Things to do in The Bahamas

The 17 best things to do in The Bahamas

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1. 1Exuma

   Swim with the pigs at Big Major Cay

   Big Major Cay, also called Pig Beach, is an uninhabited island in the Exuma Cays, and nobody knows for sure how its pigs arrived. Some say sailors left them, others that they swam over from a nearby shipwreck. The colony is said to have started in the early 1990s with five baby pigs, and whenever a boat arrives they swim out to be fed. The cay can only be reached by boat, either your own or a chartered vessel, or on a boat tour. Day trips run from Nassau or from the Exumas, and the cay is easy to reach from nearby Staniel Cay.

   Tip: Bring fresh fruit or vegetables, which are on the pigs' approved list, feed them at the trough, and treat them calmly, as the tourism board asks visitors to act responsibly around them.

   Boat tour only
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
2. 2Exuma

   Float into Thunderball Grotto near Staniel Cay

   Thunderball Grotto is an underwater cave system just west of Staniel Cay, and its small entrance is almost hidden. Inside, snorkelers find yellowtail snappers, angelfish, sergeant majors and colorful reef fish. It is one of the most popular snorkeling spots in the Exumas, and the cave appears in the James Bond films Thunderball and Never Say Never Again. Tides decide how you visit: it is advised to enter at low or slack tide, when snorkeling gear is enough, while at high tide diving equipment is needed. Staniel Cay is reached by boat or by air.

   Tip: Ask your boat operator to time the stop for low or slack tide, and bring your own mask and snorkel or confirm that the tour supplies them.

   Boat access; check the tide
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (bahamas.com, official); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
3. 3Nassau

   Walk the pink buildings of Parliament Square

   Parliament Square is the political heart of downtown Nassau. Loyalists from North Carolina built its pink, Colonial-influenced buildings in the late 1700s and early 1800s: the House of Assembly, the Senate Building and the Supreme Court. A marble statue of Queen Victoria, erected in 1905, stands in front of the Senate Building, and the Supreme Court dates to 1921, where judges and lawyers still wear traditional British wigs and robes. If the House of Assembly is in session, you can go inside and watch the debate from the gallery. The square sits on Bay Street, the country's oldest thoroughfare, and downtown covers roughly twenty blocks that are easy to cover on foot.

   Tip: Pair it with a wander along Bay Street and its murals, and ask on arrival whether the House of Assembly is sitting that day.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
4. 4Nassau

   Eat conch at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry

   Arawak Cay, known locally as the Fish Fry, is a strip of Bahamian restaurants and beach shacks on West Bay Street. The cay itself dates to 1969, when sand dredged from Nassau Harbour was used to build it. The west side has two-story, sit-down restaurants serving fish fried every which way, while the east side is beachside, where vendors barbecue from shacks in the late afternoon and evening. Conch is the dish to try, either cracked (battered and deep fried) or scorched (spiced with lime, onions and peppers). Wash it down with a Kalik beer or sky juice, a mix of gin, coconut water and milk. You may also catch Junkanoo groups practicing for the Boxing Day and New Year parades.

   Tip: Come in the late afternoon or evening, when the beachfront barbecues are going, and ask a local which small spot they prefer to the big restaurants.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (bahamas.com, official)
5. 5NassauBook ahead

   Spend a day at Atlantis and Aquaventure

   Atlantis on Paradise Island sells day passes, so you do not need to stay overnight. Aquaventure, its 141-acre water park, has slides such as the Mayan Temple and the Leap of Faith, an almost vertical 60-foot drop that ends in a clear acrylic tunnel through a shark-filled lagoon, plus the Rapids River, a mile-long loop with wave surges and white water. The pass also covers multiple beaches and pools and the resort's open-air marine habitats, which hold more than 65,000 animals, including The Dig Aquarium. Paradise Island connects to Nassau by the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, and a water taxi crosses the harbor in about 10 minutes.

   Tip: Pass inclusions vary by pass type, so check exactly what yours covers when you book, and plan to buy food and drinks on site.

   Day pass; book ahead
   Sources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (official); Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com)
6. 6Nassau

   Relax on two miles of Cabbage Beach

   Cabbage Beach is a two-mile stretch of white sand and warm turquoise water on Paradise Island, and the tourism board calls it arguably one of the world's most beautiful beaches. Some of the island's best-known beachfront resorts, including the Ocean Club, line the shore, so there are amenities nearby. It sits a short hop from downtown Nassau, which lies across the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, about 1 to 2 miles away and 5 to 10 minutes by car or taxi. Water temperatures run from the low 80s Fahrenheit in summer to about the mid 70s in winter, so a swim is possible all year.

