Over 700 Islands, soft white sand beaches, Crystal turquoise Waters, and gorgeous Resorts help make this country rank as one of the world’s best vacation destinations. Welcome to the Bahamas. Another day in Paradise. In this extensive guide, we will take you inside four of the top Resorts of Nassau and one really good Airbnb, exploring the beaches, the food, and the culture of this island getaway.
Arrival and Logistics: Getting to Paradise
A quick note before we start with boat tours and Nassau specifics: many businesses don’t have informative websites like you see in the US. I had to do lots of calls and research to compile the info that will be in this guide, so I think we’ll be extremely helpful for you in planning your Nassau getaway.
For our journey, we depart Tampa boarding an ATR 42-600 prop plane. I chose Silver Airlines because they have a non-stop flight from Tampa to Nassau. Silver is a regional airline serving the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Key West from the southeast, and they were great with a dog. It’s about a 90-minute flight from Tampa to Nassau, offering a nice look at MacDill Air Force Base upon departure.
There are also multiple flights out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Our photographer flew on American Airlines on a Boeing 737 jet, but the advantage to flying on a turbo prop is you fly at a lower altitude, thus giving you a more scenic view of the turquoise Waters of the Atlantic and some of the other islands of the Bahamas before you reach Nassau. I wanted to arrive in the afternoon so that I could pick up my rental car and have plenty of daylight hours to get used to driving on the left side of the road.
Car Rentals and Driving in Nassau
We arrive at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau. The rental cars are an easy walk right outside the terminal. I had booked Budget rental cars, but they wouldn’t allow a dog, so I went with Avis. Avis was great and had no issues. I drove a Suzuki Ignis which worked good, gets 40 miles to the gallon, and it was fun to drive around.
Important Driving Tip: The Bahamas used to be a British colony; they gained their independence from the United Kingdom in 1973. That is why they drive on the left side of the road here. However, most of the cars here have left-sided steering wheels like in the US. You do eventually get used to it, but you have to keep saying to yourself: “stay to the left.” I thought it was neat how they communicate by horns; you’ll hear lots of little beeps of horns that is saying “thank you” or them letting you know you can go ahead of her.
Read our comple car rental guide: Do I Need To Rent A Car In Nassau Bahamas?
Public Transportation and Taxis
If you aren’t renting a car, you can take a taxi which runs about $30 to $40 if you are going to downtown or Paradise Island. You can also take the bus, known as a Jitney, for $1.50 one way. Oddly though, it doesn’t come into the airport terminal; you’ll have about a 5-minute walk to the JFK roundabout on the outside of the airport.
From the Cruise Port, you walk two blocks south to the corner of Bay Street and Frederick Street or the bus stop next to the House of Diamonds. The Number 10 Jitney is the one that covers all the tourist areas from downtown all the way down to Cable Beach, which is just past the Baha Mar Resort. The bus, however, does not go to Paradise Island, but you can take the ferry mentioned later.
Once you get to downtown or the beaches, you can rent an ATV; it will run from about $300 to $350 a day. By the way, the Bahamian dollar is pretty much equal to the US dollar. Businesses will take either, so no need to do a money exchange, but I would bring lots of ones for tips and to have some cash on hand as some smaller eateries and services won’t take credit cards.
Safety and Accommodation
One other thing wanted to address is the travel advisor that the US had recently put out. Of course, you want to use wisdom and keep your eyes aware of your surroundings, but really, I felt safer here than in most US cities. Most of the crime is in the “Over the Hill” neighborhood. It is from a couple of blocks south of Shirley Street to Wulff Road and from about Nassau Street to just east of East Street.
The majority of crime is Gang Related retribution targeted violence, with very little random violence. In most of the tourist areas, you are not going to have any issues no more than any of the beaches in the US. You just don’t want to be wandering off into any isolated areas late at night. Again, use common sense.
Where to Stay: Airbnb and Costs
For lodging, I found this Airbnb that was in a decent neighborhood called Paradise Place. A two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath unit was $160 a night, including all fees and taxes. I stayed in late January which is Prime season, so I’m sure during most of the Year you’ll find it even cheaper. It had a fully stocked kitchen large enough for six guests, a very comfortable living room, and is pet friendly.
