I had so much fun on my visit to The Bahamas. While I spent most of my time on Paradise Island and the capital of Nassau, the undisputed highlight of my trip was a day spent in the Exuma Cays. This remote, picture perfect destination …
The Atlantis Resort is amazing. Breathtakingly spectacular and filled with things to do, I highly recommend it when planning to stay in Nassau. Having spent a few nights at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island, I had full access to the resort’s facilities during my Bahamas …
I had so much fun during my stay at Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas. The Aquaventure Water Park was a major part of that. Covering 141 acres, this water playground is the signature attraction on Paradise Island (and the largest water park in the Caribbean, by a considerable margin). With over 11 swimming pools and 8 waterslides, you can easily spend a whole day, if not more, of your Bahamas vacation here. The best part is that if you’re staying at Atlantis (or at the Comfort Suites partner hotel), admission to the water park is completely free. It makes staying on Paradise Island a no-brainer if you can afford to splurge on your stay! There’s a lot of fun to be had at Aquaventure, and in this post I’m going to focus on the thrills that can be had at the resort.
As you can tell, Aquaventure is extremely expensive if you’re not staying at Atlantis. Considering The Bahamas is already a fairly expensive country to visit, the complimentary access to the water park is one of the resort’s biggest perks. While you can wander freely around most of Atlantis, you’ll find staff members standing at all entrances to Aquaventure making sure you’re allowed to enter the park. If you’re staying on site, you’ll just need to show your room key or wrist band to be waved through.
If you’re not staying at Atlantis (or the Comfort Suites, which for the purposes of Aquaventure is a resort property), the ONLY way you can access Aquaventure is by purchasing a day pass. These need to be booked in advance and are available from the resort’s official website. You redeem your booking at the Discover Atlantis desk in the Coral Tower lobby.
If you’re traveling with children, you should be aware that they’ll need to be at least 48 inches tall to ride the slides. Considering how expensive admission to the park is, that’s something to factor in when deciding whether to go to Aquaventure as a day guest.
Outside of the Atlantis Royal Towers, the most famous landmark on Paradise Island may very well be Aquaventure’s Mayan Temple. Standing six stories tall, this impressive recreation (think Chichen Itza with slides attached) is where you’ll find Aquaventure’s most beloved water slides. Most thrilling of the bunch is the Leap of Faith, a 60 foot near free-fall that drops through a literal shark tank. While you won’t see much of the sharks (both due to the speed you’ll be travelling and the water in your eyes), that added detail makes this so much more memorable than your ordinary free fall!
While the Leap of Faith is fun, if you want to actually be able to see the sharks on your slide, you need to ride the Serpent Slide. Sitting in an inner-tube, this one twists and turns you through a track contained within the temple before emptying you out into another clear tunnel. Having braved the thrills, you now cruise along gently underneath the sharks for a minute or so until you emerge on the other end. I really enjoyed this, and it was probably my favourite of the Mayan slides.
In addition to the shark slides, you’ve got the Challenger Slides on the temple’s other side. Here, two sliders can race against one another on twin slides. After splashing down at the bottom, you can check who won and your times, making this very popular for groups.
Finally, the Jungle Slide branches off from the Temple. Its designed for younger riders, as its all open air, winding through the foliage in the area. It doesn’t contain any unexpected drops, making it a good choice for those who aren’t ready for the more intense slides.
Someone say intense? You must be thinking about the water-coasters of the Power Tower. A newer addition to Aquaventure, this 121 foot tall tower is themed to be a structure used by the Atlanteans to derive electricity for their Lost City. In practice, its the launch point for the water park’s most thrilling slides.
First up, you’ve got the two that start midway up the tower – The Falls (left) and The Drop (right). The Falls is the tamest of the Power Tower’s slides, with relatively minor drops. You’re in the open air for the first fall before being blasted up two uphill sections into the final splashdown. The Drop starts in the dark, and begins with a 50 foot plunge before levelling out with more water jets. You ride both slides in a tube, and they shoot you out into the park’s Rapid River.
Further up the tower, you’ve got Atlantis’ most thrilling rides. You also ride a tube on The Surge. After leaving the picturesque views across the property at the top, this one starts with a fairly large initial drop before you’re ‘surged’ back uphill into a tunnel. A few twists later, you’re passing through a waterfall and in the Rapid River.
Then there’s The Abyss. One of the best slides in Atlantis, this is the only Power Tower ride that doesn’t involve a raft tube. Plunging into the initial 50 foot vertical drop, you’ll understand the screams that break out each time someone begins this one. Twirling around in the dark with only glimpses of light is so much fun, but it gets even better at the end. Emerging through a waterfall, you end up in a recreated Cenote, complete with tanks of prehistoric fish.
While I loved Aquaventure’s slides, the highlight for me was actually its Rapid River. I’ve mentioned that a few of the slides from the Power Tower end here, but its a standalone attraction on its own. Make sure you go right to the beginning and ride the river all the way through at least once. It spans over a mile, making it one of the longest in the world. With rapids, waves, and even escalators that take your raft from one section to another, it honestly feels like its never going to end. There were so many times that I thought the ride was winding up only to enter a new section!
If the Rapid River is too much for you (but really, its not intense at all), try the Lazy River. Located on the other side of the park, this quarter mile river takes you on a calm flowing water journey. I actually didn’t get to the Lazy River during my stay, but it sounds like the perfect option when you want to relax!
