Short answer: yes, its safe to swim with the pigs. And it was pourin gon the way back to Sandals, but still very fun! Snorkel gear WebAnswer 1 of 6: We are staying at Comfort Suites on Paradise Island across from Atlantis. Most tours to the Bahamas beach pigs come from Great Exuma. It is typically an all-day tour via power boat that can include stops at Compass Cay to swim with nurse sharks, snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto, a stop at Iguana Island, and much more. Some of the most popular tours are: The best way to see the The Bahamas swimming pigs is to fly to Staniel Cay and stay a minimum of one night and then arrange a boat tour for the following day. The pigs should be fed while they are swimming in the water for two reasons. If you dont choose the Gold tour package, you simply meet at the airport in Nassau. Webcheapest way to swim with pig 4 years ago Save We are staying at Comfort Suites on Paradise Island across from Atlantis. If youre looking for something fun and a little quirky to add to your Bahamas vacation itinerary, whether youre visiting on your honeymoon or for a romantic getaway, look no further. Pig Beach tours tend to book up quickly, so to ensure that you get to go while youre in the Bahamas, its best to make reservations as far in advance as possible. Hop on the speedboat, get a briefing from the captain, and then sit back, relax and enjoy the day! You can book this day trip The setting of Pig Beach is stunning, the piggies were friendly, and the whole situation was the perfect mix of bizarre and awesome! This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Its recommended to swim before the boat moors up on the sand, as the water will be cleaner the deeper out it is. Here are the best tips from a local on how to visit The Bahamas swimming pigs including how to get to get there, how much it costs, and which option is the best. It was nice to have a say and give our input! This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. We stayed at Embrace Resort on Staniel Cay, which has quite possibly the most friendly staff of anywhere weve stayed! The temperatures in the Bahamas tend to stay above 60 degrees year-round, so dont worry that the winter will be too cold to swim with the pigs. Swimming pigs tours from Staniel Cay and Nassau, the best way, and the cheapest. Through a collaborative community effort with other local volunteers, the following initiatives were implemented: Raised funds to purchase water tanks on the island and developed a guttering system to ensure the pigs receive enough freshwater, even at times when volunteers were not there to refill the tanks.Built a nursery for the piglets to ensure they obtained proper care and nutrition after birth Created separate pens for piglets and animals who are ill and need medical treatment, upon which a veterinarian from Nassau provides these services. Sure, tourists feed them bread, but they also have a veterinarian who does frequent check-ups, they receive vaccines, theyre fed pig food, and (heres the kicker), they get coconut oil massages to help their skin and hair! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean, 80Km (50 miles) off the coast of Florida. Check out the reviews and tour details here. If you want to know how to get to Pig Island to have one of the most unique experiences in the Caribbean, how to book a Pig Beach tour, how much the tours cost, and also the cheapest way to swim with pigs in the Bahamas, do not worry because Im covering everything in this post. While both tours were amazing, I recommend doing the full day tour if you can. Tours are not accessible for the physically challenged, so dont book a reservation if you need special accommodations. I did both the half day and full day tours on separate trips. You will get there before the crowds and the pigs will not be as tired and full. For The private full day tour went to all of the attractions that the half day boat tour went to in addition to Farmers Cay for lunch and swimming with turtles, Rudder Cut Cay, the underwater mermaid statue, and the sandbar near Musha Cay. What do you recommend me if I am from Mexico? Copyright 2023 Goats On The Road | GOTR Media LLC. Thanks. The private half day tour lasted approximately four to five hours and it went to Thunderball Grotto, Big Major Cay (the swimming pigs), an island with iguanas, Compass Cay (optional swimming with nurse sharks), the sunken airplane, and a sand bar. $675. The Bahamas can be visited all year round with temperatures ranging from 21C (70F) in the winter and 26-32C (80-90F) during the summer. Tripadvisor staff removed this post because it did not meet Tripadvisor's forum posting guidelines with prohibiting self-promotional advertising or solicitation. Pro Tip: If you opt for the Gold Package for just $100 more, youll receive roundtrip transportation from your hotel to the airport, beer on the boat, and a tasty lunch. If you are visiting from outside The Bahamas, most likely you will be paying for hotel accommodation anyway. The cheapest way to go swimming with pigs is to visit Rose Island which has swimming pigs and it is just a short 25 minute boat ride away from downtown Nassau. WebEverything about how to swim with the pigs in The Bahamas. I remember when I saw the first pictures and videos of pigs swimming in the crystal-clear turquoise water of Exuma, an archipelago comprising more than 365 islands, in the Bahamas. It was an enjoyable experience although we spent less time at each attraction due to the time it took to travel to and from Nassau. 