scubish.com: Travel information for Paradise Island

Paradise Island is a small island just off of Nassau, Bahamas. It is dominated by the Las Vegas-style Atlantis resort, which is responsible for an amazing 11% of the Bahamas' GNP.

Get in

Paradise Island is connected to New Providence Island (Nassau) by two bridges (one incoming, one outgoing). There's an entrance fee of $1 per vehicle.

There is also a ferry from Paradise Island to the main land. The schedule for the ferry is somewhat regular, but they try to wait until it is filled before departure.

If you're sailing your own yacht, you can dock at Hurricane Hole Marina , which has 90 slips for yachts that can be over 200 ft in length.

Get around

Most people get around the island by taxi, plenty of which can always be found hanging around outside the resort entrances. Since this island is small, many choose to walk.

See

Sights within Paradise Island are concentrated almost exclusively in the Atlantis resort, and are accessible only to resort guests or to those who rent a day room for $220 and up (usable by a maximum of 4 people). Don't attempt to sneak in — they do check that you're allowed to be there, and frequently.

The Dig, Atlantis. A tour around Atlantis' enormous aquaria, with a cheesy backstory about how you're actually exploring the ruins of Atlantis. Well worth a visit for the marine life alone, including giant manta rays and much more.

Predator Lagoon, Atlantis. Underwater tunnel through a vast tank full of sharks.

Gamble at Atlantis. An age limit of 18 is enforced.

Watch a Junkanoo Rush on Friday and Saturday evenings at Marina Village.

Buy

Marina Village, next to Atlantis. A shopping street built according to plans originally made for rebuilding Bay Street, the main shopping street in Nassau. A confection of pretty pastel houses, it's very pretty indeed and well worth a stroll, but the shops within are exceedingly pricey — you can find most of what they sell in Nassau at much lower prices.

Eat

Dune, Ocean Club. Good food, good service, great views and an incredible price tag: a fruit platter costs $22 and a bottle of water $10. But if you want to eat where James Bond did... Open to non-guests, just tell the gate that you're eating there.

Drink

Dune Bar, Ocean Club. If you want to check out the Ocean Club without paying through the nose for a room or dinner, this is your cheapest option. Open through the day and great sea views onto the beach. Drinks from $10, or go for the Royale Martini at $15.

Hurricane Hole, just east of the bridge (in the marina). Officially the Waterfront Bar and Grill, this is an un-touristy outdoor drinking joint frequented by a motley mix of locals and yachties from the marina. Very generously poured rum-based drinks from $3.50.

Sleep

The largest, most tourist-oriented hotel in Nassau. Located on Paradise Island, just across the causeway from downtown Nassau. A tourist attraction in itself, with a giant aquarium, a casino, shopping center, marina, water park, not to mention the beach.

Located on Paradise Island is the only other hotel that gives free access to Atlantis's facilities which includes a water park and largest open water marine life. Comfort Suites also offers a free continental breakfast. This motel is best for those looking for a great time in the Bahamas on a budget.

Running since 1963, this is where Casino Royale was filmed and Hollywood stars hang out when they need a little peace and quiet. Gorgeous private beach and private golf course, and rooms have numerous perks like butler service and complimentary champagne, but the price tag is correspondingly steep.

These privately-owned villas are less than three blocks from the Atlantis Casino, and usually much cheaper. Units vary in size, but each has its own kitchen. Indeed, the biggest difference in staying here is that there is no room service; you'll have to run to the market for food. Viola's Jungle Bar is on site, however, and serves meals and drinks.

Stay safe

Signs around the Ocean Club warn of the danger of getting bonked on the head by an errant golf ball, which is indeed probably the main security risk on this heavily policed patch of prime property. By Bahamian law, all beaches are public property, but you can expect to get hassled if you go as much as one step on to private manicured lawns.

Get out

Nassau, just across the bridge

Exuma, accessible on day trips from the ferry terminal

For the DC Comics fictional island formerly known as Paradise Island, see Themyscira

Paradise Island is a small island located at 25.08, -77.31 in the Bahamas, adjacent to the central island of New Providence (Nassau). It is best known for its sprawling beach resorts, the largest being Atlantis.

Paradise Island is connected to the island of New Providence by two bridges that cross Nassau Harbour. The first was built in 1966 and the second in the late 1990s.

Paradise Island was formerly known as Hog Island. Huntington Hartford, the A&P supermarket heir, arrived on Hog Island in 1959 because his sister Josephine Hartford Bryce lived in Xanadu near Lyford Cay. Josephine was married to Ivar Bryce, Ian Fleming's best friend from Eton and Janet Milford Haven's uncle. Hartford bought Hog Island from Axel Wenner Gren and changed the name to Paradise Island. He hired the Palm Beach architect John Volk and built the Ocean Club, Cafe Martinique, Hurricane Hole, the Golf Course, among other island landmarks. He also acquired and installed the Cloisters, a 14th-century French Augustinian monastery originally purchased and dismantled by William Randolph Hearst in the 1920s. He hired Gary Player to be the Golf Pro and Pancho Gonzales to be the Tennis Pro. His opening of Paradise Island in 1962 was covered in Newsweek and Time magazines. He hired the staff from Eden Roc at Hotel Du Cap to work off season at the Ocean Club. He had the fireworks for the opening party flown in from the South of France. He had a flag and Paradise Beach was featured on a Bahamian three-dollar bill in 1966 (introduced as a close equivalent to the Bahamian Pound, which was replaced at the rate of $1=7/-, so $3=21/-).
When Hartford applied for a gambling license for Paradise Island, the Minister of Tourism, Sir Stafford Sands told Huntington he needed a partner. Hartford ended up choosing Jim Crosby of Mary Carter Paint Company. Huntington sold off most of his Paradise Island properties over the next few years to Crosby. He sold his Paradise Island house to the Irish actor Richard Harris and left the Bahamas. Jim Crosby renamed his company Resorts International Hotel and Casino.

While Hartford owned the Island, the Beatles' film Help! and the James Bond film Thunderball were partially filmed there. His wife, Diane Hartford, had small parts in each. Casino Royale, another James Bond movie released in 2006, was filmed at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island and Diane Hartford had a small speaking part.

Paradise Island's early resort development

Hartford also acquired and installed the Cloisters, a French 14th-century Augustinian monastery, originally purchased and dismantled in the 1920s by William Randolph Hearst.

Hartford sold off most of his Paradise Island properties over the next few years to Crosby. Jim Crosby renamed his company Resorts International Hotel and Casino. Hartford sold his house on Paradise Island to the Irish actor Richard Harris and left the Bahamas.

Paradise Island was purchased in the 1980s by Donald Trump for $79 million, then sold to Merv Griffin for $400 million. It was last sold for $125 million to the current owner, Sol Kerzner. The current estimated value of the island is about $2 billion USD.