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Amazing Day Trips to Take in the Bahamas by Boat

Romora Bay Marina on Harbour Island is a popular spot for a day trip in the Bahamas
Romora Bay Marina on Harbour Island is a popular spot for a day trip in the Bahamas | © SONNET Sylvain / hemis.fr / Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of Judith Baker
Judith Baker
17 November 2021
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Over 700 Bahamian islands range from tiny uninhabited pink sand cays to Great Providence, home to Nassau, the capital, and its glitzy neighbour Paradise Island. The 14 Bahamian Out islands have a quaint and sometimes eccentric charm all of their own. Day trips can deliver varied and unusual experiences where visitors can be swimming with pigs and turtles one day and big game fishing or diving with sharks the next.

Chartering a yacht through SamBoat is the best way to explore the Bahamian Islands

Bimini

Swimming Pool, Health Spa
Scuba diver with French angelfish at The Strip dive site Bimini, Bahamas
© Chris A Crumley / Alamy Stock Photo
Dive with hammerhead sharks on this sleepy island, just 50mi (80km) from the USA, once a Prohibition-era offshore speakeasy. Now people come for big game fishing and diving. The Big Game Club, a Bimini institution since the 1930s, still attracts fishermen and divers. Martin Luther King and Ernest Hemingway were regular visitors to the resort, so expect plenty of Hemingway memorabilia. The on-site scuba centre arranges encounters with hammerheads and other spectacular marine life.

Abaco

Natural Feature
The lighthouse and marina at Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas
© Patrick Phelan / Alamy Stock Photo
Swim with pigs and get close to the rays, which are stroked as they eat scraps of fish from between tourists’ toes. Other close encounters include petting turtles and spotting parrots. The 120mi (193km) chain of Abaco islands with calm waters and breezes is a magnet for sailors. But on land, you experience colourful history by walking around Hope Town, with its red and white candy cane lighthouse, or New Plymouth with periwinkle and pistachio coloured wooden houses.

Exuma Cays

Park
Boats at Exuma Cays, Bahamas
© Alexander Chaikin / Alamy Stock Photo
When island hopping through the Exuma Cays, you can see swimming pigs, snorkel underwater caves, and even spot celebrities. Many of the Cays are private; some operate as exclusive resorts, and others are homes of stars like Johnny Depp. Stocking Island near Great Exuma features spectacular views from its high bluff and a series of idyllic beaches separated by limestone promontories. Here you will find the legendary beach bar Chat ‘N’ Chill, where you can enjoy cocktails on the sand or the famous Sunday Pig Roast.

Freeport Grand Bahama

Architectural Landmark
Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island, Freeport, Port Lucaya Marina, boat dock for tour boats
© DEGAS Jean-Pierre / hemis.fr / Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo
Freeport Grand Bahama is a haven for adventure lovers with kayaking through mangroves and off-roading through the forests on offer. Rainbow Reef is popular with snorkellers and divers. Shopaholics will love Port Lucaya Marketplace with designer boutiques and handicrafts as well as open-air entertainment. As well as duty-free stores, it has straw markets and stalls selling daiquiris and seafood.

Long Island

Natural Feature
Swimmers in the multicoloured waters of Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas
© Shane Pinder / Alamy Stock Photo
Perfect for shore divers, Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island is also a mecca for free divers since the world Free Diving record was set here in 2007. It is the second deepest blue hole in the world at 633ft (193m) below ground. A nature lover’s dream, Dean’s Blue Hole leads to the world’s eighth-largest underwater cavern filled with fish, sea horses, and gorgeous colours.

Eleuthera

Natural Feature
View of the harbour of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas
© JOHN KELLERMAN / Alamy Stock Photo
Eleuthera has ideal conditions for surfing on the Atlantic side and snorkelling on the other. With sweet pineapple farms dotting the landscape, the island has miles of secluded beaches. At The Glass Window Bridge, you can see the deep blue of the Atlantic on one side and the calm turquoise of the Caribbean on the other – a spectacular stop off on the way to pretty Governor’s Harbour. Although it looks sleepy, the town jumps into life every Friday with its Fish Fry at Cupid’s Cay.

Harbour Island

Natural Feature
Caribbean Bahamas Harbor Island boats docked at a restaurant in Dunmore Town
© JOHN KELLERMAN / Alamy Stock Photo
No one can come to the Bahamas without trying conch. This tasty mollusc is the most famous Bahamian delicacy eaten all over the islands. Find conch shacks throughout the Bahamas, but Harbour Island has some of the best, such as Queen Conch near the harbour. Harbour Island is one of the oldest settlements in The Bahamas. Dating back to the 18th century, its colourfully painted New England-style architecture set against the lush palm trees, flower-lined streets, and pretty coastline make it a charming destination.

Paradise Island

Natural Feature
Tourists visit Dolphin Cay with Royal Towers in the background, Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas, Caribbean
© MJ Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
The thrills and excitement of Atlantis on Paradise Island guarantee the adrenalin flows for families. Little ones can start the day at the beach watching bottlenose dolphins play. When the sun goes down, teens can flock to the kids-only nightclub or the underwater-themed video arcade and movie theatre. Meanwhile, parents can escape to the 18-hole golf course, the buzz of the casinos, and the serenity of the spa or the romance of a meal for two.

Sail around the Bahamas in style by hiring a yacht with SamBoat – no sailing experience necessary.

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