2023 Bahamas Ministry of Tourism All Rights Reserved. Swimming with the Pigs has become so symbolic of a visit to the Bahamas. Click the button below to get started on planning your next amazing vacation! From Staniel Cay you can take a Pig Beach tour with Island Rentals at a cost of US$ 400 + 12% VAT/person for up to 3 people or US$ 300 + 12 % VAT for 4 or more guests. Dariece is a co-founder of Goats On The Road, and an expert in saving money, finance management, building an online business and of course travel. And there is also a ferry from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, but youll need to take a flight to Nassau first, then get to Pig Beach following one of the options above. You can also take a high-speed boat from Nassau. Learn more here. Be careful when you feed the pigs and the iguanas too. Are Pickleball Courts at Sandals Resorts? Is it Safe to Swim With Pigs in The Bahamas? Tours with this outfitter cost $168 per person for a half-day For $550, you can take a plane to Exuma instead of a boat. A stop at Compass Cay where you can swim with sharks. Da Pig Beach is a swimming with pigs Bahamas tour guide thats rated one of the best for a couple of reasons. The Bahamas swimming pigs are a group of pigs living on a small uninhabited island who learned to swim on their own. Other islands that have swimming pigs include Rose Island and Eleuthera. With tours running out of Staniel Cay, 3Ns Exuma Vacations Swimming Pigs Tour makes planning your trip to pig island Learn how your comment data is processed. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The itinerary of this trip is the same as if you joined from Nassau. I took the first flight from Nassau to George Town at 6:00 AM, the driver picked me up at the airport around 7:00 and then the other people who were joining the tour at their hotels. The closest islands to Pig Beach are Staniel Cay and Fowl Cay, if you want to stay nearby. While planning my Three-day trip to the Bahamas, one of the places that I really wanted to see was Exuma Island, which features some of the clearest and most beautiful sapphire-blue water on the planet. These include fruits, vegetables, bread, and pig feed that can be purchased locally. You can book a tour online in advance to secure your reservation since these tours get fully booked quickly. In fact, if the pigs come swimming out to your boat and you dont feed them, theyll be quite disappointed! Theyll pick you up and drop you off at the airport and take you to several islands in Exuma. In addition to the swimming pigs, you'll experience endless sweeping isles, rock-roaming They will then leave you alone and swim or walk away to find someone who does have food. Head to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for fried conch fritters, rum punch, and famous Staniel Cay lime pie. Prices & Tips, How to Pack a Carry-on Suitcase for a 5-Month Trip. The boat trip from Staniel Cay to Big Major Cay is just 15 minutes. If you book this Intimate Pig Beach Excursion to Exuma Swimming Pigs & Flight Options with Viator, a Trip Advisor company, youll pay US$ 715/per person (US$ 465 for the tour + US$ 250 for the airfare on Flamingo Air). You can get to Pig Island, Bahamas, by powerboat or plane. There are daily flights with Flamingo Air from Nassau to Staniel Cay in the morning, departing at 8:30 AM and returning in the afternoon at 5:20 PM. The second reason is if you have food on you while youre on land, the pigs may become forceful and try to get it from you. The flight takes approximately 30 minutes. If you really have your heart set on visiting Pig Beach in Exuma, then this is the cheapest tour available: This tour includes swimming with You can book your flights with Skyscanner which is the website that I use and trust. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-92478188', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Paradise Island across from Atlantis. 