The gangway is down, the harbor is bright, and the talk on deck turns to the same question: a day on a boat, a day in town, or a day at a resort. Nassau gives you all three. There is a private island with dolphins and sea lions, a boat trip to the swimming pigs of the Exumas, the water park at Atlantis on Paradise Island, and an old town of forts, staircases and fried conch.
What shore excursions are there from Nassau?
From Nassau you can choose among island days by boat, a resort day on Paradise Island and a walk through the historic town, and each one gives a very different day. Nothing here asks you to pick only one style. The boat outings suit travelers who want the water and the animals, the resort suits families who want slides and sand, and the town suits anyone curious about how the Bahamas began.
A useful way to choose is to ask what you want to remember. If it is a photo with a sea lion or a pig on a beach, you are looking at the boat trips. If it is a day of pure play, look at Atlantis. If it is stone walls, a pink mansion and a plate of conch, stay in town.
| Excursion | Where | What it is about |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Lagoon Island | Salt Cay, northeast of Nassau | Dolphin and sea lion encounters, beaches, snorkeling off the sand |
| Swimming pigs | Big Major Cay, the Exumas | A boat day to Pig Beach through the Exuma Cays |
| Atlantis and Aquaventure | Paradise Island | Water park, pools, beach, walk-in aquarium |
| Fort Fincastle and the Queen’s Staircase | Bennet’s Hill, Nassau | Limestone fort and an old staircase carved by hand |
| Junkanoo Beach and Arawak Cay | Near downtown Nassau | A beach afternoon and a Bahamian lunch |
Blue Lagoon Island: dolphins, sea lions and a beach day
Blue Lagoon Island, also known as Salt Cay, lies three miles northeast of Nassau, and you reach it by boat. It is a private island that has long served as a local tourist attraction, and its main draw is Dolphin Encounters, where dolphins and sea lions are the stars.
The rest of the day is a beach day. Visitors swim in a hidden lagoon, snorkel off the beach to see coral reefs with tropical fish, sunbathe on white sand and walk through vegetation that shelters nesting birds. A package includes the round-trip boat transfer, lunch, free access to the Inflatable Aqua Park, use of the facilities, beach sports and game equipment.
This outing suits families and groups who want one place with a bit of everything: animals, sand, games and lunch in the same spot. Bring a swimsuit and sunscreen, and leave the afternoon open for the beach rather than rushing back to the boat.
The swimming pigs of the Exumas
The famous swimming pigs live on Big Major Cay, also called Pig Beach, in the Exumas. About 20 pigs and piglets share the cay, and they are the reason travelers line up for photos at the water’s edge. The cay can only be reached by boat, whether private, chartered or a booked boat tour.
Visitors staying in Nassau can book a day trip that includes a boat tour through the Exuma Cays, so the pigs come as part of a longer day on the water. The pleasure here is the scenery of the cays as much as the animals, and it suits travelers who like being on a boat and want an outing with a story to tell afterward.
Atlantis and Aquaventure on Paradise Island
Paradise Island is best known for the Atlantis resort, an ocean-themed casino resort that opened on December 11, 1998, with the Royal Towers. It spans 154 acres, with a water park, pools, a beach, restaurants, a walk-in aquarium and casinos. Paradise Island sits across Nassau Harbour and is linked to New Providence by two bridges.
Aquaventure is the part that draws day-trippers. It has water slides, river rides and swimming pools, and its main features are The Current, a lazy river and raft ride hybrid, and a temple-themed slide tower. The waterpark also has five miles of white sand beaches, so a day here can be split between rides and the shore.
This is the choice for families with children who would rather ride than tour, and for anyone who wants a full day without leaving one property. It pairs well with a dinner or a stroll through the marine habitat if you stay into the afternoon.
Which excursions leave from the cruise port?
The outings that put you on a boat, Blue Lagoon Island and the swimming pigs, begin on the water, while the sights of Nassau town are things you visit on land. That split helps you plan the day, because a boat excursion is a block of time and a town visit can be as long or as brief as you like.
Each port in the Bahamas offers its own experiences for cruise passengers, and Nassau’s are a good mix of sea and history. The best day often blends one organized outing with a slow wander through town, ending with a meal where Nassau residents eat.
Boat days: Blue Lagoon and the Exuma Cays
Blue Lagoon Island is reached by a round-trip boat transfer that comes with the package, so the crossing is part of the outing rather than an extra. You step off onto an island built around the beach, the lagoon and the animal encounters, with lunch and the Aqua Park already included.
The swimming pigs are a different kind of boat day. Big Major Cay has no road to it, so the trip is by sea through the Exuma Cays, and the stop at Pig Beach is the high point of the trip. Both outings suit travelers who enjoy time on the water and do not mind a day built around the boat.