   Tip: Keep swimwear to the beach and pool, because bathing suits are accepted only there and at poolside dining, not on the street or in restaurants.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com)
7. 7Nassau

   Explore the ramparts of Fort Charlotte

   Fort Charlotte is the largest of Nassau's three forts. Lord Dunmore built it in 1789 and named it for the wife of King George III. A short walk west of downtown, it has a waterless moat, a drawbridge, ramparts and dungeons, and the ramparts give wide views over Nassau Harbour. Family-friendly tours are conducted throughout the day, which helps if you want the story behind the stone. Because the fort sits a short walk west of downtown, it pairs well with a stroll back toward Bay Street.

   Tip: Join one of the tours that run through the day, and bring sun protection for the open ramparts.

   $[fee] at the gateKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com)
8. 8Freeport

   Walk the cave boardwalks of Lucayan National Park

   Lucayan National Park on Grand Bahama protects one of the world's longest charted underwater cave systems, with more than 6 miles of tunnels mapped. At Ben's Cave, stairs lead from the lip of the sinkhole down to viewing platforms just above the water, where gray snappers swim in the fresh water on top of the saltwater. Boardwalks and trails also cross pine forest and a mangrove creek, and the park is named for the Lucayans, whose remains archaeologists found in a cave in 1986. All of the Bahamas' vegetation zones appear here. The park has restrooms, and the tourism board suggests making a day of it.

   Tip: The Bahamas National Trust lists weekend opening hours, so check its park page before you go, and book a Trust guide ahead if you want one.

   Adult (15 to 59): $15 · Pay at the gateFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Bahamas National Trust (bnt.bs); Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (bahamas.com, official); Grand Bahama Island Board (grandbahamavacations.com)
9. 9Freeport

   See the rippled sand of Gold Rock Beach

   Gold Rock Beach, on the east side of Grand Bahama, is part of Lucayan National Park and is known as the Welcome Mat of Grand Bahama. At low tide the water pulls back to show the beach's signature rippled sand, and the beach is often quiet then. A boardwalk through the park leads to it, and you can also arrive by tour bus or rental car, about 25 miles from Freeport. Amenities are limited, with barbecue pits and picnic tables, and a healthy reef lies offshore. Scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed here, and the setting really does look like a film set.

   Tip: Check the tide table and arrive near low tide for the ripples, and bring water and food since amenities are limited.

   Inside Lucayan National Park
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Grand Bahama Island Board (grandbahamavacations.com); Grand Bahama Island Board (grandbahamavacations.com); Bahamas National Trust (bnt.bs); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
10. 10Exuma

    Swim with nurse sharks at Compass Cay

    Compass Cay lies north of Great Exuma and is a popular stop on an island-hopping day. Its protected marina is home to docile nurse sharks that circle below the dock, and at high tide they swim up to it. Visitors can slip into the water to swim alongside them or stroke their skin as they glide past. The dock also works as a makeshift bar with rustic walls covered in signs, and snorkeling equipment is available, so the stop is easy to turn into a slow hour. Many boat tours combine Compass Cay with the swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto in one long day.

    Tip: Ask your tour about the tide, since the sharks come up to the dock at high tide, and follow your guide's rules around the sharks.

    Boat access
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
11. 11Exuma

    Take the water taxi to Stocking Island

    Stocking Island sits across the harbor from George Town, and it is a short boat ride from Government Dock: a water taxi takes about five minutes. The small, long island is almost untouched, with protected bays, secluded white beaches and a hike to the historic salt beacon. It is also home to wild but friendly stingrays and starfish on Starfish Beach. Chat 'N' Chill, a beach bar reachable only by boat, serves fresh conch salad straight from the water, cocktails and a Sunday pig roast, all with toes in the sand. If you rent a boat instead, you can stop at the Moriah Harbour sandbar on the way.

    Tip: Choose a Sunday if you want the pig roast at Chat 'N' Chill, and ask around at Government Dock for a water taxi.

    Boat access
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
12. 12Nassau

    Try conch salad at Potter's Cay

    Potter's Cay is a working fish dock under the overpass that links Nassau to Paradise Island. Fishing docks, lively fruit markets and brightly colored conch shacks sit side by side, and roughly forty chefs in forty shacks prepare fresh conch dishes. Fishermen head out long before sunrise and return in the afternoon with conch, crab and fish, then spend the day chatting, playing dominoes and cleaning conch on the docks. Divers for hire fish the shallow waters behind the shacks, where chefs keep their conch fresh. Conch salad is the classic order, and every shack makes it a little differently.

