You could spend your entire vacation zipping from the Bahamas’ tropical beaches to shopping districts on ragged roads before heading to waterfront restaurants that feature evening dolphin sightings, and leave more tired than when you arrived. Or, you could stay at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island and find everything you need in one spot included in the price of your hotel room. In addition to the restaurants, night clubs and shopping found on the property, there are a few stand-out attractions on the island.
At Dolphin Cay, you can swim with dolphins, or be a trainer for the day. The 14-acre marine habitat is home to sea lions and more than 30 dolphins, some of which were replaced from Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, or born to them since joining the facility. Wade into waist-deep waters to interact with the friendly bottlenose dolphins, or swim and snorkel alongside the gentle creatures in deeper waters. You’ll be equipped with hand-held water scooters or swim fins.
Set alongside the resort’s lagoons, the massive casino is the largest in the Caribbean with 750 slot machines, three bars, two restaurants and 80 table games of all varieties. Try your luck at a blackjack, baccarat, poker, craps or roulette table, or at one of the many tournaments held at the casino. Head over to The Cove, a more adults-only section of the resort, to place a bet on a sporting event, or indulge in some poolside gaming. Designed to appear underwater, Gamer’s Reef is where kids can try their hand at arcade games themed around Star Wars, karate or driving.
Where else can you snorkel through the ruins of a fictional lost city? In the Ruins Lagoon, you can swim alongside exotic tropical fish. The resort organizes two and a half-hour snorkel excursions that will allow you to explore coral reefs and learn about the local marine wildlife from a trained expert. Those with SCUBA certification can take a half-day trip to explore close-by wrecks and reefs. For a lower-key day, stay closer to the resort at one of its 11 pools or more than 20 swimming areas. Each spot is different, such as the Paradise Lagoon, a five-story Mayan temple replica with water slides. Head to the relatively-secluded stretch of beach in Dolphin Cay, and you’ll be sharing the beach with fewer tourists and guests. You may even be greeted by a dolphin if you venture into the water.
Explore the ancient streets of the lost city of Atlantis, which is divided up into separate exhibits, each presenting a different species of exotic marine wildlife. In all, there are 100 venomous lionfish, 500 piranhas and nine species of groupers, including the goliath grouper which can weigh more than 800 pounds at maturity. There’s even a touch tank where guests can interact with horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and starfish. The moray eel exhibit features green eels that get their color because a yellow mucous layer covers the dark blue skin of the fish.
More than 20 million gallons of water flow through the resort’s 63 acres of water attractions that are collectively known as Aquaventure. The “labyrinth of meandering streams and waterfalls,” as Frommer’s calls it, is free for hotel guests as most resort attractions are. Float down the mile-long river ride that is punctuated with wave surges, tunnels and rapids, or race down one of the high-speed water slides. Kids can play and frolic in their own fort-themed area or choose one of 12 climbing surfaces in the Climber’s Rush climbing facility.