Paradise Island across the harbor
Paradise Island connects to Nassau by bridge across the harbor, so Atlantis is a day out that feels like crossing into another world. The old Paradise Island airport closed in 1999, and the airfield and runway were replaced by an 18-hole golf course, which tells you how much the island has changed from its quiet past.
A day here is about the resort itself: slides, the lazy river, the beach and the aquarium. It makes sense for travelers whose priority is play rather than history, and it leaves the town sights for another visit.
On foot in Nassau town
Fort Fincastle stands atop Bennet’s Hill, built of cut limestone around 1793 to protect the town and its harbour. It was shaped like a paddle-wheel steamer, and that odd outline is the first thing you notice. It was built under the governorship of John Murray, also called Viscount Fincastle, who gave it its name.
The Queen’s Staircase, also known as the 66 steps, is a limestone staircase carved by slaves over 16 years and standing 102 feet tall. It gave soldiers easy access to a nearby fort, and the cool, narrow cut of stone makes a memorable walk. Government House, a pink and white colonial mansion on Duke Street atop Mount Fitzwilliam, is the official residence of the Governor General and photographs well from the street.
Beach and lunch near downtown
Junkanoo Beach sits just minutes from downtown Nassau and is a favorite among cruise ship passengers and locals alike. It is the place for an unhurried afternoon with a towel, a drink and a view of the harbor traffic.
Arawak Cay, also known as the Fish Fry, is where Nassau goes for authentic Bahamian food. Look for conch in its many forms, sky juice and the Bahama Mama. A plate of cracked or fritter conch eaten at a picnic table is the kind of lunch you will talk about at home.
What should you know before you book an excursion?
Before you book, decide what kind of day you want, because the excursions here are very different from one another and none of them is a stand-in for another. A dolphin island, a boat to the Exumas, a water park and a historic walk each fill a day in their own way, so pick the one that matches your group.
Match the outing to your group
Families with children often find the most to do at Blue Lagoon Island, where the package pairs animal encounters with beach sports, game equipment and the Inflatable Aqua Park. Atlantis suits the same families if slides matter more than animals. Couples and friends who like boats may prefer the Exuma Cays trip to the pigs.
Travelers who care more about stories than splashes should head into town. Fort Fincastle, the Queen’s Staircase and Government House are three views of the same past, and Arawak Cay gives you the flavor of the present. That combination works well for a slower, curious day.
Read what the package includes
The Blue Lagoon Island package includes the round-trip boat transfer, lunch, free access to the Inflatable Aqua Park, use of facilities, beach sports and game equipment. That list is worth reading closely, because it tells you what is covered and what you might add on your own.
For the swimming pigs, the day trip includes a boat tour through the Exuma Cays, and the cay itself is reachable only by boat. Think of the boat as the heart of the outing, and choose it if the sea air and the island scenery appeal to you as much as the animals.
Wildlife and weather
The animals at Blue Lagoon Island and on Big Major Cay are part of the draw, but they are living creatures, and what you see on a given day is a matter of chance. Go for the whole experience, the water, the sand and the company, rather than counting on one particular moment.
On the boat days, think about sun and spray, and pack a swimsuit, a hat and a change of clothes. On the town days, comfortable shoes matter more, since the old fort sits on a hill and the staircase is made of stone. A day that mixes the two, a morning in town and an afternoon at Junkanoo Beach, is a pleasant way to see both sides of Nassau.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.
Nassau sits on New Providence, and Paradise Island is a separate island joined to it by bridge, so keep that in mind when you plan a day that crosses the harbor. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, which means a trip in the autumn falls inside it, and weather can reshape an outing at sea more than one on land. Wear shoes you can climb in for the fort and the staircase, and keep a dry bag for the boat days.
Sources
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Nassau and Paradise Island (https://www.bahamas.com/islands/nassau-paradise-island), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, cruise (retry) (https://www.bahamas.com/getting-here/cruise), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Blue Lagoon Island (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/blue-lagoon-island), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Blue Lagoon Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Lagoon_Island), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Paradise Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Island), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Official Home Swimming Pigs (https://www.bahamas.com/experiences/official-home-swimming-pigs), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Atlantis Paradise Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis_Paradise_Island), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Aquaventure (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaventure), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Fort Fincastle (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/fort-fincastle), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), travel blog, what to do in Nassau (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/top-10-things-to-do-in-nassau), checked October 10, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Advisory, Level 2 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 10, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time for a Bahamas Cruise: Weather by Month, Hurricane Season and Sea Temperatures
- Bahamas Cruise Ports: Nassau, Freeport, Private Islands and Which Stop Suits You
- Freeport Cruise Port: Celebration Key, Port Lucaya and Getting Around Grand Bahama
- Bahamas Cruise from Baltimore: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Ports and Boarding Documents