Atlantis Paradise Island

Atlantis Paradise Island is not a single hotel but an entire self-contained resort city spread across the length of Paradise Island, its distinctive towers and low-rise buildings visible from the Nassau waterfront as the most recognisable resort silhouette in the Bahamas.

The centrepiece Aquaventure water park covers 63 acres and includes the Power Station, a 37-metre waterslide that sends riders through a透明 tube inside a five-storey building before dropping them through a shark-filled lagoon, one of the most photographed water park moments in the world.

Beyond the water rides, the resort is built around a series of spectacular marine habitats housing over 50,000 aquatic animals across 100 exhibits, including the famous The Dig with its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking enormous tanks filled with nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, tarpon and hundreds of tropical fish species.

The property traces its history to a modest 1950s property bought by media mogul Merv Griffin in 1971; Griffin expanded it dramatically and sold it to a consortium led by Brookfield Asset Management in 2014, with the resort now managed under the Hilton banner as part of the Curio Collection.

The scale is genuinely overwhelming for first-time visitors; moving between the various room towers, the Atlantis marine exhibits, the water park and the casino requires a significant time investment, and the property's size means it effectively functions as the primary reason many tourists never leave Paradise Island during their stay.

Nightlife at Atlantis is equally active, with the Aura nightclub, multiple live music venues and a casino floor that is the largest in the Caribbean, drawing Nassau's party crowd across the bridge from the capital every weekend.

While the rooms in the older Coral Towers are dated, the newly renovated rooms in The Coral and The Reef are contemporary and well-appointed, and the resort's beach is a long stretch of pale sand on the Atlantic side that is generally considered one of the best on the island.

The resort's marine habitats are its most compelling feature independent of the water slides; The Dig, named for the archaeological metaphor of uncovering a lost civilization, recreates the lost city of Atlantis through enormous tanks that house thousands of fish and invertebrates, with knowledgeable aquarists conducting feeding presentations throughout the day.

The beach at Atlantis is a long stretch of pale Atlantic sand on the eastern shore of Paradise Island, and while it is not the most secluded beach in the Bahamas, the combination of resort service, clear water and the backdrop of the distinctive Atlantis architecture makes it a compelling option that does not require leaving the property.

The marine habitats are considered among the best aquarium experiences in the Americas, with enormous tanks and real shark encounters.

Aquaventure is one of the largest and most dramatic water parks in the world and works for all ages.

The iconic skyline visible from Nassau harbour makes it the defining resort image of the entire Bahamas.