Rose Island, Blue Lagoon and Exuma Day Trips
Before you book a boat. The US State Department lists The Bahamas at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), and the UK FCDO states that the Bahamian water sports industry is poorly regulated and that fatal shark attacks can happen without warning. It tells visitors never to enter baited water, which some excursion operators use. Read the US advisory and the UK guidance , and look at the forecast.
Nassau’s day trips all leave New Providence, so each depends on a boat or a small plane and on the weather. Hurricane season lasts from 1 June to 30 November. Fares appear in Bahamian dollars, which equal US dollars.
Trips at a glance
| Trip | Getting there | Time | Listed cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lagoon Island | Boat from Paradise Island marina | 25 to 30 minutes each way, 4 to 6 hours in total | about $120 adult (reseller listings) |
| Rose Island | Operator boat | 25 to 30 minutes | roughly $70 to $180 by package |
| Exuma by air | Flight to Staniel Cay | 30 to 40 minutes | $850 per person with lunch |
| Exuma by speedboat | Powerboat Adventures | about 1 hour | $299 adult plus 10% tax |
Blue Lagoon Island
The island, also known as Salt Cay, is about 3 miles north-east of Nassau and the boats depart from One Marina Drive on Paradise Island. The Island Beach Day bundles the crossing, lunch, beach time and an inflatable aqua park. The island also runs animal encounters, which are not covered here. A passenger catamaran sank on this crossing in November 2023, so confirm the operator and watch for small-craft advisories.
Rose Island
There is no public ferry to Rose Island. Private operators including Sandy Toes, Da Pig Beach, Pigs Beach Tours and Tour Daddy run boats to beach clubs, snorkel sites and a turtle stop at Green Cay. The pigs on Rose Island are looked after by the operators and are not the Exuma colony.
The Exumas: pigs, grottoes and sharks
The Big Major Cay pigs live roughly 70 to 75 nautical miles (about 80 miles) from Nassau, and a fast boat there takes two to three hours each way. Operators advise pregnant travellers and anyone with back or heart conditions to avoid it, and weather cancellations are common. Flying is simpler.
Flight: Bahamas Air Tours takes about 40 minutes to Staniel Cay, followed by a short boat ride of about 10 minutes to Big Major Cay. Its Nassau day trip adds Compass Cay, with a shark stop, and Thunderball Grotto. Given the UK warning on baited water, ask how the stop is run. Details are on bahamasairtours.com .
Speedboat: Powerboat Adventures reaches its Ship Channel Cay, in the northern Exumas, in about an hour. Children pay $190 plus tax. The pigs on that trip are kept at Ship Channel Cay. See powerboatadventures.com .
More than half a dozen Big Major Cay pigs died in 2017, and visitor feeding was restricted afterwards. Keep a respectful distance.
Closer to home
Clifton Heritage National Park is a taxi or car ride along the south-west coast and is a solemn site. Eleuthera and Harbour Island need a ferry from Potter’s Cay Dock or a flight and fit an overnight stay better than a day.
Search Nassau day trips on Viator for listed departures.
Read more: staying longer than a day or days out with children .