Amazing Day Trips To Take In The Bahamas By Boat

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 Culture Trip is the best way to explore the Bahamian Islands

Bimini

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Culture Trip– no sailing experience necessary.
Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.