Swimming Pigs in the Bahamas: Where to See Them

Big Major Cay: the original Pig Beach

Big Major Cay is in the Exuma Cays, a chain of islands stretching south through the central Bahamas. Nobody lives on it, and it is known almost entirely for its pigs, which are not native and whose origin nobody can confirm. Boats approaching the beach are often met by pigs swimming out through the shallows, which is how the island became known worldwide as Pig Beach.

It is nothing like visiting a zoo or a farm. You arrive by boat at a tropical cay, usually as one stop on a wider Exuma island-hopping day. The three tours on this site that reach it follow much the same route, and typically pair Pig Beach with:

• other Exuma cays
• sandbars
• snorkelling spots, including a sunken plane off Norman’s Cay
• beaches
• wildlife encounters, such as the rock iguanas on Allen’s Cay
• a lunch stop
• Compass Cay, where you can wade with nurse sharks, or a similar stop depending on the itinerary

Because of the distance from Nassau, every Big Major Cay tour on this site is a full-day excursion. Our Big Major Cay visitor guide covers the island and the three tours in more detail.

Can you visit Pig Beach from Nassau?

Yes. Tours run from Nassau into the Exumas and include Big Major Cay, and they are among the longest boat excursions you can take from Nassau.

Operators use fast powerboats because of the distance: it is about two hours each way. Expect a morning departure around 9am, a lot of time crossing open water, and a return in the late afternoon.

An Exuma Pig Beach day suits you if you:

• have a whole day free
• do not mind long boat journeys
• specifically want to see Big Major Cay
• want a wider Exuma island-hopping day
• are comfortable paying $378 to $515 for it

If what you want is a good swimming-pig experience rather than one particular island, a tour closer to Nassau will probably suit you better.

Nassau swimming pigs vs Exuma swimming pigs

Neither is automatically better. Which one suits you depends on what you are hoping to see. For the two colonies side by side in more detail, see Pig Beach versus Rose Island.

Choose Big Major Cay if…

Choose an Exuma tour if the sentence you want to be able to say afterwards is:

“I visited the original Pig Beach.”

The journey is part of the day. You are not just travelling to see pigs; you spend the day crossing one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the Bahamas, with iguanas, nurse sharks and sandbars along the way. For many travellers the Exumas themselves are as memorable as the pigs, which is just as well, because Born Free’s Exuma island-hopping day allows forty minutes at Pig Beach on an eight-hour trip.

Choose Rose Island or a Nassau pig tour if…

A Nassau-area tour is usually the better fit if you:

• are visiting Nassau on a cruise
• would rather not spend four hours on a speedboat
• have children with you
• only have half a day
• want to combine the pigs with snorkelling or beach time
• want a cheaper excursion
• care more about the experience than about visiting the original Pig Beach

These tours still give you what most visitors come for: clear water, an island beach, pigs paddling over and a good day on a boat. The pigs near Nassau are hand-raised, and they tend to be calmer and more reliably on the beach when a boat arrives.

Best swimming pigs tours from Nassau

There are five main kinds of swimming-pig excursion from Nassau. Our tour-by-tour picks go further, with a pick for each kind of traveller.

1. Rose Island swimming pigs tour

Best for most Nassau visitors

Rose Island is close to Nassau and suits anyone who wants a straightforward island trip. A typical tour can include:

• the boat ride out, by speedboat or catamaran
• the swimming pigs
• beach time
• snorkelling
• drinks
• lunch or snacks
• a turtle stop or other wildlife

The simplest version is the Rose Island water taxi at $67: thirty minutes across from the downtown waterfront, three hours on the island with the pig-beach entry included, and thirty minutes back. It is rated 4.5 by more than 600 guests. The most-booked full version is the 3 Islands tour at $125, which adds snorkelling off Pearl Island, a turtle stop at Green Cay and lunch on Rose Island, and has more than 3,500 reviews.

2. Exuma swimming pigs full-day tour

Best for seeing the original Pig Beach

These trips run much farther, into the Exuma Cays. Depending on the tour, stops can include:

• Big Major Cay
• Compass Cay
• sandbars
• snorkelling sites
• other Exuma islands, such as Allen’s Cay for the iguanas

Itineraries differ a great deal between operators, so do not assume every “swimming pigs Bahamas” tour goes to Big Major Cay. The clearest example: Powerboat Adventures’ Exuma day trip is the cheapest full day in the Exumas at $329, and it goes to the operator’s own island at Ship Channel Cay, not to Pig Beach. The two that reach Big Major Cay with a review record behind them are Born Free at $489, rated 4.8 from 48 reviews, and Exuma Escapes at $378, rated 4.1 from 11. Check the itinerary before you book. Our Exuma page compares all four.

3. Private swimming pigs boat tour

Best for families and groups

A private charter gives you more say over timing and stops. It is expensive for a couple, but the price is easier to justify split across a larger group. The JNC private charter costs $700 for the boat, which at six people is close to $117 each, about what the shared catamarans charge per person. See private pig charters for the arithmetic at other group sizes.

4. Swimming pigs + snorkelling tour

Best for combining activities

Most swimming-pig trips from Nassau include snorkelling, because the cays around the harbour have plenty of shallow reef and clear water. The 5½-hour catamaran to Rose, Pearl and Athol is the strongest of them: $145, rated 4.8 by more than 1,000 guests, with a reef, a turtle flat and a hot lunch on board. Note that feeding and swimming with the pigs is a $30-per-person add-on on that tour, not part of the fare.

5. Cruise-port swimming pigs excursion

Best for cruise passengers

If you are arriving by cruise ship, look for an excursion timed for a port call. Getting back to Nassau with plenty of time before all-aboard matters more than squeezing in one extra island. The 2½-hour pigs and snorkel tour includes cruise-port pickup and meets the pigs on Athol Island; the cruise-port page lists which other tours accept cruise guests.