238. Sitemap, 11 of the Best St. Lucia All-Inclusive Family Resorts, 16 of the Best Turks and Caicos Family Resorts, 10 of the Best Puerto Rico All-Inclusive Family Resorts, Treasure Cay Beach Marina and Golf Resort, US Cultural Hotspots: The top US cities for a vacation packed with culture, How Shipping Luggage With Ship Camps Makes Summer Camp Prep Easy, The Worlds Best Spring Break Destinations, Chicago Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. Staniel Cay Adventures is a tour operator that offers a seven-stop boat trip that leaves from Staniel Cay and goes to Pig Beach. To Exuma, theres an international airport in Moss town, northwest of George Town, and therere direct flights from Nassau, Miami, Atlanta and Toronto. WebCheapest Way to Visit Pig Beach, Exuma. Wake up, enjoy a lazy morning coffee and be ready for the tour around 9:00am. But pig swimming takes place in the Exuma Cays, and most tourists visit the island of New Providence where Nassau is located. If there was a choice between swimming underwater and through a cave, or keeping our head above water, we were able to discuss which option we preferred. Flying direct to Staniel Cay is much easier, and faster and youll spend less time sailing, but itll be more expensive. Simply use promo code GOATPIGS when booking. Do show the pigs your empty hands if you are out of food so they wont bother you for more. Pig Beach is an easy day trip from Nassau, Great Exuma, or Staniel Cay; plenty of tour operators offer powerboat trips, most of which start at 9 a.m. and last until about 1 p.m. or all day. Accustomed to daily visits, the world-famous swimming pigs like to swim out to meet arriving boats and enjoy frolicking in the water with visitors. 3Ns Exuma Vacations Private Swimming Pigs & More Customizable and private, options include half day and full day tours. We recently joined a day tour with 3Ns Exuma Vacations to see the swimming piggies with our own eyes, and the experience really did live up to our expectations. Its easy to buy, extend & claim online, even after youve left home. Book your swimming pigs trip here. If swimming with the pigs are on your bucket list then staying overnight in Staniel Cay is the best way to visit the pigs. Staniel Cay Adventures Group tours starting at $300 per person. On top of seeing swimming pigs, we really loved how the tour took in many of the incredible highlights of the Exumas. more. Transfers to and from Staniel Cay Yacht Club or Staniel Cay Airport Captain Dave gave us instructions on how to feed, how to swim, and how to interact with the pigs so that we had an enjoyable experience. (Are they really world-famous, you ask? The tour departs at 7:30 AM and the average cost is US$ 897.40 for the round-trip tickets + tour + taxes. Also, dont go on a Pig Beach trip if you are pregnant, have respiratory or heart problems, have back issues or recently had back surgery, or recently had arm or hand surgery. Im not adding here the costs to get to the Bahamas because they can vary significantly depending on many factors, such as time of the year, distance traveled, etc. Nassau, New Providence Island. In Nassau, there are numerous accommodation options to choose from. Go for a swim with the pigs in deeper, clean water. Just 4 days to vacations thanks!! If you have limited time, my recommendation is to book this tour. There are 7 colourful villas here offering balconies and pool views. Tour operators regularly offer excursions to see the The cons to this are that the pigs in other areas are not wild and do not offer an authentic experience. Click here for the top-rated swimming pigs tour from Nassau, Click here for the top-rated swimming pigs tour from Staniel Cay. The second best way to see the Exuma swimming pigs is to fly into Staniel Cay from Nassau, go on the half day boat excursion then fly back to Nassau within the same day. These pigs are no strangers to handouts. Bahamas Air Tours offers a day trip to Staniel Cay on a private aircraft. Hi ! If you want to stay in the capital area, I recommend: Nassau: Sandyport Beach Resort, British Colonial Hilton Nassau, Holiday Inn Express, Meli Nassau Beach. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Although the tour description says it goes the famous swimming pigs, these are the Rose Island swimming pigs but it is a great tour that visits some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. You can also take a boat tour from Nassau to Pig Beach. Saludos y buen viaje Mario. Its the exact same as the tour from Nassau, minus the flight. Yes, you can definitely swim with the pigs! What is the most affordable way to see the swimming If you have less time and are not able to visit the original pigs then the other pig attractions are more convenient especially for people in Nassau or Eleuthera. There are 4 of us - myself, hubby and 2 kids ages 15 and 12. WebDont want to fly to the Swimming with Pigs experience? A day trip including flights and a boat excursion is the next best option. From the Swimming Pigs we headed another 1015 minutes to an amazing blow hole. We don't know for sure. There is never any additional cost to you, and I use some of these earnings for my monthly charitable donations. Supporting the female-owned, locally-operated business is one of the many benefits of joining this tour. A trough was installed and acts as a designated place to feed the pigs so that they don't ingest excess sand or saltwater. However, this is also peak tourist season; if you prefer it to be less crowdedand less expensiveyou might want to plan your Bahamas trip for