The location was great too: 10 minutes from Atlantis and 5 minutes from Harbor Bay Shopping Center, which has a Starbucks and what I think is the best grocery store on the island, Solomon’s Fresh Market. Be advised though, food is expensive; I’d say about 60 to 80% higher than the United States. They had a salad bar which is great—more than just salad but cooked meats and vegetables—was about $13 a pound. So really a good filling meal for a hungry guy was around $20.
Exploring East Nassau: Montagu Beach
Across the street from Harbor Bay Plaza is Montagu Beach. This beach is not as busy as Cable, Junkanoo, or Cabbage beaches, but it is a great place for a lunch break. You can visit Maxi’s Bar and Grill for tropical drinks, salads, sandwiches, lobster rolls, and conch fritters. There are picnic tables overlooking the boat traffic in Montagu Bay, and across the bay is Paradise Island. This is also the site of Nassau’s oldest fort, Fort Montagu, which dates back to 1741. While this is a great beach for sightseeing, it’s not really good for swimming with a rocky Shoreline. You can also take a boat tour from here to Rose Island.
Fort Montagu
Rose Island
Paradise Island: Resorts and Boat Tours
We now cross over to Paradise Island. The bridge crosses over a little strip of land called Potter’s Cay. It’s a $2 toll Northbound, but no toll going back southbound, and they only take cash.
Boat Tours from Paradise Island
On the right is the Margaritaville Grill and a marina with fishing charters and several boat tours:
- Sandy Toes Tours: Has a full day Excursion to a private island which is about $230 for adults or $179 for children (ages 4 through 12).
- Seahorse Sailing Tours: Offers a 3 and 1/2 hour sail and snorkeling cruise that is $99 for adults and $59 for children under 12.
- Powerboat Adventures: Will take you out to Exuma Island. It’s $300 with tax for adults and $189 for children.
I chartered a boat with Captain John, often called “the conch man.” We passed by the Warwick, an all-inclusive Adults Only Resort. Captain John points out several celebrity homes. These homes go for 8 million and up; just the property alone is worth 2 million. You can see the home of the owner of the Sandals Resorts and former NBA star Shaquil O’Neal’s home. On the end of the island is the Ocean Club Estates which is part of the Atlantis Resort.
There are other tour options nearby:
- Oasis Ocean 7 Boat Tours: They also depart from Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. They have a 4-Hour snorkeling tour from $225 for adults and $195 for children. It goes to Rose Island to a private beach and includes Bahama Mamas and rum punch.
- Exuma Escape Tours: Depart at the Bay Street Marina which is in downtown near the cruise port. It is $120 for adults and $92 for children (2 to 12) plus tax.
- Pearl Island: Another cruise ship Excursion with snorkeling, kayaking, a lighthouse, private Cabanas, and Bungalows.
The Atlantis Resort
Nassau’s most famous landmark, the Atlantis Resort, is made up of multiple Towers. It originally was the Paradise Island Hotel and Casino which opened in 1968, but when the Royal Towers opened in 1998, the hotel was renamed Atlantis. The Bridge Suite is what connects the two towers; if you want to stay there, it’s $25,000 a night with a four-night minimum.
Looking out to the East is the Harborside Resort at Atlantis. These are Waterside villas with spacious units with a full kitchen and laundry (you can book on VRBO). Looking out to the West in the distance is the cruise port and closer up is Dolphin Cay.
Activities at Atlantis
- Dolphin Cay: You can do playtime with dolphins or sea lions for $225 to $250.
- Kayaking/Paddle Boarding: Kayak with dolphins for $125 or paddle board for $75.
- Snorkeling: Do a 30-minute snorkel through the sunken ruins of the lost city of Atlantis for $200.
- Stingray Experience: Feed the Rays in a shallow Lagoon for $150.
- Day Passes: If not a guest, you’ll have to purchase a day pass. Prices vary by season but during Prime season it is $195 for adults or $92 for children (4 through 12). This gives you access to Aquaventure Water Park, Atlantis beaches, and The Dig.
Of all the aquariums I have filmed, nothing compares with The Dig. Just massive—it’s the lost city of Atlantis with a wide variety of sea life. Aquaventure has several water rides. The Leap of Faith propels Riders down 60 ft through a tunnel submerged in a lagoon with marine life. There’s the Rapids River with a mile-long Meandering Loop going through caves under palm trees, and there are over 11 sparkling swimming pools.
Adjacent to the Atlantis Resort Towers is Marina Village, a quaint outdoor mall with shopping and a combo of fine dining as well as grab-and-go eateries. There is a Starbucks, Sip Sip for Bahamian Caribbean food, and the Seafire Steakhouse.
