Nassau: Discover Exuma Island Hopping and Swimming Pigs Tour

The big draw here is the chance to pack several famous Exuma sights into one long day: swimming pigs, nurse sharks, rock iguanas, and a sunken plane. You leave Paradise Island by high-speed power boat and spend most of the day moving through clear Bahamian water from one small cay to the next.

I like the smart range of stops, especially the visit to Allen’s Cay, where the Bahamian Rock Iguana lives in the wild, and the lunch, drinks, snacks, and snorkel gear included in the $489 price. The drawback is the pace: you cover a lot of water, and the boat ride back to Nassau can take about 70 minutes. Beach time is also fairly short, so this is sightseeing by speedboat, not a slow beach day.

Five Exuma stops packed into one day

• Allen’s Cay: Meet the Bahamian Rock Iguana, a species found only on three small Exuma islands.
• Compass Cay: Swim near nurse sharks at the marina docks, with about 35 minutes set aside for marine-life viewing.
• Big Major’s Cay: Feed and swim with the famous pigs at Pig Beach.
• Norman’s Cay: Snorkel around the plane wreck often linked to Pablo Escobar’s drug-smuggling operation.
• Final beach or sandbar: Finish with swimming, sunbathing, and photos before the long ride home.
• All-inclusive boat day: Lunch, local beer, sodas, bottled water, light snacks, snorkel equipment, landing fees, and food for the pigs are covered.

Why Exuma makes a strong day trip from Nassau

Exuma is not a quick hop from Nassau. The first boat ride takes a little over an hour, and the return trip is listed at about 70 minutes. That sounds like a lot of transit, but it is the price of reaching the scattered cays that make this corner of the Bahamas special.

You spend the day on a high-speed power boat, with several shorter rides between stops. The journey gives you a broad look at the Exuma Cays, but you should be ready for sun, wind, spray, and a firm seat. This is not the best choice if back trouble makes long boat rides difficult.

The shared boat can hold up to 24 people. That is large enough to create a social outing, yet small enough to keep the day moving from stop to stop. The captain can change the order based on conditions, so the exact sequence is not fixed.

Allen’s Cay and the Bahamian Rock Iguana

After the first long ride southeast from Paradise Island, you reach Allen’s Cay for about 25 minutes of wildlife viewing. The star here is the Bahamian Rock Iguana, a native species found nowhere else in the world except three small islands in Exuma.

This stop gives the day a welcome natural-history angle. You are not only chasing famous photo moments. You are also seeing an animal with a very limited range, in the island setting where it belongs.

The visit is brief, so keep your camera ready and listen to the guide’s directions. The stop is designed for viewing and interaction, not for a long walk or a full nature hike. You also need to remember that the tour provides food for the pigs, but no special food is listed for the iguanas. Follow the crew’s instructions rather than feeding wildlife on your own.

Compass Cay’s nurse sharks

The next major stop is Compass Cay, reached after about 45 minutes on the boat. You have roughly 35 minutes for marine-life viewing, and the nurse sharks gather beneath the docks at Compass Cay Marina.

Nurse sharks are generally known for their calm nature, but they are still large wild animals. The appeal of this stop is the unusual setting: you enter the water near the marina docks and see sharks in the place they regularly inhabit. It is a more memorable encounter than simply looking at sea life through glass.

This stop may feel intense if you are uneasy around large animals in the water. You should follow the crew closely and keep your movements controlled. The time is long enough for a proper look, but not so long that the day loses its rhythm.

Big Major’s Cay and the famous swimming pigs

A short 10-minute ride brings you to Big Major’s Cay, better known as Pig Beach. The stop lasts about 40 minutes and includes swimming, wildlife viewing, photos, and the chance to feed the pigs with food supplied by the tour.

The pigs became famous through television appearances and social media, but the visit is still a fun part of the day when you know what you are getting. You are not visiting a quiet, untouched beach. You are joining a well-known attraction built around animals that are accustomed to human visitors.

The best approach is to enjoy the spectacle while treating the pigs with care. Keep food secure until you are told to offer it, and pay attention when animals gather around you. The stop is short, so you will want to have your towel and camera ready before stepping off the boat.

This is likely the most playful stop on the day, but it is not necessarily the most peaceful. If you prefer empty beaches and long swims, the final sandbar or beach may suit you better.

A local lunch after the morning stops

After Pig Beach, the boat makes a short 10-minute run to lunch. You have about an hour at a local Exuma restaurant, with a buffet meal and a cold drink included.

This break matters more than it may seem. By this point, you will have spent hours in sun and wind, entered the water, and climbed in and out of a boat. A seated meal gives you time to dry off, eat properly, and reset before the afternoon stops.

The package includes local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks. Alcohol is available, but remember that you still have boat travel, swimming, and snorkeling ahead. Water and sunscreen are the practical priorities.

The food is described as a buffet at a local restaurant, not a luxury dining experience. That is fitting for a day built around the islands rather than a formal meal. The lunch also helps explain part of the price, since food and drinks are already handled instead of becoming extra costs during the day.

Snorkeling around the sunken plane

The afternoon brings a 35-minute boat ride to the plane wreck off Norman’s Cay. You have about 30 minutes to snorkel around the site often called Pablo Escobar’s sunken plane.

