We visited the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas several years ago during a port stop on a Caribbean cruise. I remembered thinking that the hotel was just OK, but that it had a very cool waterpark. When they built luxury accommodations at The Cove and The Reef, I decided it was worth taking a second look.
Flying into Nassau is easy. There are direct flights from lots of cities in the eastern United States, ours being a short one-hour flight from Miami. It didn’t take very long before we arrived on Paradise Island, and we were taken by surprise by how the resort has grown through the years. It’s huge! It could easily take 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other. Trams are also offered if you don’t feel like stretching your legs.
There are several hotel towers. The Cove and The Reef are where you find the most upscale accommodations. We stayed at The Cove. It has a young fashionable modern buzz to it which you notice as soon as you enter the beautiful open-air lobby. The rooms are spacious and most offer spectacular ocean views. It also has a pool for the exclusive use of its adult guests, complete with its own DJ, daybeds and outdoor gaming tables. We think this is the most upscale choice at Atlantis, but The Reef is nearly at the same level with its slightly more residential feel, mostly due to the small kitchenettes that come standard in their suites.
The first thing on our agenda was lunch, which we enjoyed at Mosaic in the lobby of The Cove. It’s a Mediterranean influenced buffet with numerous live action cooking stations. The quality was excellent, far better than the usual hotel buffet.
After filling our bellies, we changed into our bathing suits and found lounge chairs at BLU Pool, one of the large family pools at the resort. Not a quiet pool at all, with music from the ‘80s and ‘90s and a mixture of current hits being piped in through the many poolside speakers. After applying sunscreen and a few minutes of anticipation, we took a walking tour around the 141-acre water complex.
Guests can stroll through the tunnels of The Dig and Marine Habitat for close-up views of more than 50,000 marine animals from over 200 species. There was Atlantis staff on hand to answer any questions about the exhibits. It was fascinating for all of us, and we found ourselves going through the habitat more than once.
At Dolphin Cay, guests can choose from several different types of intimate dolphin interactions. The 14-acre facility is massive, and the rescued bottlenose dolphins appear to be extremely well cared for. Part of the goal of Dolphin Cay is to educate guests about these wonderful mammals. We love animals, and Atlantis provides all its guests the opportunity to wade into waist-deep waters to hug and play with very cute sea lions. We couldn’t resist! We recommend taking a behind-the-scenes tour where you can feed and care for the dolphins and sea lions in the largest marine animal medical center in the Caribbean.
There are a tremendous amount of things to see, but the biggest attraction at Atlantis is the Aquaventure water park with its surrounding pools and tropical seascapes. The Grotto Pool has cascading waterfalls. The Baths Pool next to Cove Beach has large columns with hieroglyphs and a huge free-form pool with cabanas available to rent. The Mayan Temple Pool is at the foot of the giant Mayan Temple and offers a zero-entry point to the water paradise. Families can also choose the Royal Baths Pool, the River Pool, Cascades Pool or the Lap Pool. Kids even have their own pools with mini water slides and children’s playgrounds. We were impressed with how clean and well maintained the entire complex was, far different than the water parks we have observed elsewhere.
The water slides are among the best we’ve seen. In fact, Atlantis previously earned a “Top Water Park in the World” designation from Elite Family Travel. There are more than 18 water slides for kids of all ages. Notable ones include the 120-foot tall Power Tower, the 200-foot body-slide called The Abyss, The Drop, Leap of Faith, The Surge and The Falls. The Falls was accessible from the river by a conveyor belt that lifts riders in their inner-tubes high into a tower before propelling them through a water roller coaster of twisting tubes. I really liked that one, but there were several slides that were too intimidating for me. My teens (and my wife) were game to try them all.
The best water attraction of them all was The Current. While Atlantis also offers a traditional lazy river ride, The Current is anything but lazy! Guests enter on their inner-tubes and are propelled along a mile-long river via water escalators, rolling waves that can flip you over, and extreme rapids powered by master blaster technology. The full circle takes at least twenty minutes. We did the river run at least three times each day!
Beyond the daytime water activities that also include white sand beaches, Atlantis offers the par 72 championship Ocean Club Golf Course designed by Tom Weiskopf with magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean. There’s also a full casino open day and night, nightclubs for teens and adults, and Marina Village with a good variety of stores, restaurants and familiar cafes.
There are more dining possibilities at the resort than you will probably ever have time to sample. You won’t want to miss Nobu or Mesa Grill, famous fine dining establishments. There are at least fifteen others to choose from including delis, steakhouses, BBQ, and Carmine’s Italian restaurant. There are three different dining plans that are offered which you should check out online. Be aware that these plans are only available for purchase prior to your arrival.
Although you may never want to leave the self-contained resort, we did venture into downtown Nassau one late afternoon and discovered Graycliff Chocolatier. This chocolate factory has delicious creations, but the best part is that they offer experiential tours for adults and children. It’s a fun and out-of-the-ordinary family adventure.
After your tour, go upstairs and enjoy Graycliff Restaurant with its 5-star dining and Bahamian influenced continental cuisine and award-winning wine cellar. Often the owner will come around and talk to guests about his colorful history in the Bahamas.
We stayed five nights at The Cove which was about right, but staying longer would have been nice. Less than four nights would have been a tease because of all there is to do. Now that Atlantis offers a true luxury experience at The Cove and The Reef, this destination should definitely be on your family’s vacation menu.
For information about Atlantis Paradise Island, The Cove and The Reef, visit atlantisbahamas.com.
