Staniel Cay sits at the heart of the white sands and turquoise waters of the Exuma Cays. Staying on the island means some of the most photogenic spots in the Bahamas will be just a short boat ride from your front door.
Book your stay on Staniel Cay, and you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore swimming pigs, hidden grottos, and sea caves without ever needing to change islands. From nurse sharks to a real Bahamian settlement, here are the Staniel Cay day trips worth the ride, starting with the stop everyone talks about first.
1. Swim with the Pigs at Big Major Cay
- Location: Big Major Cay
- Travel Time: About 10 minutes by boat
Big Major Cay, better known as Pig Beach, is home to a colony of swimming pigs that paddle out to greet arriving boats. The pigs will nose right up to the side of your boat looking for a snack, so it’s best to toss food from a bit of distance and never chase them onto the sand.
For the calmest water and the best photos, aim for an early morning visit before the tour boats from Nassau arrive. Bring a bag of lettuce, apples, or specially formulated pig food rather than bread, which is harder on their digestion despite being the easiest snack to pack.
2. Snorkel Thunderball Grotto’s Underwater Cave
- Location: Thunderball Grotto
- Travel Time: About 5 minutes by boat
Thunderball Grotto is a hollowed-out limestone island with a submerged entrance that opens into a sunlit cave full of silverside fish.
It earned its name from the 1965 James Bond film shot inside. The light pouring through the opening in the ceiling still makes it one of the most photographed snorkel spots in the Exumas.
Rather than relying on a specific time of day, time your visit to Thunderball Grotto around low slack tide, when the water inside the cave is calmest and the entrance is easiest to swim through. At high tide, the entrance can submerge almost completely.
Most local boat captains plan this stop around the tide chart rather than a set time of day.
3. Swim with Nurse Sharks at Compass Cay
- Location: Compass Cay
- Travel Time: About 20 to 30 minutes by boat
Compass Cay Marina is home to a resident population of nurse sharks that gather in the shallows around the docks and are docile enough to swim alongside.
The marina charges a small landing fee for day visitors, which goes toward maintaining the private docks and nature trails that wind through the small cay.
Many boats stop here on the same run as Big Major Cay, since the two are only a few minutes apart by water. Wear reef shoes if you plan to wade, since much of the shoreline here is sharp coral rubble rather than sand.
The sharks are used to visitors and mostly interested in whatever bait the marina staff hands out, so stay calm and let them approach rather than reaching for them first. Our guide to swimming with sharks in the Bahamas has more on what to expect.
4. Explore the Sea Caves at Rocky Dundas
- Location: Rocky Dundas
- Travel Time: About 1 hour by boat
Rocky Dundas is a pair of small limestone islands inside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. They offer tidal caves only reachable by snorkeling at low tide.
Inside, stalactites hang low enough to touch, and the underwater visibility rivals anywhere else in the park, with light filtering down through openings in the rock ceiling.
Because this stop sits inside a protected marine reserve, nothing may be collected or fished along the way, so bring your own snorkel gear and reef-safe sunscreen.
A local guide can help you time the tide correctly and point out the cave entrance, since it’s easy to miss from the water.
5. Meet the Rock Iguanas on Bitter Guana Cay
- Location: Bitter Guana Cay
- Travel Time: About 10 minutes by boat
Bitter Guana Cay is home to a colony of endangered Bahamian rock iguanas that wander right up to the sand looking for food from visiting boats. They’re wild animals, not pets, so behave responsibly to protect them.
Although some tour operators offer iguana-safe snacks for visitors to give to the iguanas, it is generally considered bad practice to feed them at all. Check out our guide to iguana beach for more details on the health impact of feeding the iguanas and how to interact with them responsibly.
The beach here is narrow, so plan to anchor just offshore and wade the last stretch in. These iguanas can grow surprisingly large and move quickly, so keep small children close. Avoid cornering any of them against the rocks, or else they might lash out in defense.
6. Wander Black Point Settlement
- Location: Black Point
- Travel Time: About 15 to 20 minutes by boat
Black Point is one of the largest settlements in the Exumas and a good reminder that this stretch of the Bahamas is home to a real community, not just empty sandbars.
It’s an easy way to break up a day of snorkeling with something a little more local and slower-paced. Stop at Lorraine’s Cafe or Emerald’s Sunset View for conch fritters and a plate of fresh fish, then walk over to the natural tidal pool locals still use to do laundry by hand.
This is also one of the best places in the Exumas to pick up handmade straw baskets directly from the women who weave them, often sold right from their front porch along the main road.
7. Visit the Plane Wreck on Norman’s Cay
- Location: Norman’s Cay
- Travel Time: About 2–4 hours by boat, depending on the vessel
Norman’s Cay is known for the sunken plane visible just beneath the surface near shore. It is said to be linked to notorious drug smuggler Pablo Escobar.
Bring your snorkel gear to explore the wreck, which is now home to a huge variety of fish and coral. The surrounding flats are also worth a look for nurse sharks.
Since this is a longer run than the other stops on this list, it’s best paired with a full-day charter rather than tacked onto another stop. Some visitors choose to fly in directly instead; a small airstrip on the island serves private charters.
Planning Your Staniel Cay Day Trips
A little planning goes a long way when you’re choosing between this many islands, especially since weather and tides can shift your route on any given day.
Here are a few things to sort out before you leave the dock:
- You need to book a boat, no matter if it’s with or without a captain, in advance, especially in high season. Our guide to boat rentals on Staniel Cay is a good place to start if you’re not arriving with your own.
- Check tide schedules before you go. Spots like Thunderball Grotto and Rocky Dundas are easiest to access at low slack tide.
- Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a dry bag, and your own snorkel gear if you have it, since not every stop has gear rentals available.
- Save the farther stops, like Norman’s Cay, for a day with calm weather and plenty of daylight. Don’t head out late.
- Let someone back at your accommodation know your general route and expected return time, especially on longer runs.
Ready to Set Out from Staniel Cay?
Every one of these stops is within easy reach when you’re staying on Staniel Cay, no matter if you’re chasing swimming pigs on your first morning or spending a full day on the water boating to Norman’s Cay.
Book your stay with us on Staniel Cay, then start mapping out which islands will make your final itinerary. However you choose to spend the day, when you stay on Staniel Cay, you can rest assured you’ll be back in time to watch a spectacular sunset from your own patio.