Nassau: Discover Exuma Island Hopping and Swimming Pigs Tour

The Bahamas gets wilder fast. This full-day boat trip from Paradise Island packs five Exuma stops into eight hours, with Rock Iguanas, nurse sharks, swimming pigs, a plane wreck, lunch, and time on a beach or sandbar. It is a big day on the water, but it gives you a generous taste of the Exuma Cays without arranging several separate excursions.

I especially like the well-planned variety and the chance to see wildlife that you cannot find around Nassau, including the rare Bahamian Rock Iguanas. The main drawback is pace: up to 24 people share the boat, and much of the day is spent riding between islands. Beach time may also feel brief, especially if you hoped for a long, quiet stretch on an isolated sandbar.

Key points to know before booking

• Five distinct stops: You see iguanas, nurse sharks, swimming pigs, a sunken plane, and a beach or sandbar in one day.
• Long boat rides are part of the deal: The first ride lasts about an hour, and the return journey takes around 70 minutes.
• The animals are the stars: Food for the pigs, snorkel equipment, and landing fees are included.
• Lunch and drinks are covered: You receive a buffet lunch, local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks.
• Small enough to feel organized, but not private: The shared boat can carry up to 24 people.
• Best for active visitors: You should be comfortable with swimming, boarding a boat, and spending most of the day in the sun.

Why this Exuma day trip is worth considering

The Exuma Cays offer a very different day from the Nassau hotel zone. Nassau has beaches, shops, and easy access to boat outings, but Exuma gives you small islands, shallow water, unusual wildlife, and wide-open views with little development in sight.

At $489 per person, this is not a budget outing. Still, the price covers an unusually full package: boat transport from Paradise Island, five stops, lunch, drinks, snacks, snorkeling equipment, landing fees, and food for the pigs. If you tried to arrange separate trips for the pigs, sharks, snorkeling, and lunch, the cost and planning could quickly climb.

The value depends on how you like to travel. I think it works well for you if you want to collect several classic Exuma experiences in one day. It is less appealing if your ideal island day means staying in one calm place, reading under a palm tree, and barely moving.

The schedule is carefully packed. You may spend 30 to 40 minutes at several stops, then move on. One local response praised this arrangement because the boat never stayed in one place too long. Another hoped for a better beach stop, perhaps a more isolated sandbar. Both points are fair. You see a lot, but you give up the luxury of lingering.

Leaving Paradise Island for Allen’s Cay

You meet at the Carnivale Bahamas desk at Born Free Charters on Paradise Island. Transportation to the meeting point is not included, so you need to arrange your own way there. After check-in, you board a high-speed power boat for the first ride southeast.

The trip to Allen’s Cay takes just over an hour. That ride is not wasted time, but it is still a long opening stretch, so bring sunscreen, a towel, and enough patience for a full day in the sun. You should also expect spray and movement on the boat.

Allen’s Cay is home to Bahamian Rock Iguanas. These large lizards are found nowhere else in the world except three small islands in Exuma, which gives this stop real appeal beyond simple animal photos. You get about 25 minutes for wildlife viewing.

This is a short visit, but the rarity of the species makes it memorable. The stop also sets the tone for the day: you are not only looking at beaches. You are moving through a chain of small islands with their own animal life.

Meeting the nurse sharks at Compass Cay

After Allen’s Cay, the boat rides south for about 45 minutes to Compass Cay. The stop lasts around 35 minutes and centers on nurse sharks near the docks of Compass Cay Marina.

The sharks are accustomed to people and are described as welcoming thousands of visitors each year. You can get into the water near the marina and see them close by. For many people, this will be the most surprising wildlife encounter of the day. Nurse sharks have a broad, solid shape, and seeing them under the docks gives you a close look without needing a long snorkel session.

Still, this is not a private wildlife meeting. The animals are part of a well-known stop, and other boats or groups may be present. You should follow the crew’s instructions and avoid treating the sharks like pets. The short time limit also means you may need to get into the water promptly if you want a good look.

I like the way this stop adds a different kind of animal encounter after the iguanas. You go from land-based wildlife to large marine life in less than an hour, which helps the day feel varied rather than repetitive.