There’s plenty of time to relax by the pool at Aquaventure. With 11 swimming pools, you’ll quickly find a spot to take a dip. If you’re staying at the Cove (the most exclusive of the Atlantis hotels), you’ll even have access to two private pools for Cove guests only. There’s also a splash area by the Lazy River for younger children, which is away from the busy centre of the water park. All the pools are monitored by lifeguards, but obviously you need to make sure any youngsters are supervised.
Just want to relax on the beach? Aquaventure has you covered there as well. There’s 5 miles of white sandy beaches at Aquaventure. The most readily accessible is Cove Beach, a tranquil stretch of sand by the blue ocean waters. There’s also a number of protected beaches around the seven acre Paradise Lagoon.
Aquaventure is a blast! I had so much fun here during my stay in The Bahamas. While I don’t recommend buying a day pass, that should be more incentive to stay at Atlantis. Have you been to this amazing water park? What was your favourite thing to do on your visit?
Only got time to do one thing in the capital of The Bahamas? Make it the Pirates of Nassau museum. On my recent trip to New Providence, I was really impressed by this immersive experience, right in the heart of Downtown Nassau. The Pirates Museum …
Perched atop Bennet’s Hill, the highest point on New Providence Island, Fort Fincastle is one of the many forts watching over the capital of The Bahamas. Most visitors to Nassau will stop by the Queen’s Staircase. If you continue up that staircase, you’ll reach the …
When looking up things to do in Nassau, one of the suggestions that always comes at the top of the list is the Queen’s Staircase. I know what you’re thinking – what’s so special about a set of stairs? To be honest, that was my reaction as well when I saw this staircase popping up on every post I read about The Bahamas. Turns out, the Queen’s Staircase is the most visited landmark on New Providence island. Its a significant site, owing to its historic importance and being a symbol of those who suffered as slaves during British colonisation. A visit won’t take up much of your time, but its worth stopping by while exploring Nassau. In this post, I’ll tell you more about the history so that you can fully grasp the site’s notability.
The Queen’s Staircase is quite literally a set of stairs – 66 to be exact. Or 65, depending on who is doing the counting. Carved out of limestone, the stairs connect the end of Elisabeth Street to the top of Bennet’s Hill, the highest point on New Providence Island. Originally famous for its 66 steps, a refurbishment saw the bottom step paved over, though some will claim that the ground level still constitutes a step on its own!
So we’ve established that its a set of stairs. Why are we going here again? Well, the Staircase dates back to the 18th Century, and was constructed to provide easy access to Fort Fincastle at the top. This was seen as particularly important in the event of an attack on the newly built Fort. Commissioned by Lord Dunmore, then Governor of The Bahamas, over 600 slaves worked on the Stairs between 1793 and 1794. As mentioned, they carved the Stairs out of the limestone terrain, but what makes this all the more remarkable was the way in which it was carried out – entirely by hand tools. The enslaved labourers weren’t even allowed pickaxes due to fears that arming them could lead to an insurrection against their oppressors. The most they had to work with were chisels and hammers.
The slaves endured extremely dangerous conditions while working on the project. Many lost their lives in the process, and legend has it some bodies were entombed and sealed in a tunnel within the surrounding walls. Despite the horrifying conditions, its truly remarkable that the stairs were completed, and while Fort Fincastle never was attacked, there is no doubting the significance of the project. When Queen Victoria abolished slavery in 1837, the contribution of the enslaved labourers was finally recognised. The Staircase was named after the monarch in recognition of this act.
When you’re visiting the Queen’s Staircase, try to arrive at the bottom. Its a rather beautiful area, surrounded by lush palms, tropical plant life and waterfalls. It actually feels a bit like a secluded rainforest within an alleyway. The number of tourists on a cruise day will definitely impact on the overall serenity, but if you get here early, you’ll be able to fully take it in. Unfortunately when I visited, it was right in the middle of a tropical storm (it was my last day in The Bahamas!). Nassau’s streets have a tendency to flood when it rains, and the lower landing was basically a lake. Naturally, that meant I was heading up the back route to the top of the stairs, and taking my photos from there!
I only spent about 10 minutes at the Staircase. There was a reprieve in the rain when I first arrived, but I was quickly caught in a downpour that had me rushing for cover in nearby Fort Fincastle! At least the stairs served their purpose as quick access to the Fort on that day!
The Queen’s Staircase isn’t particularly onerous to climb. At only 66 (or 65) stairs, assuming you’re able to handle normal steps, you’ll easily get to the top. There’s a few flat landings where you can take a break if you’re really struggling though (or more likely, where you can stop for photos). When you get to the top, its a short walk to Fort Fincastle and the Water Tower on Bennett’s Hill. Along the way you’ll come across local vendors selling their wares.
One thing to have in mind is that you may be approached by someone claiming to be a “volunteer tour guide” when you get to the Staircase. This happened to me, and from what I understand, is more likely to occur if you’re on your own. Without even prompting, they will immediately start telling you about the history of the site, and the rest of Nassau. Its only when they finish their spiel that they’ll ask you to provide a tip. In all honesty, I found the information to be interesting, so I didn’t mind giving a small tip, but just know what you’re getting into if you stick around.
That’s really about all you need to know about the Queen’s Staircase. Its a short stop that should be incorporated into a wider tour of Downtown Nassau on your vacation to The Bahamas. While it is very much a staircase, given the importance, its worth seeing. Its basically become one of those things that you have to do in Nassau. If it was further afield, it wouldn’t be worth checking out on its own, but given its close proximity to Fort Fincastle, you can easily bundle them together and see two historic sites in the one morning!
The Bahamas is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in the Caribbean, especially those coming from the United States. Just a hop, skip and a jump from Florida, its no wonder so many people come to this island nation every year. Pristine beaches, …