With beautiful fine-sand beaches, crystalline, turquoise waters, and an unbeatable laid-back atmosphere, every single one of the 16 major Bahamas islands enchants with its natural allure and the tons of adventures waiting to be lived, be it unwinding with a delicious Bahama Mama rum cocktail in hand, hitting the waves, or indulging in your passion for water sports. And, although suggesting a handful of things to do at the Bahamas is more than a simple challenge (those that can fit into a couple of pages so that the content does not feel overwhelming for the reader), below are ventures definitely worth considering.
Spend the Day Diving
If you love exploring the aquatic cosmos of the place you visit, then The Bahamas will pleasantly surprise you and spoil you with two exceptional dive sites. One of them is Thunderball Grotto, an elaborate underwater cave system west of Staniel Cay that might seem familiar to you. You will be right, though. It has been featured in a James Bond movie. Besides an exceptional dive location, the craggy aquamarine pool at Thunderball Grotto also makes a dreamy destination for snorkelling and swimming.
The second recommended dive spot is at the Lucayan National Park, east of Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama. As soon as you reach the 40-acre ecological treasure, you are free to traverse through one of the largest submarine cave systems on earth. With two of the many caves open to the public, you will also be able to see something unique – the vegetation zones in The Bahamas in their entirety (all six of them). While here, you could also consider a horseback riding adventure or a leisure stroll along the parks’ paved paths and be amazed by the incredible landscape featuring rocky terrain, mangrove swamps, and hardwood forests.
Have Fun Snorkelling
Sandy Toes is a fantastic place on Rose Island, a secluded tropical island just a 30-minute boat ride from Nassau, and a quintessential beach bar at The Bahamas. In other words, it is the perfect place to spend the day doing whatever beach-related activity you fancy the most, from sun lounging and savouring a frozen daiquiri from the beach bar to swimming, snorkelling, kicking back in a rope hammock, and even getting glimpses of the nine cute pigs living there!
Now, if you find snorkelling fascinating, another superb area to see the most colourful range of marine life that lives in the cobalt waters of the Caribbean is the Big Yard or the barrier reef of Andros, the third-largest barrier reef in the world. The 190-mile attraction is largely unpopulated, which means that the natural terrain is left undisturbed to thrive and remain as wild as it needs to be. Expect to be greeted with various schools of fish, such as blue tangs, scorpionfish, and parrotfish, alongside aquatic blue holes and shipwrecks lying peacefully in their last resting place.
Get a Revitalising Beach Massage
If you happen to be at Paradise Island, then we suggest you do not leave without first visiting Cabbage Beach. This is a 2-mile stretch of fine sand on the eastern side of the island framed by palm trees that seem like swinging in the joyful rhythms of the wind that gently blows in the area. Speaking of the wind, Cabbage Beach is an exceptional place for windsurfers, kitesurfers, and fans of similar water sports.
But, that’s not the reason we encourage you to head toward this part of the island. You will probably be wondering why the beach is dotted by beachside huts just at the point where the waves of the ocean crash to the shore. Your question will soon be solved the moment you step inside one, where you’ll see a professional masseuse waiting to administer a relaxing massage to loosen up those muscles and revitalise the body and mind.
Bonus activity at Paradise Island: Aquaventure is a local attraction with 141 acres full of high-speed waterslides and a total of eleven swimming pools, among many others. For guests of the Atlantis Paradise Island resort, the entrance is free. Nevertheless, you can get a day pass regardless of where you stay.
Try a Boozy Frozen Drink or Sample Some Great Rum
One of the most popular places where one can get a fair share of boozy blended concoctions is the Daq Shack. The open-air wooden hut is the beating heart of Cable Beach serving sunbathers drinks featuring healthy pours of rum and fresh tropical fruits. To make sure you have found the right one (there are several similar ones claiming the throne), look for the hut whose walls are covered with stapled business cards and photos from visitors! Before you add your own, remember to tip the bartender!
Now, rum lovers will also find their heart’s content at John’s Watling’s Distillery at the Buena Vista Estate – a must-visit hotspot in The Bahamas that uses coconuts in the production process of sugar cane molasses-based liquor. You can visit the distillery any day of the week and taste the produced rum. You will even be gifted a half-a-gallon cocktail, exclusive to the Estate.
Please Your Palate With Local Tastes
The extra-luxurious Graycliff Hotel once served as the playground for the elite of this world and a popular pirate hangout. Now, some 300 years later, it is particularly beloved for its impressive wine cellars, cigars, and top-tier restaurants spoiling guests with high-end takes on local gastronomy. As expected, it gets fully booked far too quickly, which is why it is strongly advised to call ahead (at least a couple of weeks prior to your visit) for a reservation.
As for the unofficial dish of The Bahamas, conch, it is found across almost all eateries in Nassau and other islands of The Bahamas. However, Fish Fry seems to be one of the most popular spots for conch, which is open all week, with Fridays and Saturdays infused with party vibes featuring lots of music, rum-spiked drinks, and other Bahamian staples.
Other Must-Try Adventures in The Bahamas
- Watch a cricket match at the upper-level balcony of the Cricket Club with an ice-cold beer in hand.
- Try your luck at a local casino, such as Baha Mar Casino in Nassau, the largest Caribbean casino, which pampers guests with exquisite views of the ocean and hundreds of live table games and slot machines.
- Chill out at the rosy-pink shores of the Pink Sands Beach located on Harbour Island. It owes its wonderful colour to the microscopic coral insects with the red and pink shells that got crushed by the sea waves and mixed with the fine sand.
