Paradise Island

Paradise Island is connected to Nassau by two bridges and takes about 25 to 30 minutes to reach from the airport by taxi. It is small, roughly 685 acres, and almost entirely covered by resort infrastructure. For practical purposes, going to Paradise Island means going to Atlantis, the Four Seasons Ocean Club, or the newly opened Royal Beach Club on the western end. There is no local Bahamian community life here, no downtown, no market. It is a resort enclave that happens to be an island.

For Nassau itself, the city, the history, the food scene, Bay Street, the harbor, see Paradise Island Getting There for transit details and Paradise Island Accommodation for the full range of places to stay.

Atlantis

Atlantis is large in the way that makes adjectives inadequate. More than 3,000 rooms across multiple towers, a water park called Aquaventure covering 141 acres with slides and a mile-long river ride, a casino that is one of the largest in the Caribbean, marine habitats built into the resort's architecture under the name The Dig, and over 40 food and beverage outlets. The mythology theme, a lost Atlantis civilization, runs through the architecture throughout. Five hotels operate under the Atlantis umbrella on the one property.

The towers operate at different price points and with different characters:

The Cove is the adults-focused premium tower positioned on the western edge between two private white-sand beaches with an open-air entrance, reception area, and ultra-pool overlooking the ocean. It has hosted guests including Prince William and Kate Middleton. Rates here are the highest in the resort. The Cove's Sip Sip restaurant, a spinoff of the beloved Harbour Island original, serves Sky Juice and lobster quesadilla in an oceanfront setting.

The Royal is the iconic central structure, two towers connected by an arch bridge, with the main casino underneath and easy access to everything. The Imperial Club experience operates in The Royal's East Tower.

The Coral is the most affordable point of entry into the Atlantis experience, centrally located near Marina Village, the movie theater, and convention space.

The Reef is positioned on quieter beachfront next to The Cove and includes kitchenettes or full kitchens in the rooms.

Harborside Resort offers villa-style accommodations with full kitchens across the marina from the main towers, practical for families or longer stays. One to three-bedroom configurations are available.

Aquaventure access is included with most room rates and is the main draw for families. The park's headline attraction is Leap of Faith, a near-vertical slide that passes through a shark-filled lagoon. Day passes for non-guests are available but limited and expensive.

The Dig marine exhibits are open to resort guests and include large tanks and walkthrough tunnels among rays, eels, reef fish, and sharks. It is more interesting than a typical hotel aquarium by a significant margin.

Atlantis offers customizable Group Meal Plans for conference and event guests.

Promotional campaigns: As of 2026, Atlantis ran an Endless Summer Sale offering 33% off room rates. Minimum stays and breakfast perks varied by arrival day and property.

Baby Sea Turtle Release Experience: Through late September each year, Atlantis offers a sunset program where guests visit the Royal Fish Hospital for an educational session on green sea turtles, then release hatchlings along the resort's "Sea Turtle Highway." The experience runs 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., costs $150 per person, requires a minimum age of 6, and needs reservations through Atlantis Adventures desks on property.

Battle 4 Atlantis: The resort hosts a major collegiate basketball tournament in November. The women's tournament runs November 24–26 and the men's tournament November 25–27, held at Imperial Arena. A 20% discount on Best Available Rate is available for two-night stays during the tournament.

New Year's Eve: Andrea Bocelli performs on The Royal Deck on December 31, and Alex Warren performs at Casuarina Beach on January 2, with midnight fireworks concluding New Year's Eve.

For dining and experience details within Atlantis, see Paradise Island Food & Drink and Paradise Island Experiences.

Four Seasons Ocean Club

The quieter, eastern end of Paradise Island holds the Four Seasons Ocean Club, formerly the One&Only Ocean Club, a fundamentally different experience from Atlantis. The property covers a 36-acre estate and holds 107 rooms, suites, bungalows, and villa residences. It is smaller, quieter, and built around terraced Versailles Gardens that descend in stages toward the ocean, incorporating a twelfth-century Augustinian cloister that the resort's original owner had shipped stone by stone from France. The James Bond film Casino Royale (2006) used the property for its key scenes.

On-property amenities include three pools: the Ocean Pool, Family Lagoon Pool, and adults-only Versailles Pool. Two illuminated padel courts and three resurfaced Har-Tru tennis courts are positioned near Versailles Gardens. A Kids For All Seasons program serves ages 4 through 12.

Dune, the Ocean Club's restaurant affiliated with chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is among the better dining options on the island. The resort also operates Ocean Blu and a Martini Bar. See Paradise Island Food & Drink for more.

The beach in front of the Ocean Club is excellent and significantly less crowded than the Atlantis beach. The rates are at the top of the Bahamian market.

A golf course sits at the eastern end of Paradise Island near the Ocean Club.

To make reservations, call 1-877-312-1211.

Royal Beach Club

The western end of Paradise Island now holds Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, a 17-acre private beach club exclusive to Royal Caribbean International cruise passengers. It opened at the end of 2025 and sits minutes by water ferry from the Nassau cruise terminal, with the crossing taking about five minutes.

The club is divided into three zones: Family Beach, Chill Beach, and Party Cove. On the property: two beaches, three restaurants, and ten waterfront bars, including The Floating Flamingo, a swim-up bar with over 100 in-water seats. All pools are heated. Wi-Fi is included with admission.

Kids three and under are free. Private cabanas are available at the top end, with the Ultimate Family Cabana priced upward of $10,000. Cancellation is fully refunded with at least 48 hours notice before arrival. Programming leans Bahamian, with island-style barbecues, local artisans, live performances, and Bahamian cuisine. The club was built as a public-private partnership with the Bahamian government, with Bahamians eligible to own up to 49% equity.

This facility is cruise-passenger-only and does not factor into planning a land-based stay on Paradise Island.

Beaches and Non-Guest Access

Cabbage Beach runs along the northern, Atlantic-facing coast on the eastern stretch of Paradise Island, adjacent to the Ocean Club. It stretches about two miles with wide, soft sand and is open to the public with no facilities on site. Water sports including jet ski rentals and parasailing are available. It gets crowded near the resort towers; the stretches further from Atlantis are noticeably quieter.

The Ocean Club's stretch of Cabbage Beach is accessible and less resort-saturated. Access near the Atlantis towers is restricted to guests.

Jet ski solicitation and independent operators on Cabbage Beach and small islands just east of Paradise Island carry documented safety risks. U.S. government employees are prohibited from renting jet skis from independent operators on Paradise Island due to these concerns, and independent jet ski rentals remain unregistered and unregulated.

Non-guests can access parts of Atlantis, including the marina area, some restaurants, and the casino. Aquaventure and the main pool and beach areas require a room or day pass.

Walking distances matter if you arrive via the bridge or ferry: Atlantis's shops are about two miles from the Nassau cruise port side of Paradise Island, and Cabbage Beach adds another half mile beyond that.

For budget-conscious strategies around beach and attraction access, see Paradise Island Budget