When you think of The Bahamas, the first image that comes to your mind is probably The Atlantis on Paradise Island. This iconic hotel is an incredible destination, but there are so many more places in The Bahamas to explore beyond this one small island.

Top Things To Do In The Bahamas

The Bahamas comprises around 700 islands (about 30 are inhabited) spread out over 760 miles. So I highly recommend staying on an island other than Paradise Island or taking a couple of day trips to explore other islands.

Here are the best places to visit in The Bahamas!

Pig Beach

Located on Big Major Cay in the middle of the Exuma islands, Pig Beach is one of the most-visited islands in The Bahamas. Boats from all over the country journey here every day to let visitors swim with the famous pigs.

Visiting Pig Beach is an extremely “touristy” experience, which isn’t a bad thing. You just need to know what to expect. There are only a couple dozen pigs that everyone will be vying for pictures with. So you’ll need to be patient, and you need to remember these are wild animals. The pigs are used to people, and your boat crew will know how to get them over to you, but the pigs will do what the pigs want to do.

I’d highly recommend taking your Instagram photos as soon as you arrive at the island, and then just enjoy interacting with these amazing and mysterious creatures – no one knows how the pigs ended up on this uninhabited island!

Inagua National Park

This national park is on Great Inagua, one of the Southernmost islands in The Bahamas. Inagua National Park has some of the best bird watching in the Caribbean, and this park is home to the world’s largest breeding colony of West Indian Flamingos.

Great Inagua is one of the most remote and off-the-beaten-path islands in The Bahamas, but it’s relatively easy to visit as a day trip from most islands. You’ll fly in and out of Matthew Town, Inagua, on an early flight, spend the day exploring the national park, then fly back to your “home base” island.

You can also book a guided trip to Inagua National Park that will arrange your transportation. And there are a couple of hotels on the island if you want to stay for longer than a day.

Harbour Island

Harbour Island is home to the famous Pink Sands Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. The only town on the island is Dunmore Town, one of the oldest settlements in The Bahamas.

Most people come here for a luxurious beach day to dive, snorkel, fish, or sunbathe on the rosy-hued shores.

You can take a ferry from Nassau to Harbour Island, or you can take a flight to and from North Eleuthera Airport (ELH), where you’ll take a short taxi and boat ride to Harbour Island. There are resorts on the island, but these are some of the most expensive accommodations in The Bahamas.

Compass Cay

This bustling island is home to The Bahamas’ famous nurse sharks. Most people visit Compass Cay as part of a boat tour of the Exuma islands. So if you’re going this route, your boat will dock, and you’ll be able to walk (wear your shoes because the dock can be very hot) to the section of the harbor with the nurse sharks.

Nurse sharks are more like fish than sharks, and the ones you’ll interact with at Compass Cay are used to humans, so there’s no fear of them biting you. 

Please remember, though, that these are wild animals. Don’t grab the nurse sharks or try to lift them out of the water. Just swim with them and let them come to you so you can marvel at these beautiful creatures.

Blue Holes National Park

Located on the island of Andros, Blue Holes National Park protects 22 unique inland blue holes that are home to rare cave fish and invertebrates. There’s lots of hiking and bird viewing in the national park on your way to swim in the famous blue holes.

Andros is the largest island in The Bahamas, so there’s a lot to do here if you want to stay here. It’s also relatively easy to visit Blue Holes National Park as a day trip from Nassau and other nearby islands.

Thunderball Grotto is also known as the “James Bond Cave” because it was a filming site for the 1963 Bond film Thunderball. Divers and snorkelers love this site because it’s an underwater cave system full of exotic marine life, bright-colored coral, and hidden entrances.

What makes this grotto worth a visit is its hollow interior and entrance points. You’ll swim through short underwater tunnels to emerge inside the grotto. Sunlight streams into the grotto through narrow gaps, allowing rays of light to illuminate the ocean floor (and giving you the chance to take truly epic underwater photos).

Most people visit Thunderball Grotto as part of a boat tour through the Exuma Islands. But if you want to focus solely on diving or snorkeling, I’d book a group or private charter to stop at the best dive spots in the area.

Grand Bahama

Many people make Grand Bahama their “home base” in The Bahamas because there’s so much to do here. But you can also hit the highlights of this island on a day trip. You’ll fly in and out of Grand Bahama Airport and explore the island via a guided tour or rent a car for the day (this will be cheaper than multiple taxi rides).

Highlights of Grand Bahama are Freeport, Port Lucaya Marketplace, Garden of the Groves, and Lucayan National Park, home to one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world.

Blue Lagoon Island

This private island, also called Salt Cay, is just a short boat ride from Nassau, and it’s a popular cruise excursion. The turquoise water and white-sand beach of Blue Lagoon Island are some of the best in this region of The Bahamas.

Blue Lagoon Island has inflatable fun parks in the water for those of us who are still kids-at-heart. Plus, you can see dolphins and sea lions here!

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a no-take-zone and marine protected area, the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The park is spread over 112,640 acres of islands and water in the middle of the Exuma islands, which is centrally located to most other islands in The Bahamas.

This park has some of the most striking seascapes in the region – electric blue water merges with pure-white sand, giving you some of the best views in the country. Most days, divers and snorkelers can easily enjoy 100-feet (30-meter) visibility.

You’ll need to visit this park via a boat tour that leaves from your island. Or, you can fly to Staniel Cay to catch a boat for a tour. If you want more than a day to explore this park, then you could opt for a live-aboard dive charter.

Elbow Cay

This island is part of the Abacos islands in the northeast part of the country. Elbow Cay is a haven for expats who love boating activities. The main cities on the island are Hope Town and Marsh Harbour, which are lined with colorful New England-style cottages.

Elbow Cay is famous for its candy-striped lighthouse, a world-class marina, and the Tilloo Cay Reserve, an 11-acre bird habitat.

Because this island is relatively off-the-beaten-path, it would be difficult to come here on a day trip. But if you want to stay on a quirky, laid-back island, then Elbow Cay is for you.

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