The Bahamas: Swimming Pigs and Cruise Ships

Capital: Nassau

Largest City: Nassau

Population: 412,000

Currency: Bahamian Dollar

Language: English

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The Bahamas is an island country not far off the coast of Florida. It has over 700 islands and cays. U.S. and Bahamian dollars are exchanged freely with a one-to-one exchange rate. Before the trip, I thought about going solo, but given the number of cruise ships that travel to The Bahamas, I figured I would be the only one there traveling by myself. Luckily, my husband agreed to come with me! We spent the majority of our trip in the capital and largest city Nassau. 60% of the population lives in Nassau, so I wanted an authentic trip that included both Nassau and an excursion to an outside island. Due to cruise tourism, they are not a cheap country.

Arriving to The Bahamas: My 11th Country

To celebrate U.S. Independence Day, I celebrated by leaving the country on July 4, 2024. We had an early flight out of Washington, DC. Despite Google saying a number of restaurants were open at 6 a.m. at the airport, there was, in fact, not a single one open. I opted for a chicken Caesar wrap and orange juice  from one of the airport markets.

First glimpse of The Bahamas from above

After a 2 hour 45 minute non-stop flight, my husband and I arrived in our 11th country: The Bahamas. We stayed at the British Colonial Hotel, which was in downtown Nassau and ended being a good base, though its price did make me cry inside.

Check-in was not ready upon arriving at the hotel, so we went to lunch at the McDonald's across the street. The menu was exactly the same as the U.S., except for the Goombay Punch, which I tried a few different times throughout the trip.

After our lunch, we went to the Pirates of Nassau museum. The Bahamas has a long history with pirates dating back to their arrival in the 1700s. The museum was interesting, though on the tacky side.

We had a quick souvenir stop and then went to Junkanoo Beach. It was very crowded and noisy with loud music playing. We went back to the hotel where our room was finally ready.

For dinner, I had a restaurant planned near Junkanoo Beach. Unfortunately, I was unable to find it despite Google Maps doing its best to lead me there. With my restaurant choice failing, we headed back to downtown Nassau to search for a restaurant. We next went to The Bearded Clam which I saw in my research prior. It was hard to find as it was located down an alley. It was closed. We next tried an Irish restaurant which we walked past prior. It was closed.

It was only about 5:30 p.m., but once the cruise ships leave, Nassau seems to shut down for the remainder of the evening. Eventually, I found one on Google Maps and decided to give it a shot. With a stroke of a little luck, it was open. Given the 100+ degree heat index, I’m not sure having a seafood boil which makes you sweat is the best dinner choice.

Day Two: Feeling the Heat

I planned to spend the second day exploring everything Nassau had to offer. We began by going to the straw market where we were hassled by overly aggressive sellers. We found authentic license plates while there. My husband believed one was painted over, so we found the courage to walk away from that seller. We found a nicer woman who had a slightly bent, newer license plate. We purchased the plate for $35 which is about $15 more than I would have liked to pay.

After the market, we saw Parliament Square where the country’s government meets. It was decorated with 51st Independence Day banners. We then took a long stroll to see the Queen’s Staircase and Fort Fincastle. In hindsight, we should’ve gone to Fort Fincastle first rather than walk in a circle. Fort Fincastle offers the highest views in all of Nassau. Both are historical sites that date back to the 1790s.

The heat was beginning to physically drain us, and the walk to lunch did not help. My lunch started with the conch salad and sky juice which I enjoyed, and I was looking forward to my cracked conch. I also liked watching the stingrays swimming in the cay outside of the window

However, the restaurant was extremely hot with unreliable electricity, so we sat there and waited and sweat, and waited and sweat, and waited and sweat… I soon began to feel nauseous and like I was going to faint. I stepped outside and ended up getting sick.

By the time I came back in, my food was ready, but by that point, I wanted to leave, so we packed it up in a container and headed back to the hotel.

Along the way back, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up food for breakfast and then finally made it back to recover from the heat exhaustion. I also got to enjoy my cold cracked conch and french fries along with a few of my husband’s leftover conch fritters.

As our last hurrah of the hot day, I enjoyed the Atlantic Ocean beachfront that was exclusive to our hotel. 

Third Day: Seeing a Pig Swim

On our third day, we booked a guided tour in advance. It was pricey, though, it did include transportation which was a high powered speed boat with music playing.

We passed by the celebrity mansions of Paradise Island including properties owned by Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and the CEO of Starbucks.

Our first stop was snorkeling where we saw a variety of colorful fish. It was a very salty experience.

Next, we saw the swimming pigs of The Bahamas on Rose Island. There were a lot of tourists there. At first the pigs were cute, but once we started feeding them fruit, they became very aggressive. One even stepped on my foot! They also had a baby pig that was passed around for photos.

Some consider the swimming pigs to be animal cruelty. The pigs seem to be well-fed, and they were not being forced to go into the ocean. However, I can see the concern -– it felt like I was in the cage of a zoo.

A tourist (me) holding a baby pig in what felt like a zoo cage

After the swimming pigs, we saw sea turtles and then stopped for lunch on a beautiful beach. I expected an authentic Bahamian lunch, but it was just a simple meal with sandwich, chips, cookies and a soda. 

After the tour, we returned to the hotel. Of my list of stuff to do in The Bahamas, I had not gotten everything crossed off, but I still had one more thing that I really wanted to do. Since my husband was not feeling well, I went alone to the Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation, which focuses on West Indies Slave Trade in The Bahamas and the rise of independence for African Bahamians.

For our final dinner, we went to Curly's Restaurant and Bar at the Fish Fry in Arawak Cay, and it ended up being our favorite meal of the trip. The restaurant was a Guy Fieri recommendation. My sheep tongue souse was a delight -- it had a warm broth that had the Bahamian flavor I was hoping for, even if the sheep tongue may not be for everyone.

On our last day, we flew out of The Bahamas. I brought a container of chocolate rum cake home with me to enjoy.

Final Thoughts

While I am glad I saw the swimming pigs and Nassau once, The Bahamas is not somewhere I'd rush back to. I am not the type to sit on a beach all day, so a lot of The Bahamas appeal is a lost for me, though with the heat, I can see why it is a popular activity to do.

There was also less than I expected wildlife in Nassau. The food was mixed, though our last dinner brought it ahead.

If I did return to The Bahamas, I'd explore other islands to see what else there is to offer.