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Voykit pocket guide · The Bahamas
Paradise Island
Stay 2–3 nights only if you are sleeping at Atlantis or Riu; otherwise day-trip from Nassau and keep your bed on New Providence.
Paradise Island is a small island joined to Nassau by two bridges, and almost everything on it sits inside the Atlantis resort: the water park, the aquarium, the casino, the marina and the golf course. Cabbage Beach is the one big public draw. If you are not a resort guest, the island is a half-day, not a base.
- Country
- The Bahamas
- Best months
- Dec–May
- Avoid
- Jun–Nov (hurricane season; Sep–Oct wettest)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BSD
- Money
- Currency is the Bahamian dollar (BSD), held at par with the US dollar; US dollars are accepted everywhere and change often comes back mixed.
- Daily spend
- Budget (sleeping in Nassau, eating off-resort) BSD 120–200 excl. bed · Mid (resort-adjacent, one paid activity) BSD 250–450 excl. bed · High (Atlantis or Ocean Club guest) BSD 500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- BTC and Aliv sell prepaid SIMs and eSIMs at Nassau airport and in town.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · US Consulate, Nassau +1 242-322-1181
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 15% often added; check the bill.; Taxis: 15%.; Hotels: Gratuity often added; extra for porters and housekeeping.
- Water
- Nassau tap water is treated but many buy bottled; on the Out Islands drink bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- In hotels, restaurants and marinas; few public toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a bottle of water at a resort outlet | BSD 5–10 |
| Rum drink at Hurricane Hole | BSD 4–8 |
| Cocktail at a resort bar | BSD 12–20 |
| Casual lunch off-resort | BSD 15–30 |
| Fine-dining main at Atlantis or the Ocean Club | BSD 40–70 |
| Taxi across the bridge to downtown Nassau | BSD 15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NAS · Lynden Pindling International, Nassau
- About 30–40 min by taxi over the bridge; shared vans and taxis at the rank outside arrivals.
Typical fares
- NAS airport → Paradise Island, taxi
- about BSD 40, 30–40 min
- Paradise Island → downtown Nassau, taxi
- BSD 15–25
- Ferry, Paradise Island ↔ Nassau waterfront
- leaves when full; fare varies
- Bridge toll, per vehicle
- about BSD 2
Get around
The island is small enough to walk end to end in about 30–40 min. Taxis wait outside the resort entrances; a bridge crossing to downtown Nassau is a short ride. Two bridges link the island to New Providence, one inbound and one outbound, with a small per-vehicle toll. A ferry also runs between the island and the Nassau waterfront, leaving when full.
See and do
Known for
- Atlantis resort and water park
- Cabbage Beach
- Marina Village and the casino
- Versailles Gardens and the French Cloister
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau (downtown, Bay Street, Queen's Staircase) | Taxi or jitney over the bridge, or the ferry to the waterfront | 20–30 min |
| New Providence beaches and forts | Taxi or rental car from the bridge | 30–50 min |
Sleep
- Atlantis complex
- Water park, aquarium and casino on site; the only reason to base here. Rates from about $300 a night in 2026.
- Riu / Cabbage Beach strip
- All-inclusive next door to Atlantis; public beach access runs north from Casino Drive on the east side of the Riu.
- Marina Village and Hurricane Hole
- Marina-side rooms and villas; quieter, a short walk from the bridge.
- Nassau side (downtown or Cable Beach)
- Cheaper beds, more food choice; 10–20 min by taxi or jitney over the bridge.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Good morningBahamian English; no separate greeting needed |
| Thank you | Thank youor "tanks" in casual Creole |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the beach access? | Where is the beach access? |
| No thank you | No thank youuseful for beach vendors |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Good morning / good afternoon first; avoid: Straight to business
- Dress: Cover up in town; avoid: Swimwear on Bay Street
- Pace: Allow island time; avoid: Showing impatience
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; avoid: Assuming consent
Scams and watch-outs
- Resort facilities — water park, The Dig aquarium, pools — are for guests or day-room holders only; bracelets are checked.
- Day rooms at Atlantis start around $220 and up and cover up to 4 people.
- All Bahamian beaches are public by law, but do not cut across private lawns or resort grounds.
- Golf balls stray off the Ocean Club course near the gardens and beach path.
- Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov; buy travel insurance that covers weather and check your airline's change policy.
Heavily policed resort island; the real risks are sun and sea, not crime. Keep to lit paths after dark, do not walk the bridge at night, and lock valuables in a room safe rather than on the beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paradise Island yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Atlantis resort and water park
- Cabbage Beach
- Marina Village and the casino
- Versailles Gardens and the French Cloister
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism — official site: www.bahamas.com/
- Atlantis Paradise Island — official site: www.atlantisbahamas.com/
- Nassau Airport Development Company (Lynden Pindling International): www.nas.bs/
- Wikivoyage: Paradise Island, revision 5314032 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5314032
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Paradise Island
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- US Consulate, Nassau+1 242-322-1181
US Consulate in Nassau (+1 242-322-1181); UK, Canada and most other countries: high commissions or consulates in Nassau.
Tipping: 15% is often added to resort and restaurant bills; add 15–20% if it is not. USD is accepted everywhere at 1:1.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paradise-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.