Big Major’s Cay and the famous swimming pigs

The ride to Big Major’s Cay takes about 10 minutes. You then have around 40 minutes for swimming and wildlife viewing at Pig Beach.

These pigs became internationally famous through television appearances and social media. The appeal is easy to understand: you wade into shallow water with pigs that have become comfortable around people, feed them with the provided food, and take photos.

This is the stop most people picture when they hear about Exuma. It is also the place where expectations can get too high. The visit is structured and short, not a quiet farm visit. You may find several people trying to take the same photo, and the pigs may be more interested in food than posing.

Use the time wisely. Keep your camera ready, listen closely to the crew, and follow instructions about feeding. Do not bring extra food. Food for the pigs is included, which removes one common concern and helps keep the stop organized.

The pigs are entertaining, but the setting matters just as much. Big Major’s Cay gives you a chance to stand in clear Bahamian water beside a tiny island with no city feel at all. I would treat the photos as a bonus and enjoy the oddness of the encounter itself.

Lunch at a local Exuma restaurant

After Pig Beach, you take a short 10-minute ride to lunch. The meal lasts about an hour and includes a buffet at a local Exuma restaurant, along with a cold drink.

Lunch is an important part of this outing because you spend much of the day swimming, walking, and sitting in the sun. Having food built into the schedule means you do not need to pack a full meal or worry about finding somewhere to eat between remote island stops.

The buffet format also suits a mixed group. You can choose what appeals to you and get back on the boat without a long restaurant stop. Local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks are included as well.

I would still bring sunscreen and a towel, and I would use the water provided throughout the day. The tour supplies drinks, but hot-weather boat trips can leave you thirstier than expected. The lunch stop gives you a proper break, though it also means the trip is not entirely spent on beaches and in the sea.

Snorkeling at Pablo Escobar’s sunken plane

After lunch, the boat rides for about 35 minutes to a plane wreck off Norman’s Cay. You get around 30 minutes to snorkel.

The wreck is widely linked to Pablo Escobar’s drug operation in the late 1970s. Norman’s Cay was reportedly used as a base and refueling point for aircraft moving cocaine from Mexico toward the United States. The plane is said to have crashed in this area, supposedly carrying cocaine.

That history gives the snorkeling stop an unusual edge. You are not simply looking at a sunken aircraft. You are floating over a remnant connected to one of the Bahamas’ most notorious chapters.

Keep in mind that the tour describes the plane as being linked to Escobar, not as a fully documented museum exhibit. The story is part of the attraction, while the snorkeling itself depends on water conditions and what you can see from the surface. Thirty minutes is enough for a good look, but it is not a long snorkeling session.

Snorkel equipment is included, so you do not need to bring your own gear. If this is one of your main reasons for booking, ask the crew about the day’s exact conditions once you arrive. The captain controls the order and may adjust the plan.

The final beach or sandbar stop

The last stop is a beautiful Exuma beach or sandbar. The boat reaches it after about 25 minutes, and you have around 30 minutes for swimming, sunbathing, and photos.

This is the least specific part of the itinerary, since the exact location is left to the captain. That flexibility can help the crew choose a suitable place for the day, but it also means you cannot count on one named beach.

The stop is welcome after the wildlife encounters and boat rides. You can stretch your legs, swim without a scheduled animal activity, and take the classic Exuma photos: bright water, pale sand, and a horizon that seems to go on forever.

At the same time, half an hour passes quickly. One piece of feedback specifically suggested a more isolated sandbar for the beach portion. If quiet beach time is your top priority, this tour may not satisfy you. If you see the beach as a pleasant final pause before the long return ride, it should fit nicely.

The boat rides and the pace of the day

The schedule includes roughly four hours of boat travel when all listed rides are added together. The return trip from Exuma to Carnivale Bahamas takes about 70 minutes, and the earlier rides include stretches of one hour, 45 minutes, and 35 minutes.

