Unique Things to Do in the Bahamas

No one really knows how the swimming pigs got to Big Major Cay, but the 25 pigs and piglets that live here are certainly the star attraction of the Exuma Cays in the Bahamas. Big Momma is the biggest and oldest pig around, but the piglets are the most Instagrammable. It’s a short boat trip from nearby Staniel Cay to see them and around 100mi (160km) south of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Pigs might not fly, but they do swim.

The 152ft (46m) tall Great Isaac Lighthouse is no stranger to macabre legend. Although built to protect ships from disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle, on 4 August 1969, the keepers were reported missing, and their bodies were never found. Learn more about the secrets of this mysterious cay on a private yacht charter – book with SamBoat who have a range of skippered boats for you to climb aboard. No sailing experience required. Watch out though, those rocks are sharp.

Move over Atlas and make way for Ocean Atlas, the 18ft (6m) tall submerged girl, holding the weight of the ocean on her shoulders. This colossal sculpture by Jason deCaires Taylor was placed off the shore of Nassau to draw attention to ocean acidification, global warming, overfishing and water pollution. Made of sustainable, pH-neutral materials, this Bahamian girl serves a dual purpose: becoming an artificial reef for marine life while drawing divers away from over-stressed natural reefs.

The natural arch that originally formed a bridge here was washed away long ago by violent storms, but not before being immortalised in Winslow Homer’s 1885 painting Glass Window. The current concrete structure is no less striking. The skinny strip separates the north and south parts of the Bahamian island Eleuthera, with one side being pounded by the turbulent Atlantic, while the other is lazily smooched by the Bight of Eleuthera. The best place to enjoy the full two-tone panorama is from the karst hill above the bridge.

President Woodrow Wilson commissioned this concrete ship when steel was in short supply in 1920. Since being grounded by a hurricane in 1926, it has lived a colourful life, having been used as a casino, oil tanker, illegal liquor warehouse and, lastly, for military target practice. It currently cuts a haunting figure, lying 15ft (5m) underwater, 4mi (6.4km) south of Bimini Island. Although broiling seas, tumultuous weather and military bombs have stripped much of the concrete hull, the SS Sapona still makes an eerily beautiful snorkelling and diving destination.

This small section of old-growth woodland is one of the last-existing areas of evergreen tropical forests that used to cover the islands. Dramatic limestone caverns up to 50ft (15m) long are a highlight, accessed by boardwalks trailing through verdant foliage. Discover the cleverly camouflaged cuban tree frog, and don’t forget your binoculars to spot the many bird types that flock to this time capsule of blackland coppice.

Before the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the Elbow Reef Lighthouse was the only manned light station in the world whose lens was still hand-wound by the keeper, rather than being electrified. The lighthouse is a valuable part of cultural history in the Bahamas and is a long-standing example of Victorian British engineering. The restoration of the lighthouse is almost complete, and the charming Gift Shoppe is once again selling wares.

A blue hole is a sinkhole underneath the surface of the sea that’s filled with water. Usually, they’re around 100m (330ft) deep, but Dean’s Blue Hole is particularly exceptional as it reaches a depth of 202m (663ft). The water here is extremely clear, with visibility reaching around 36m (118ft) on a good day. It’s not surprising that Dean’s is a hotspot for scuba divers and freedivers alike. Head to the bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island for your dip into the deep.

This delightful museum was opened by the Hope Town community on Elbow Cay in 1978 with the aim of preserving the fascinating history of the town and educating children. The wooden clapboard building contains restored furnished rooms of yesteryear, along with stories of pirates, Lucayans, rum-runners and more. Learn all about the shipwrecks, hurricanes and torpedoed freighters that have shaped the rich history of the town, through carefully curated artefacts, photos and manuscripts.