Swimming pigs from Nassau: Rose Island or Exuma?
From Nassau you can meet swimming pigs in half an hour or in two. The half-hour trips go to Rose Island and Athol Island; the two-hour ones go to the original Pig Beach in the Exumas. Both are good days. They are just different days.
The side-by-side
| Nassau (Rose / Athol Island) | Exuma (Big Major Cay) | |
|---|---|---|
| Boat time | 20 to 35 min each way | About 2 h each way (or 40 min flight) |
| Total length | 2.5 to 5.5 hours | 6 to 9 hours |
| Time with pigs | 30 to 60 min, relaxed | 15 to 30 min |
| Price | $79 to $150 | $308 to $439 by boat, $850 fly-in |
| Also on the day | Beach club, lunch, snorkel, turtles | Nurse sharks, iguanas, sandbars, grotto |
| Cruise-friendly | Yes | Only with a late all-aboard |
Choose Nassau if
You are on a cruise, travelling with young children, prone to seasickness, or mainly want to feed and hold the pigs. The Exclusive Swimming Pigs beach club on Athol Island ($140, 4.6 from 1,137 reviews) and the Rose Island pig swim ($129, 4.7 from 1,635) are the two most-booked trips in the Bahamas. One honest note from reviewers: it is more wading than swimming. You stand in clear water while the pigs paddle round you for treats.
Choose Exuma if
You have a full free day, you want the original island and the Exuma water colours, and the nurse sharks and sandbars appeal as much as the pigs. Treat it as a boat day with pigs in it and you will love it. Short on time or sea legs? The fly-in version halves the travel. More in the Pig Beach guide.
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