That travel time is the tradeoff for reaching several distant cays in one day. You get far more range than a short Nassau harbor excursion, but the boat itself becomes part of the experience. Bring a towel for wet seats, apply sunscreen often, and keep your belongings secure.

The shared boat can hold up to 24 people. That is a reasonable group size for a trip with several landings, although it will not feel private. Boarding and leaving the boat can also take time when everyone is moving together.

This outing is not suitable for children under two, pregnant women, people with back or heart problems, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users, or anyone who needs a stroller or electric wheelchair. Cruise ship guests are also excluded. Those restrictions matter because the trip combines speedboat travel, swimming, docks, beaches, and repeated boarding.

What the $489 price really covers

The $489 cost buys a full day rather than a single attraction. Included are:

• High-speed boat transportation during the tour
• Five island and wildlife stops
• Buffet lunch
• Local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks
• Snorkel equipment
• Landing fees
• Food for the pigs

That list makes the price easier to understand. You are paying for access to remote parts of Exuma, not only for a boat ride. The combination of sharks, pigs, iguanas, a plane wreck, and a sandbar would be difficult to organize independently in one day.

The main extra cost is crew gratuity, which is left to your discretion. Transportation to the Paradise Island meeting point is also not included.

The experience has a 4.9 rating from 29 reviews, and 93 percent of ratings for transportation are perfect. Those numbers point to strong satisfaction with the way the day is run, especially the movement between activities. I would still judge the price against your priorities. Pay it if you want a packed Exuma sampler. Skip it if you mainly want a slow beach day.

Who should book this Exuma excursion?

I would recommend it for:

• First-time visitors who want several famous Exuma sights in one outing
• Active couples and families with older children
• People who enjoy wildlife encounters and swimming
• Photographers who want varied scenery and unusual subjects
• Visitors with only one free day for Exuma
• Anyone who prefers an organized schedule to arranging separate boats

I would hesitate if you dislike speedboats, need lots of downtime, or want a private experience. The day asks you to keep moving, and the boat rides are long enough to matter.

The tour is conducted in English with a live guide. Since no guide names are provided, I would not book it expecting a particular crew member. The quality of the day will also depend on the captain’s decisions, since the order of stops can change.

What to bring for a better day

Bring a towel and sunscreen, as requested. I would also wear a swimsuit under light clothing and keep any phone or camera protected from spray.

Use the included bottled water and snacks, especially between the wildlife stops. Keep your personal items compact because a shared power boat has limited room compared with a large ferry.

Most of all, bring realistic expectations. You will not spend hours at each location. You will get short, active visits that cover a lot of ground, with the chance to see some of the Bahamas’ most recognizable attractions.

Should you book the swimming pigs and Exuma island tour?

Book this tour if you want the greatest variety from one Nassau departure. The plan gives you rare iguanas, nurse sharks, swimming pigs, a historic plane wreck, lunch, and a final beach stop, all within eight hours. That is a strong package for someone who values experiences over long stretches of rest.

Think twice if the beach is your main goal. The final stop may be a beach or sandbar, and only about 30 minutes is set aside for it. The better reason to book is the complete mix of wildlife, snorkeling, island scenery, and boat travel.

At $489, this is a premium day trip, but the included food, drinks, equipment, fees, and five stops make it a practical choice for a full Exuma introduction. If you can handle the pace and the boat rides, I think it is one of the more efficient ways to see this part of the Bahamas from Nassau.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is Carnivale Bahamas on Paradise Island, at the Born Free Charters desk. Transportation to the check-in location is not included.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts eight hours, including the boat rides, island stops, lunch, snorkeling, and the return to Paradise Island.

How many people can join the boat?

This is a shared tour with up to 24 guests.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The tour includes a buffet lunch at a local Exuma restaurant.

Are drinks included?

Yes. Local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks are included.

Is snorkel equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkel gear is included for the plane wreck stop.

Can I swim with the pigs?

Yes. At Big Major’s Cay, you can feed and swim with the famous pigs. Food for the pigs is included.

Is the tour suitable for cruise ship guests?

No. Cruise ship guests are listed as not suitable for this tour.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The tour also offers a reserve-now, pay-later option.