For almost 10 years, summer trips to the Bahamas have been a tradition in my family. Every Memorial Day, we head to Nassau and stay at the Harborside Resort at Atlantis. With the extra villa space, we’re extremely lucky to be able to bring family, friends, friends of family and family of friends. That might have sounded a tad extra, but we’ve done all of the four at some point.
Not only are Nassau and Paradise Island beautiful with the turquoise water and white sandy beaches, but it’s where I met my boyfriend, Kevin, eight summers ago.
Over the years, we’ve built traditions, which we’re always excited to share with people who have never been on the trip, as well as explore new places to change things up. Below is a full guide of what to eat, drink and do, whether you’re inside Atlantis or exploring outside the resort.
outside the resort
get on the water
Every year, we arrive on Saturdays, settle in and get ready for a day on the water with the Flying Cloud on Sunday, which is a full-day cruise including beverages and lunch. The staff is incredible—so entertaining (and helpful) as the boat travels to a coral reef for snorkeling and Rose Island beach for activities like beach volleyball and drinking as much rum punch as you can while wading in the water chatting with your group. On the way back, they serve an authentic Bahamian BBQ lunch.
Most days, the Flying Cloud schedules two half-day trips, but Sundays are a full-day trip. They fill up well in advance, so make a reservation.
In past years, we’ve also been lucky enough to join Kevin’s friends’ full-day yacht charter, but either way, just getting out on the water is a must. The beautiful waters become even brighter and clearer the further you head away from the main island.
visit john watling’s distillery
While the history behind the distillery tracks back to the late 1600s, the Buena Vista Estate (also the name of one of his delicious rums) opened five years ago as the home to John Watling’s Distillery. Only a quick walk from downtown Nassau, the beautiful estate is a nice change of pace from your resort and they have the best piña coladas I’ve ever tasted.
They offer tours, free samples and a full bar to try out a rum flight or a variety of cocktails. You can also purchase a bottle of rum, as well as their new (to me) vodka, on the grounds and bring it back in your checked bag.
eat like a local
Every year (at least once or twice) we gather the group and walk over the bridge to visit the seafood shacks at Potters Cay Dock. While we’ve always frequented Rev’s Seafood, this particular year it seemed to have been closed, so we crossed the road to check out McKenzie’s Fresh Fish and Conch.
If you’re looking for fresh fish and an authentic Bahamian lunch, you’ll want to venture over here for a meal. McKenzie’s outdoor seating was perfect for our large group, and we always order a bunch of conch salads, which include fresh conch, tomatoes, onion and citrus juices. They even prepare the conch right in front of you, which is a unique experience. I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes and onions so I always opt for fresh lobster, which sometimes they offer fried (it’s incredible and so cheap). This year, dogfish was the special, so we ordered a few of those as well.
see the exuma pigs
This is a trip we’ve always wanted to do and we started to plan it this year, but couldn’t make the $400 price tag work as we’re looking to buy our first condo this summer. At the last minute, I decided to go for it and book it as a surprise, but of course it was sold out at that point.
find your zen at a yoga retreat
Sivananda, an Ashram yoga retreat and resort, is located on Paradise Island near the Atlantis Resort. On that portion of the island, cars are not allowed, so you can only reach the resort by boat. They offer day passes, where you can participate in two yoga classes, two meditations, two meals and two workshops for $45 or you can attend a single class for $10. This is another activity I’ve been dying to try, but the boat only takes passengers from Downtown Nassau. We’ve already made plans to make this work for next year, and I can’t wait.
in atlantis
Within Atlantis, we love grabbing drinks at Plato’s (where we initially met eight years ago) which they’ve recently renovated into a sports bar, perfect for Memorial Weekend as the NBA and NHL Playoffs are always on each year.
While we eat the majority of our meals within our villa (my dad packs smoked pulled pork, ribs, brisket and steak from home so we can live large on a budget) we try to fit in one dinner as a couple, usually at Nobu. We also love grabbing pizza in the Marina.
One day during the week, we’ll pack sandwiches, snacks and a cooler of beer and head to Cove Beach for snorkeling, reading and a little bit of napping. While this beach is on the Atlantis property, it’s much calmer and laid back compared to Cabbage Beach.
If you have the means, I highly recommend staying at the Cove as the Cove Pool, which is adults-only and private to Cove guests, is one of the best spots at the resort, with pool beds, multiple bars and poolside massages.
A few other must-dos if you’re staying at the resort:
- Check out all the pools and the lazy river
- Ride all the slides
- Walk around the marina at night and check out the yachts
- Walk through the aquarium and watch the stingrays from above ground
- Gamble at the casino
- Swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cay
- Watch the sunset on Cove Beach
The sunset also makes for a great backdrop for photos. We’ve seen multiple groups taking family photos, engagement photos, etc. throughout the years.