How long do swimming pig tours take?

It depends almost entirely on where you are going.

Nassau-area tours

Allow two and a half to five and a half hours, depending on the itinerary. The water taxi takes about four hours door to door, and the longest catamaran circuit five and a half.

Exuma tours from Nassau

Expect a full day, about eight hours. The distance makes a short Exuma trip impossible: the crossing alone takes close to two hours each way.

How much does swimming with pigs in the Bahamas cost?

Prices vary widely with the destination and the boat. On the 34 tours on this site, Nassau-area pig tours run from $67 to $220 per person, Exuma day trips from $329 to $515, and private charters start at $700 for the boat.

Look past the headline price to what is included. Check whether the tour price covers:

• food
• drinks
• snorkelling equipment
• entry or pig-interaction fees
• hotel transfers
• cruise-port pickup
• fuel surcharges

The pig interaction is the one that catches people out: on some tours it is inside the fare, on others it is sold on top. What it costs to swim with pigs in Nassau goes through each price band.

Can cruise passengers visit the swimming pigs?

Yes, and pig tours are among the most popular shore excursions in Nassau.

Rose Island and the other nearby colonies are much easier to fit around a port call, because the boat rides are short and several tours collect you from the cruise port.

An Exuma trip is a different matter. Two of the four Exuma operators on this site, Powerboat Adventures and Born Free, will not take cruise-ship passengers at all. The other two will, but they are still selling an eight-hour day, so check it against your ship’s all-aboard time before you book.

What is it like to swim with the pigs?

You are usually visiting a beach where the pigs are free to wander the sand and walk into the shallows. Depending on the island and the operator, you may be able to:

• stand beside the pigs
• watch them swim
• get into the shallow water near them
• take photographs
• feed them, with approved food and in the way the guide shows you

The water is usually shallow enough to stand in. These are animals, not props, and the adults are large. Follow the guide’s instructions and give the bigger pigs plenty of room, especially once food comes out. Is swimming with pigs safe? covers what can go wrong.

Can you feed the swimming pigs?

The rules vary by island and by operator.

Do not bring food from your hotel or cruise ship to feed them. Operators who allow feeding supply suitable food or tell you exactly what the pigs may be given. On some tours it is in the ticket: Born Free includes food for the pigs, and the Swimming Pigs Express lists pig feeding under its inclusions. On others it is an add-on, like the $30 interaction on the 5½-hour catamaran.

Are swimming pigs tours good for children?

They can be excellent family trips, especially the shorter Nassau-area tours.

Check the operator’s age limits first: several Nassau tours, including the 5½-hour catamaran and the Swimming Pigs Express, do not take children under five. The long speedboat ride between Nassau and the Exumas can wear out young children, particularly when the sea is rough, and the Exuma operators on this site do not take babies: three set the limit at under two, one at under one.

What should you bring?

Useful things to pack:

• swimsuit
• towel (none of the 34 tours on this site lists towels as included)
• reef-safe sunscreen
• sunglasses
• hat
• waterproof phone pouch
• dry bag
• change of clothes
• motion-sickness tablets if you need them

Are Nassau to Exuma boat rides rough?

They can be. It is open-water travel, and conditions change from day to day.

Several Exuma operators exclude people with back or heart problems, and one lists people prone to seasickness as unsuitable. If you dislike fast or bumpy boat rides, you will probably enjoy a Nassau-area pig tour a good deal more.

What’s the best time to see the swimming pigs?

Swimming-pig tours run all year, but the conditions on the day matter more than the calendar.

A clear, calm day gives you the smoothest crossing, the clearest water and the best photographs. December to April is the dry season, and hurricane season runs from June to November; the month-by-month guide has the detail.

If the pigs are one of the main reasons for your trip, do not book them for your last day. Booking early in your stay leaves you another chance if the weather cancels the boat, and every tour on this site cancels free up to 24 hours ahead.

Rose Island or Big Major Cay: which is better?

Rose Island is better for convenience: shorter, cheaper, and easy to fit into a half day or a cruise call.

Big Major Cay is better for the original Pig Beach, and for a full day in the Exumas around it.

Either way, know which one you are booking before you pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Pig Beach in the Bahamas?

The original Pig Beach is on Big Major Cay in the Exuma Cays, about 89 miles southeast of Nassau. Our guide to where Pig Beach is covers how to get there.

Are the swimming pigs in Nassau?

The original swimming pigs are not in Nassau, but there are swimming-pig colonies much closer to Nassau, on Rose Island, Pearl Island and Athol Island, twenty to forty minutes from the harbour.

Can you take a day trip from Nassau to Pig Beach?

Yes. Full-day speedboat trips run from Nassau into the Exumas and include Big Major Cay. On this site they cost $378 to $515 and take about eight hours.

Is Rose Island Pig Beach the same as Exuma Pig Beach?

No. They are different islands with different colonies. Rose Island is twenty to forty minutes from Nassau; Big Major Cay is about 89 miles away in the Exumas.

Which swimming pig tour is best for cruise passengers?

Tours close to Nassau, particularly Rose Island trips, are much easier to fit around a cruise schedule than a full-day Exuma trip, and several collect you from the cruise port. Two of the four Exuma operators do not accept cruise passengers at all.

Bottom line

If your dream is to visit the original Pig Beach, book an Exuma trip whose itinerary specifically lists Big Major Cay.

If you want to meet swimming pigs while you are staying in Nassau, a Rose Island or nearby island tour is easier, cheaper and involves far less time on a boat.

The biggest mistake is assuming every Nassau swimming-pigs tour goes to the famous Exuma Pig Beach.