Want to see the Swimming pigs of the Bahamas? This is an unforgettable experience that we totally recommend.
Our bucket list was checked off a few years ago when we experienced swimming with the pigs in Bahamas. We’ve been lucky enough to swim with the pigs in Exuma and also the swimming pigs of Rose Island. We’ll breakdown our experiences for both and which is best to see the pigs with kids!
Where do you swim with pigs?
The Bahamas has at least 3 locations where you can swim with the famous swimming pigs. Most popular would be in the Exuma but there is a lesser known location that’s easily accessible from Nassau called Rose Island. Eleuthera also has swimming pigs at Meeks Patch Island.
Swimming pigs from Nassau (Rose Island)
Rose Island is a much closer and convenient way to see the swimming pigs from Nassau, especially if traveling with kids. This hidden gem is a only a short 25 min boat ride from Nassau. It’s located just east of Paradise Island.
A ferry boat departures from Paradise Island. It has a upper and lower deck and played music while we rode over the vibrant blue waters. The ride was enjoyable! (However, on the way back we did great rained on!). Upon arrival, there were 3 pigs awaiting us on the dock — THE CUTEST!
What’s included in the swimming pigs tour from Nassua:
The pigs of Rose Island are cared for by Sandy Toes Bahamas. HIGHLY recommend purchasing the all day excursion which is 6 hours long.
- Boat ride to the private island
- Snorkeling (equipment provided)
- Unlimited time with pigs
- Open bar
- Buffet lunch
- Beautiful private beach with chairs and umbrellas
The island has more than pigs, peacocks and chickens roam it too. The peacocks were quite entertaining, it might have been mating season!
The views are incredible of the crystal clear blue waters and the beach is clean. The bar is up on a cliff overlooking the beach.
The Rose Island pigs:
The Rose Island pigs are very tame and actually trained by the Sandy Toes staff. We never worried about the kids being around the pigs as we’d be more cautious around the wild pigs of Exuma.
The pigs are SO well taken care of, every 30 minutes the pigs are rotated back to their home to give them a break and a new set comes out. The staff also has named each one – our favorite is Ginger who gave the kids each a real life piggy back ride!
If you want your instagram photo, this is the place as your on the island for a few hours with them – never rushed.
Read more about our Sandy Toes experience at Rose Island Bahamas – See our guide
Swimming Pigs of Exuma
The Exumas is a chain of over 350 islands also called cays. In 2018, while staying at Baha Mar in Nassau for a parents only getaway, we splurged on this experience and it was worth it!
How to get to Exuma swimming pigs from Nassau:
You can take a 2 hour boat ride (one way) from Paradise Island or you can fly. We flew into Exumas International Airport (GGT) for the day. Flight time from Nassau to Exuma was 40 mins.
Exuma airport is small and pretty remote. Don’t expect to find any taxi or ubers out front. We got lucky a couple on our plane was headed to Sandals Emerald Bay for their honeymoon which was also our excursion pick up spot. They kindly let us ride with them. Tip: arrange your rides prior to the trip.
Our plane landed before the excursion start time, so we ended up purchasing the day pass at Sandals and were able to eat, drink, and enjoy their beach and pool until our pick up time.
What’s included in the swimming pigs tour exuma:
We purchased the Exuma Swimming Pigs Adventure through Island Routes Exuma.
- Snorkel and explore the cays of Exuma
- Cruise in and out of several cays on a powerboat
- Visit and feed the endangered Bahamian rock iguanas
- Experience swimming with the pigs in Exuma
- Snacks and beverages (including beer)
This excursion was full of fun, island hopping. Our boat guides stopped off at at least 4 island spots where we could get out and explore. Our first stop was the pigs.
The Exuma Island pigs:
You can spot Pig Island right away, you’ll see multiple boats and all the pigs on the beach. As soon as the boat pulls up, the pigs start swimming to you. Our guide shockingly gave us hot dogs to feed the pigs!
There were a lot of people and several boats anchored during our visit. We only spent about 30 mins there vs the hours we had at Rose Island.
You’ll need to remember the pigs of Exuma are wild animals. They’re used to being fed by humans and can be a little aggressive for the food, which can be a concern with kids. Not to take anything away from this amazing experience, nor is it anything you ever see in the Instagram photos, it’s that these pigs go to the bathroom all over the beach – yuck.
Iguana Island
One of our stops was at Iguana Island where we fed grapes to the baby dinos. The cloudy day didn’t rain on our fun! These large rock iguana’s come right up to you to get the grapes.
On the way back to the departure dock, our guide spotted a large starfish! Dove in and pulled it up for us to see. It wasn’t out of water long, just took a few quick pictures while he educated us more on them.
CONCLUSION – Exuma vs Nassau with kids
Ok, to the conclusion of where we recommend seeing the swimming pigs with kids? You can tell by all of our smiles in the photos above, BOTH locations are amazing and unforgettable experiences! However, hands down we recommend the Sandy Toes all day experience on Rose Island. There was more time with the pigs, that were tame and trained. The staff was incredible making sure you have a great time. The beach was beautiful and clean. We never felt rushed and it was relaxing. One of my favorite days as a family!
Exumas is great for families with older kids who want to island hop on the boat. We had an unforgettable experience and love seeing the iguanas and boating to the different locations but with little kids I could see where it would be…uhh, not relaxing.
How much does it cost to swim with pigs?
Swim with the pigs Nassau Bahamas excursion through Sandy Toes is $150 per person. The cost to swim with the pigs in Exuma is $180 per person if you’re in Exuma. We also paid for flights from Nassau. Boat excursions from Nassau to Exuma will cost a few hundred dollars per person.
Cheapest way to swim with pigs Bahamas is from Nassau to Sandy Toes, Rose Island. It’s also the most convenient.
How to see the swimming pigs from Nassau
- 25 minute boat ride to Rose Island, Sandy Toes
- 2 hour boat ride to Exumas
- Fly to the Exumas
Where is Pig Beach Bahamas?
Pig Beach is located on Big Major Cay in Exuma, Bahamas. The beach is on an uninhabited island also known as Pig Island, Bahamas.
Do pigs in the Bahamas bite?
The pigs are so used to being fed by humans they can be a little aggressive for the food. They can also bite. A video went viral of a model posing at pig beach and she got bitten on her butt by a large pig! While this is an amazing must do experience just keep that in mind and respect them.
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