Weekend on Paradise Island

Weekend on Paradise Island

Day 1: Beach It

With lots of direct flights from major U.S. airports, Paradise Island is the perfect long-weekend getaway for those who want their beach with a side of big-city culture. On your first day, get settled into your hotel, then hit the sand. If you'd like a game of pickup volleyball or a parasailing excursion, head to Cabbage Beach, where the music and the crowds are hopping; if you're after more sedate sunbathing, walk a few minutes north to Paradise Beach. For dinner, try Dune at the One & Only Ocean Club or one of the 17 restaurants in the Atlantis complex. Finish the night at Atlantis' casino or at one of the dance clubs on East Bay Street in Nassau, such as the massive Club Waterloo.

Day 2: City Break

Get oriented to downtown Nassau. In Rawson Square, a popular meeting place between the wharf and the bridge, skip the horse-drawn surreys and go on one of the daily walking tours; official guides dressed in traditional batik vests offer a choice of three itineraries that recall the city's colonial past as a British outpost, touring mansions, cathedrals, forts, and prim-and-proper government buildings. In the afternoon, type A personalities who can handle noise and crowds should do some friendly haggling with the hair-braiders and souvenir sellers at the Straw Market; others might be better off ducking into some of the chic boutiques and duty-free shops along Bay and Parliament streets. For dinner, instead of a five-star extravaganza, try one of the local haunts at Arawak Cay, where cooks pull conch from their shells and make fresh conch salad as you watch.

Day 3: Sporting & Relaxing

Depending on whether you prefer land- or water-based adventures, book an early tee time at one of Nassau's championship courses, or a morning snorkel or scuba tour. Beginners will enjoy the shallow reefs near Rose Island, though expert divers may prefer a more challenging dive, such as the cliff at Lyford's Cay Dropoff, where your dive partners might include giant grouper, hogfish, and rockfish. After all that strenuous activity, an afternoon at the spa is in order, and you'll still have plenty of time to get back to your room and dress for dinner.

Optional Add-Ons

Everyone except die-hard cityslickers will have seen enough of Nassau and Paradise Island after three days, so head for one of the remote Out Islands if you have another few days to spend in the Bahamas. Our top picks are Eleuthera and Harbour Island. On the morning of Day 4, catch the fast ferry that delivers you to Harbour Island in about two hours, then catch a taxi to the Harbour Island resort where you'll base yourself for the next few nights. On Day 5, stick around pretty, serene Dunmore Town, which could pass for a New England village if it weren't for all the palms and hibiscus. On Day 6, explore the neighboring island of Eleuthera, making sure not to miss the famous Glass Window Bridge, a narrow strip of the island where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean in a swirl of turquoise, indigo, and aqua waves. On Day 7, you'll have time for a leisurely breakfast—perhaps at local favorite Arthur's Bakery & Cafe—before catching a puddlejumper for Nassau and connecting to your flight home.

If your Out Island leg is at the end of your vacation, book the earliest possible flight back to Nassau so you'll have time to make your connection back home; Out Island air service has improved in recent years, but delays are still frustratingly frequent.

Tips

Water taxis are a fun way to travel between Paradise Island and Nassau, but the departure schedules are definitely on island time—rather than sticking to posted schedules, many operators seem to wait until the boat is full. Also, water taxis only run during daylight hours.

For taxi fares and for shopping at places like the Straw Market, bring lots of small bills; drivers and vendors either won't have change for big bills—or will claim not to in hopes of getting a bigger tip or a higher price for that T-shirt. U.S. money is used interchangeably with Bahamian dollars on a 1-to-1 exchange rate, but spend any Bahamian dollars you get as change first; you'll lose money when you convert Bahamian bills back to U.S. dollars on the way home.

Throughout the Bahamas, the shore snorkeling and diving isn't great. To reach the best spots, you'll usually need to join a tour or rent a boat. A rule to remember about shore snorkeling: the better the sandy beach, the less likely you are to find colorful coral and fish just.