The story behind the wreck adds a darker layer to the bright-water setting. In the late 1970s, Pablo Escobar reportedly controlled Norman’s Cay and used its runway as a base and refueling point for planes moving cocaine from Mexico toward the United States. The aircraft is associated with that era, although the tour presents the connection as part of the site’s story.

The wreck is now a snorkeling attraction. Snorkel gear is included, which saves you from renting equipment separately. You should still bring your own towel and sunscreen, and it is wise to protect your phone in a waterproof case if you plan to take photos.

Thirty minutes is enough for a focused look, but not a long snorkel session. If snorkeling is your main reason for booking, keep your expectations measured. This tour gives you several different experiences in one day, rather than a dedicated reef excursion.

Ending on a beach or sandbar

The final stop is a beautiful Exuma beach or sandbar, with about 30 minutes for swimming and sunbathing. The exact place is left to the captain, so the stop may change with conditions and the day’s route.

I like having this quieter finish after the iguanas, sharks, pigs, lunch, and plane wreck. It gives you a chance to enjoy the water without a scheduled animal encounter. The pale sand and shallow water also provide the classic Exuma photo setting.

Still, 30 minutes passes quickly. One recent booking specifically wished for a better beach stop, perhaps a more isolated sandbar. That is useful advice if you are hoping for hours of unhurried beach time. The beach stop is a pleasant final chapter, not the main event.

What the $489 price really includes

At $489 per person, this is an expensive day out. The value depends on how many separate Exuma experiences you want to combine and how much you would otherwise spend arranging boat transport, meals, equipment, and landing fees.

The price includes:

• Buffet lunch at a local restaurant
• Local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks
• Snorkel equipment
• Landing fees
• Food for the pigs
• High-speed boat transportation during the tour

You are paying for access to several distant cays in one organized day. That is the strongest value point. A cheaper outing may give you one beach, one snorkeling area, or one animal encounter, while this trip attempts to cover five distinct stops.

The tradeoff is time on the water and a tightly managed schedule. You will not have the flexibility to stay longer at the beach, skip a stop, or linger over lunch. Crew gratuity is not included, so you should budget separately if you feel the service merits a tip.

Timing, meeting point, and practical preparation

The tour begins at Carnivale Bahamas on Paradise Island, at the Born Free Charters desk. Transportation to the check-in point is not included, so you need to arrange your own way there.

The full day lasts about eight hours. The listed schedule includes a first one-hour boat ride, 25 minutes at Allen’s Cay, 45 minutes to Compass Cay, 35 minutes with the nurse sharks, 10 minutes to Pig Beach, 40 minutes with the pigs, 10 minutes to lunch, one hour for lunch, 35 minutes to the plane wreck, 30 minutes snorkeling, 25 minutes to the final beach or sandbar, and about 70 minutes back to Paradise Island.

Bring a towel and sunscreen. A hat, sunglasses, and a waterproof bag would also be sensible, although they are not specifically listed as required items. You should expect to get wet and spend much of the day exposed to the sun.

The tour is conducted in English. It is shared rather than private, with up to 24 people aboard. The boat itinerary can change at the captain’s discretion, so do not book it if you need every stop to occur in a fixed order.

Who should book this Exuma tour

This trip suits you if you want maximum variety from one day. It is especially good for first-time visitors who want to see the famous Exuma pigs but also want sharks, iguanas, a wreck, lunch, and a beach stop in the same outing.

It also suits active couples, groups of friends, and families with children aged two and older who are comfortable with boat travel and water activities. The tour received a perfect transport score from 93 percent of its ratings, which fits the experience: getting around quickly is central to the day.

You should think twice if you are pregnant, have back or heart problems, have mobility impairments, use a wheelchair, or need a stroller. The experience is not suitable for those conditions according to the operator’s restrictions. Cruise ship guests should also not book this activity.

The day may not suit you if your main goal is a quiet beach escape. The boat rides are long, the stops are short, and the popular animal sites can feel busy. The strongest part of the tour is the variety, not solitude.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want one full, active day that brings together the signature sights of the Exuma Cays. The well-planned sequence of short stops lets you see far more than you would on a single-island outing, and the included lunch, drinks, gear, fees, and pig food make the high price easier to judge.

Skip it if you want long beach time, a private boat, or a slow snorkeling day. For the right person, this is an efficient and memorable introduction to Exuma, with enough wildlife and oddball attractions to keep the day moving. Just arrive ready for a fast boat, strong sun, wet clothes, and a long ride home.

FAQ

Where does the Exuma island-hopping tour meet?

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 experience lasts about eight hours, including the boat rides between Paradise Island and the Exuma Cays.

How many people can join the shared tour?

The shared boat can carry up to 24 people.

What animals will I see?

You may see Bahamian Rock Iguanas at Allen’s Cay, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, and the famous swimming pigs at Big Major’s Cay.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The tour includes a buffet lunch at a local restaurant and a cold drink.

Are drinks and snacks included?

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

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkel gear is included for the stop at the sunken plane near Norman’s Cay.

What should I bring?

Bring a towel and sunscreen. You should also be prepared to spend much of the day in the sun and on a high-speed boat.

Can I cancel the booking?

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