With beautiful fine-sand beaches, crystalline, turquoise waters, and an unbeatable laid-back atmosphere, every single one of the 16 major Bahamas islands enchants with its natural allure and the tons of adventures waiting to be lived, be it unwinding with a delicious Bahama Mama rum cocktail in hand, hitting the waves, or indulging in your passion for water sports. And, although suggesting a handful of things to do at the Bahamas is more than a simple challenge (those that can fit into a couple of pages so that the content does not feel overwhelming for the reader), below are ventures definitely worth considering.
Spend the Day Diving
If you love exploring the aquatic cosmos of the place you visit, then The Bahamas will pleasantly surprise you and spoil you with two exceptional dive sites. One of them is Thunderball Grotto, an elaborate underwater cave system west of Staniel Cay that might seem familiar to you. You will be right, though. It has been featured in a James Bond movie. Besides an exceptional dive location, the craggy aquamarine pool at Thunderball Grotto also makes a dreamy destination for snorkelling and swimming.
The second recommended dive spot is at the Lucayan National Park, east of Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama. As soon as you reach the 40-acre ecological treasure, you are free to traverse through one of the largest submarine cave systems on earth. With two of the many caves open to the public, you will also be able to see something unique – the vegetation zones in The Bahamas in their entirety (all six of them). While here, you could also consider a horseback riding adventure or a leisure stroll along the parks’ paved paths and be amazed by the incredible landscape featuring rocky terrain, mangrove swamps, and hardwood forests.
Have Fun Snorkelling
Sandy Toes is a fantastic place on Rose Island, a secluded tropical island just a 30-minute boat ride from Nassau, and a quintessential beach bar at The Bahamas. In other words, it is the perfect place to spend the day doing whatever beach-related activity you fancy the most, from sun lounging and savouring a frozen daiquiri from the beach bar to swimming, snorkelling, kicking back in a rope hammock, and even getting glimpses of the nine cute pigs living there!
Now, if you find snorkelling fascinating, another superb area to see the most colourful range of marine life that lives in the cobalt waters of the Caribbean is the Big Yard or the barrier reef of Andros, the third-largest barrier reef in the world. The 190-mile attraction is largely unpopulated, which means that the natural terrain is left undisturbed to thrive and remain as wild as it needs to be. Expect to be greeted with various schools of fish, such as blue tangs, scorpionfish, and parrotfish, alongside aquatic blue holes and shipwrecks lying peacefully in their last resting place.
Get a Revitalising Beach Massage
If you happen to be at Paradise Island, then we suggest you do not leave without first visiting Cabbage Beach. This is a 2-mile stretch of fine sand on the eastern side of the island framed by palm trees that seem like swinging in the joyful rhythms of the wind that gently blows in the area. Speaking of the wind, Cabbage Beach is an exceptional place for windsurfers, kitesurfers, and fans of similar water sports.
But, that’s not the reason we encourage you to head toward this part of the island. You will probably be wondering why the beach is dotted by beachside huts just at the point where the waves of the ocean crash to the shore. Your question will soon be solved the moment you step inside one, where you’ll see a professional masseuse waiting to administer a relaxing massage to loosen up those muscles and revitalise the body and mind.
Bonus activity at Paradise Island: Aquaventure is a local attraction with 141 acres full of high-speed waterslides and a total of eleven swimming pools, among many others. For guests of the Atlantis Paradise Island resort, the entrance is free. Nevertheless, you can get a day pass regardless of where you stay.
Try a Boozy Frozen Drink or Sample Some Great Rum
One of the most popular places where one can get a fair share of boozy blended concoctions is the Daq Shack. The open-air wooden hut is the beating heart of Cable Beach serving sunbathers drinks featuring healthy pours of rum and fresh tropical fruits. To make sure you have found the right one (there are several similar ones claiming the throne), look for the hut whose walls are covered with stapled business cards and photos from visitors! Before you add your own, remember to tip the bartender!
Now, rum lovers will also find their heart’s content at John’s Watling’s Distillery at the Buena Vista Estate – a must-visit hotspot in The Bahamas that uses coconuts in the production process of sugar cane molasses-based liquor. You can visit the distillery any day of the week and taste the produced rum. You will even be gifted a half-a-gallon cocktail, exclusive to the Estate.
Please Your Palate With Local Tastes
The extra-luxurious Graycliff Hotel once served as the playground for the elite of this world and a popular pirate hangout. Now, some 300 years later, it is particularly beloved for its impressive wine cellars, cigars, and top-tier restaurants spoiling guests with high-end takes on local gastronomy. As expected, it gets fully booked far too quickly, which is why it is strongly advised to call ahead (at least a couple of weeks prior to your visit) for a reservation.
As for the unofficial dish of The Bahamas, conch, it is found across almost all eateries in Nassau and other islands of The Bahamas. However, Fish Fry seems to be one of the most popular spots for conch, which is open all week, with Fridays and Saturdays infused with party vibes featuring lots of music, rum-spiked drinks, and other Bahamian staples.
Other Must-Try Adventures in The Bahamas
- Watch a cricket match at the upper-level balcony of the Cricket Club with an ice-cold beer in hand.
- Try your luck at a local casino, such as Baha Mar Casino in Nassau, the largest Caribbean casino, which pampers guests with exquisite views of the ocean and hundreds of live table games and slot machines.
- Chill out at the rosy-pink shores of the Pink Sands Beach located on Harbour Island. It owes its wonderful colour to the microscopic coral insects with the red and pink shells that got crushed by the sea waves and mixed with the fine sand.