May, which can have rain but isnt at risk for hurricanes. Learn how your comment data is processed. Your other option is to take a boat there from one of many departure points: Either from Nassau or Great Exuma, or take a Ill cover all of these questions and more in this complete guide. However they got there, they are incredibly cuteand friendly. When you visit, be sure to get a selfie with the #swimmingpigstheyre even cuter in person! P.S: Please note that the boat ride from Nassau to Pig Beach takes an average of 3h, and is not suitable for children under three years old,pregnant women or persons with recent back injuries or major surgery. Wherever they came from, there are now about 20 pigs and piglets living the easy life, with daily visits from Bahamians and tourists. After the plane ride there, you still have the chance You can rent a car or hop in a taxi from your hotel, rental accommodations, or cruise port and enter Crystal Beach via your own car. We had such a great time on the tour and could not stop laughing when the pigs came swimming towards our boat for food! In the end, they dropped me off at the airport on time to catch my flight back to Nassau. How the pigs got to Big Major Cay nobody knows, but the fact is that they live in a piece of paradise. Should you book the excursion from the islands, it is best to These are not the original world famous pigs and they are not wild but if you are in Nassau on a cruise or for a short time, this way is the cheapest and most convenient. Some of these offer visits to different beaches that also have swimming pigs, such as Adelaide Beach and Rose Island, so be sure to read all the details of the trip if you have your heart set on visiting Big Major Cay. By far the easiest way to swim with pigs in The Bahamas is by boat specifically, a boat tour. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Hola Mario. Next. This is probably the most frequently asked question. Both U.S. and Bahamian currency is accepted in the Bahamas. What I love most about this company, however, is the fact that its 100% locally owned and operated. Dont wear jewelry or anything that can get ruined if it gets wet. Children under 6: $100 Below you find the details about all the options available and many tips to plan your trip. Most of the boat tours from Nassau last 8-9 hours including 2 hours each way to get to and from Pig Beach (a total of 4 hours) and the remaining 4 hours are split between the various attractions. We encourage visitors to act responsibly when interacting with our friendly pigs of Big Major Cay. (Side note: The restaurant called The Swimming Pig Gastropub located in the Baha Mar hotel has no affiliation.). Depending on where youre staying, you can either book a tour through your resort or with an independent company; ask the concierge or front desk attendant at your hotel for suggestions, or do some online research before you go. Spend sometime in Nassau and Paradise Island, and go to Exuma for the day. Another seven-stops tour with flights included that might interest you, its this one that departs at 8:00 AM from a private and hassle-free airport in Nassau, which can be much more convenient. Unlimited soft drinks Danielle Didn't get to snorkel because of rain. Not only do they have their own hashtag, #swimmingpigs, but they had an appearance on The Bachelor and theyre featured in a book called Pigs of Paradise! You can also charter a private boat for a luxury experience, or take a 30-minute flight from Nassau. This option is the most expensive because you have to pay for airfare and hotel accommodation plus the boat excursion. HHH Charters and Watersports Exuma Cays Private Charter Customizable tour option for your party. Referred to as dedicated custodians of the swimming pigs, Bernadette Chamberlain and her husband John, restauranteurs on Staniel Cay, helped to establish several measures to keep them healthy. Do make sure the food is out of your hands before the pigs get to it; they are clumsy eaters and you dont want to get nipped by accident. Delfincharters Private Tour Private option same as above. First of all, you should know that there are some imposter pigs in the Bahamas! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The highlight of any day in the Exumas, these playful swine will welcome you with squeals and surprisingly large appetites. The island is free, but prices range from $180 to $450 per adult for boat trips to Pig Beach, depending on the type of tour and amenities included. Infants 2 and under are free. The cheapest way to visit Pig Beach and swim with the famous swimming pigs of Exuma is to book a Pig Beach tour from Nassau by powerboat. Pigs roam freely on the uninhabited Big Major Cay in the Exumas, an archipelago of 365 islands known for their gorgeous sapphire-colored water and unspoiled, idyllic beaches. Tours including roundtrip airfare from Nassau and boat tour from Staniel Cay, Third best way to visit The Bahamas swimming pigs.

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