Cabbage Beach
Also next to Atlantis is Cabbage Beach. This is a very active beach with lots of activities going on. It’s a public beach so it’s free to enter, with the exception of the Far West End which is on Atlantis property. For renting beach chairs, they might try to charge you a higher rate, but you can usually negotiate and get beach chairs for about $5 or umbrellas for $10. There’s also kayaks, jet skis, Parasailing, and banana boat rides available.
Downtown Nassau and Cruise Port
From Paradise Island, the ferry boards just under the Northbound Lanes of the Sidney Poitier Bridge. It is $7 one way or $14 round trip (at least on weekends; might be a little cheaper during the week). They only accept cash and it runs about every 30 minutes or so.
There is also the Nassau glass bottom boat ($40 for adults, $30 for children plus 10% tax) and a Sunday Party Cruise called the “Booze Cruise” which goes out to Sandy Toes Island.
We arrive in downtown Nassau going ahead to Señor Frog’s right near the ferry dock and close to the cruise port. At times it is a lively restaurant. They have a nice Waterside deck as well as a tiki bar at the end of the pier. The staff was absolutely great, very friendly, bringing Bailey (the dog) a water bowl.
In the downtown area, you’ll find the Straw Market and lots of arts and crafts as well as live musicians. There’s the Pirate Museum, an interactive pirate experience ($14 for adults, $7 for children), and next door is Smugglers, a pirate-themed eatery. Just a word of caution: you don’t want to go too much further south than this as you get into the “Over the Hill” Neighborhood, so stay close to Bay Street and you’ll be just fine.
While you find downtown Nassau to be older, even parts of it a little run down, the Cruise Port area is very modern and new, having just done a $300 million renovation in 2023 which included a huge 3500-person Amphitheater for regular live music performances. Port Nassau is the third busiest cruise port in the world by passengers.
British Colonial and Margaritaville
Just a half mile from the Cruise Port is the British Colonial. This is a four-star luxury resort where you can also book a Hertz rental car. They have a day pass like Atlantis where non-guests can get private beach and pool area access. It’s $100 for adults and $50 for children, ideal for cruise ship passengers.
Next to the British Colonial is the Margaritaville Resort. It also offers a day pass for the same price ($100 for adults and $50 for children). This Resort certainly has more fun pool areas especially for kids, with the Fins Up Water Park featuring water slides, a lazy river, climbing wall, and surf stream.
Athol Island and Pig Beach Boat Tour
At the Margaritaville is the Point Marina. This is where we took the Bahamas Water Toys and Tours public boat tour. There’s a parking garage here so it’s a good place to park. This is a three-hour tour for $250 per person. They also have jet ski ride options.
This boat tour starts out going around the cruise port and then into the Atlantis Marina. Our first stop is Athol Island. Exuma Island is the more famous island with pigs, but it’s 80 miles southeast of Nassau, so if you do that it tends to take all day. Athol Island is only 20 minutes from Nassau. They give you a cup of food for the pigs so that the pigs will come right up to you. This tour gives you a good 30 minutes to swim and feed the pigs. In addition to the pigs, there are loungers, swings, and a hammock. We also went to a site off of Rose Island for snorkeling.
Junkanoo Beach and The Fish Fry
Next to the Margaritaville Resort is Junkanoo Beach. You could easily spend a whole day just on this beach. It’s one of the more popular beaches of Nassau and it’s the closest public beach to the cruise port. It’s a good place to get quick Bahamian food and tropical drinks with several Beachside little Huts. Through Expedia with CSW Sports for just $70, you can book an all-day rental water sports package which includes kayaking, paddle boards, and pedal boats.
On weekends you find Phil here who offers a horse ride for $25. Also here are CNC scooter rentals; they offer a 3 to 4-hour ATV tour for $200. They go to places like the Queen’s Staircase and Fort Fincastle, which are two places that I only recommend if you are part of a tour like this because if you walk there on your own from downtown you’ll have to go through some of the not so great neighborhoods.
The Fish Fry (Arawak Cay)
Just a half mile from Junkanoo Beach is the Fish Fry area. The fish fry is a long strip of eateries from sit-down restaurants to Beach Shack barbecues. It is here you can really taste the true Local Foods of Nassau.
