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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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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/
- 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.