    Tip: The shacks wake up slowly, so go for lunch rather than early morning, and ask a local which stall they like best before choosing.

    Pay as you go
    Sources: Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
13. 13Nassau

    Browse handmade crafts at the Straw Market

    The Nassau Straw Market stands on Bay Street in the middle of downtown's shops, and it is one of the best-known places to buy Bahamian crafts. Vendors sell hand-woven straw hats, bags and mats, dolls, conch shell jewelry and wood carvings. The tradition of plaiting, braiding and weaving goes back to a time when baskets carried fruit and fishing traps, and souvenir sales grew after World War II as visitors arrived from North America. It is just 3 to 5 minutes on foot from the cruise port, and the neighboring Parliament Square makes it easy to combine the two. Cash in U.S. or Bahamian dollars is accepted.

    Tip: Pay in cash, bargain politely because vendors are generally willing to, and check hours first since they vary with the season.

    Free to enter
    Sources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com)
14. 14Nassau

    Tour John Watling's rum distillery at Buena Vista

    John Watling's Distillery occupies the Buena Vista Estate in downtown Nassau, a historic property established in 1789 and set in more than two acres of tropical gardens. Guided tours of the estate and distillery are free. They start with antiques and exhibits more than 300 years old, then move to the storehouse where rum is bottled by hand and more than 1,000 white oak barrels age. The distillery makes small-batch Pale, Amber and Buena Vista rums, fermented on site from pressed sugar cane molasses. The tourism board describes it as the only rum distillery in The Bahamas. Tastings, mixology sessions and self-bottling can be booked as extras.

    Tip: Walk in during opening hours for the free tour, since no reservation is needed, and bring an adult if you travel with minors.

    Free walk-in tour
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: John Watling's Distillery (johnwatlings.com); Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)
15. 15Nassau

    Watch the marching flamingos at Ardastra Gardens

    Ardastra Gardens & Wildlife Conservation Centre has more than four acres of tropical gardens and over 135 animals, from African servals to Bahamian hutias, and it is best known for its marching flamingos. The Caribbean flamingo is the national bird of The Bahamas, and Ardastra helped rescue it from near extinction in the late 1950s with a breeding program. A Jamaican horticulturalist, Hedley Edwards, created the property as a nature preserve in the 1950s. Visitors can hand-feed lory parrots, meet Bahamian boa constrictors and see the flamingos parade on command several times a day. It sits in the heart of Nassau.

    Tip: Tickets are sold at the gate with no reservation needed, everyone signs a waiver, and the gardens close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

    Non-resident adult: $35 · Pay at the gateFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (nassauparadiseisland.com); Ardastra Gardens & Wildlife Conservation Centre (ardastra.com)
16. 16Exuma

    Visit the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

    Established in 1958, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is the first marine reserve in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean, and it is run by the Bahamas National Trust. It covers 176 square miles of land and sea, with coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass, empty beaches and hiking trails. Snorkeling and diving are popular, and with a guide you can feed endangered Bahamian iguanas or look for the elusive hutia. The park is a no-take reserve, so no fishing, shelling or collecting of any kind is allowed. It is the most visited national park in the country, and its headquarters sits on Warderick Wells.

    Tip: Leave shells and marine life where they are, because everything in the park is protected, and go with a professional guide if you want to see the iguanas or hutia.

    Boat access; park fees apply
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Bahamas National Trust (bnt.bs); Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (bahamas.com, official)
17. 17Exuma

    Lie on Tropic of Cancer Beach

    Tropic of Cancer Beach, also called Pelican Beach, is a crescent of white sand beside translucent blue-green water on Little Exuma. It is the longest beach on the island, and the tourism board calls it the prettiest in the Exuma chain, with a good chance you will have it to yourself. The beach is named for the Tropic of Cancer, the line marking the northern edge of the tropics, which crosses right through it at about 23 degrees 26 minutes north. A small bridge links Little Exuma to Great Exuma, where you will find Exuma International Airport and the main settlement, George Town, so the beach works as an easy half day.

    Tip: Cross the bridge from Great Exuma with everything you need for the day, since the beach is quiet and you may be nearly alone there.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (bahamas.com, official); Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas (bahamas.com)

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