One of the best is a little Shack at the end of the strip called On the Edge. Wellie showed us the conch salad. As Wellie explains: “This is the sweet peppers I’m chopping right now. You also call this Bell Peppers. Now it’s the tomatoes. This is the Bahamian Viagra also with no side effect. Basically raw and it comes with the onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers. That’s why we call it conch salad folks. The orange and the lime.”
You can also visit Big Yard where Elvis prepares meat the way you want it—fried, steamed, grilled, or jerk. He says: “We also carry baked macaroni and cheese. It’s not on the menu but you have to try the baked macaroni and cheese. It’s a local thing.”
Baha Mar Resort
We now head 4 miles west of downtown Nassau to the second largest and the Bahama’s newest luxury resort, the Baha Mar. It’s actually made up of three hotels: the Grand Hyatt, the Rosewood, and the SLS. Each offers stunning views and an epic selection of pools with unbelievable tropical amenities.
It sits on what most would tell you is the best beach of Nassau: Cable Beach. With 2 and a half miles of Shoreline, there’s plenty of space for sunbathing overlooking the colorful Waters of Goodman Bay. The sand is incredibly soft and refined. For those staying at Baha Mar, the water fund rentals are complimentary (paddle boards, kayaks, water hammocks).
There’s a super long expansive wooden Pier that allows you to walk deep out into the colorful Bay overlooking the Breakwater Jetty and the Cable Beach Eco Reef that is great for snorkeling. There’s also The Sanctuary where we can feed and interact with nurse sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, and Caribbean fish, as well as Flamingo Cay where you can mingle with the flamingos. I found the rates here for these marine life activities tend to be much lower than at Atlantis.
There is also Baha Bay Water Park. If you are not a guest, a day pass is $146 for adults and $60 for children (3 to 8). It has 24 water slides, two water coasters, a lazy river, and a wave pool. I like the layout here compared with Atlantis; I think it’s much more convenient for guests with less walking to do, more eateries, and food trucks that are scattered about.
On the inside is the Crystal Palace Casino, Cafe Madeline (a counter-serve eatery with a nice outdoor Terrace), and the Jazz Bar. Across the street from the hotel is the Royal Blue Golf Course, ranked number one on golf week’s best of 2022 list. It’s a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.
Goodman’s Bay and Saunders Beach
Next to Cable Beach is Goodman’s Bay Beach. This is a public beach with a parking lot both at the East and West Ends. It’s a wide stretch of beach with lots of shade from the trees. There’s clean restrooms, although no food, but you can easily walk a quarter of a mile to the food trucks of Baha Mar.
For water sport activities, there is Bahama Jet Boat and Snorkeling Adventures. They have a glass bottom boat that takes you to Balmoral Island. They also have Parasailing for $100 a person (8 to 10 minutes in the sky), and Jet Ski rentals for $120 a half hour. The best part? Dog snorkeling is complimentary, though as a big dog you got to pay for a seat.
Finally, there’s Saunders Beach located 2 and a half miles east of Baha Mar and a mile west of the Fish Fry area. This is a more quiet beach with no food on the beach, but there’s a KFC across the street nearby.
Conclusion and Travel Tips
In conclusion, yes food in the Bahamas is expensive and yes there is that travel advisory, but I wouldn’t let that worry you or stop you. As with anywhere, you always want to practice situational awareness. Don’t wander off alone in an unknown neighborhood at night. If you are a female, be cautious of where you get your drinks from; make sure it’s a public place with other people around.
Also, be aware of the sharks in the sea and the sharks on the land. Anything you do with cash, whether it’s buying a drink on the beach or going on a boat tour, make clear what the price is upfront and repeat that price to them so that they know clearly you will not pay anything above that rate. Really, most of the Bahamian people are very friendly and very welcoming, and the beaches are just unbeatable.
Bringing a Dog to the Bahamas
I always recommend K9 Sport Sack dog backpacks to keep your dog from excessive walking. It allows you to take your dog to places you maybe otherwise could not go. If bringing a dog to the Bahamas, in addition to your normal pet travel documentation, you need a Bahamas import permit.
You can try to file with the Bahamas Department of Agriculture yourself, but that might take a while for them to approve it as they work on “Island time.” I’d recommend going through BahamasPetPermit.com and fill out their online form. They will usually get you approved within a few days. You pay a little extra but it’s worth it. Note: If coming from the US, Bahamas only requires a regular health certificate; you don’t need an international endorsement otherwise known as a pet passport.