Nassau Day Trips to Cays and Beaches

October 18, 2026

Sea and weather warning. The FCDO calls the water sports industry in The Bahamas poorly regulated and says fatal shark attacks can happen without warning, so never enter water where an operator has put out bait. The US State Department keeps The Bahamas at Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution”, and its embassy urges Americans to avoid jet ski rentals. Read the US advisory and the FCDO safety page , and watch the marine forecast on the day.

Leaving New Providence always means a boat or a small aircraft, so trips are easiest to compare by travel time. Rough weather cancels sailings often, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. Prices are in Bahamian dollars, which equal US dollars.

Short boat rides, about 25 to 30 minutes

Blue Lagoon Island, also known as Salt Cay, lies roughly 3 miles north-east of Nassau. Boats leave the Paradise Island marina at One Marina Drive, and a typical outing lasts four to six hours including the crossing. The plain Island Beach Day bundles the ferry, lunch, beach time and an inflatable aqua park, and resellers list it at about $120 for an adult. The island also runs captive dolphin and sea lion programmes, which are best skipped. A double-deck catamaran carrying cruise passengers to the island flooded and sank in November 2023, so check the forecast and the operator’s record before you pay.

Rose Island has no public ferry, so you go with a private operator. Names that come up include Sandy Toes, Da Pig Beach, Pigs Beach Tours and Tour Daddy. Packages range from roughly $70 to $180 depending on what they bundle. Expect beach clubs, snorkelling and a turtle stop at Green Cay. The pigs on this island are kept by the operators and are a different group from the Exuma colony.

By road, a taxi or hire car

Clifton Heritage National Park lies on the south-west tip of the island. It is a solemn place that honours the enslaved people who lived and worked on the old plantation, so allow time to walk slowly. It opens daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and the official Clifton Heritage Authority site lists fees. No jitney goes there.

The Exuma pigs, 30 to 60 minutes each way

The famous swimming pigs live on Big Major Cay, about 70 to 75 nautical miles, or around 80 miles, from Nassau. More than half a dozen of them died in 2017, and tourist feeding was restricted afterwards. Watch from a distance and follow the guide.

Flying: Bahamas Air Tours reaches Staniel Cay in 30 to 40 minutes, then a boat of about 10 minutes goes to Big Major Cay. Its Nassau day trip costs $850 per person with pickup and lunch, and adds Compass Cay, Thunderball Grotto and a shark stop. Because of the FCDO warning on baited water, ask how the shark stop is run. See bahamasairtours.com .
Speedboat: Powerboat Adventures needs about an hour to reach its own Ship Channel Cay in the northern Exumas. It lists $299 per adult plus 10 percent tax and $190 per child plus tax. The pigs on that trip belong to Ship Channel Cay. See powerboatadventures.com .

Speedboat runs to Big Major Cay itself take two to three hours each way over open water. Operators advise against them for pregnancy and for back or heart conditions, and weather cancellations are frequent. Flying avoids most of that.

Better as an overnight

Harbour Island, about 60 miles away, is reached by Bahamas Ferries from Potter’s Cay Dock or by air. The ferry’s FAQ describes a Friday to Sunday service leaving Nassau at 8am, at $135 one way and $250 return, but the page is undated and may be old. Bahamas Ferries has the latest. Plan a night there, not a quick return.

Booking

For a side-by-side look at offers, browse day trips from Nassau .