so the experience is safe. However, as the huge sharks swim by your feet, you’ll find it to be one of the more exhilarating stops on an Exuma from Nassau trip!
Thunderball Grotto Snorkeling
Another stop on Exuma trips by plane that’ll have you in the water is Thunderball Grotto. Home to a system of underwater caves, the site is an excellent destination for snorkeling.
While in the water, there’s a chance to see:
- Tropical fish
- Coral
- Lobster
- Other marine life, like sea turtles
Besides being a great snorkeling site, Thunderball Grotto wasalso a filming location for the James Bond film Thunderball
An Underwater Plane Wreck
An underwater plane wreck serves as another great snorkeling site.
The warm Bahamian waters are home to several sunken plane wrecks, and on Exuma trips by plane, you’ll stop by one of these near Staniel Cay.
Having crashed down decades ago, the plane has become a new home for marine life over the years. Today, it’s another home for fish, coral, and other forms of marinelife.
The waters around the Staniel Cay wreck are fairly shallow, making it easy to swim down and see the vessel up close while on your tours in Exuma.
Sandbars at Pipe Creek
If there’s one destination that’ll make you realize you’re in paradise, it’s the sandbars of Pipe Creek.
Popping out of the water at low tide, these white slices of snow-white sand clash brilliantly with the surrounding sea of blues and greens.
When you visit Pipe Creek on Exuma trips, you’ll visit at low tide, making it possible to traverse the area on foot and fully soak in the mesmerizing views.
Bitter Guana Cay Iguanas
Bitter Guana Cay is home to the Bahamian northern rock iguana.
Another special animal you get to see on Exuma trips is the northern Bahamian rock iguana. Inhabiting the island of Bitter Guana Cay, these colorful creatures have become a threatened species in recent years.
As your boat approaches their island on your Nassau to the Exumas day trip, you’ll see them slither out of the undergrowth to greet you.
Besides appreciating the iguanas, you’ll also want to appreciate their home. Bitter Guana Cay is one of the most magnificent islands in the area.
Exuma Trips: Enjoy a Nassau to Exuma Day Trip
If you’re looking to meet the world-famous Swimming Pigs, the best way to do so is by signing up for an Exuma day trip.
When you travel to Exuma by plane, you’ll have enough time to see several incredible attractions in the area. From Pig Beach to Thunderball Grotto, it’s hard to say which Exuma destination will be your favorite.
Contact us today to learn more about an Exuma from Nassau excursion!
