Choosing which island (or islands) to visit is one of the most critical decisions for your Bahamas trip. The Bahamas has around 30 inhabited islands, so I’ve narrowed it down for you.
This list includes public islands offering unique experiences, activities, and “vibes.” You can’t go wrong with any of these options, and if you have time, I highly recommend you visit more than one.
This island is known for some of the best beaches in the country, Stocking Island, and being the most popular “home base” for exploring the Exuma island region.
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Choose This Island If You Want To:
Be a beach bum, not leave your resort often, and be off-the-beaten-path.
This is my favorite hotel on Great Exuma, the largest island in the region and the most popular “home base” for exploring Exuma. At this all-villa resort (a filming site for The Bachelor), you’ll have access to one of the best beaches on the island, two restaurants, a tiki bar, a main pool, an adults-only pool, golf carts, and complimentary water sports.
You’ll love this hotel’s location on Palm Bay Beach on Great Exuma. Every apartment has a terrace with a seating area and a kitchen. You’ll have a pool, an on-site restaurant and bar, complimentary daily breakfast, free kayaks and paddleboards, and a free shuttle service to Georgetown.
Located on Stocking Island, just a short taxi boat ride from Great Exuma, this resort has a remote and exclusive ambiance. There’s a restaurant, pool, fitness center, bar, garden, sun terrace, concierge service, and complimentary breakfast. Each room also comes with a patio and water views.
Located on Stocking Island, just off the coast of Great Exuma, this resort feels like a secluded paradise. Every room has a seating area and terrace, and the resort has a restaurant, bar, lounge, garden, complimentary breakfast, and a private beach.
Take a day trip to Stocking Island to hang out at Chat ‘N Chill’s restaurant and beach, try conch, and visit the Tropic of Cancer Beach.
Know Before You Go
Your transportation options on Great Exuma are hiring a taxi or renting a car. Taxi rides can be very expensive, so renting a car will save you money if you want to leave your resort more than a couple of times during your trip.
This island is known for the town of Nassau, Paradise Island, The Atlantis Resorts, the capital of The Bahamas, pastel-colored British colonial buildings, and is a popular cruise port.
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Choose This Island If You Want:
Nightlife, to be “near the action,” to be centrally located to other islands, a family-friendly environment, to not leave your resort very often.
Where To Stay in New Providence, Nassau, & Paradise Island
This resort has everything you could want – six pools, a private beach, a spa, a wellness center, restaurants, bars, lounges, tennis courts, shopping, golfing, and a casino. Because Hyatt owns this property, you can earn or use reward points here.
The Ocean Club’s appearance in the movie Casino Royale gives you a taste of the resort’s glitz and glam. This colonial-style former estate has opulent guest rooms with private balconies or decks, infinity pools, and butler service. You’ll also have a world-renowned golf course and restaurant, a Balinese-inspired spa, and a formal French garden modeled after Versailles, complete with marble statues and a 14th-century Augustinian cloister.
With just 30 rooms, this intimate boutique hotel is the first of its kind in Nassau. You’ll have a fabulous pool, spa, anti-gravity yoga studio, squash courts, tennis court, lap pool, an in-house cinema, and a top-floor open-air restaurant.
This is arguably one of the world's most recognizable and iconic hotels. Atlantis is a megaresort with multiple pools, a family spa, Dolphin Cay, the 141-acre water park, a casino, a no-kids-allowed luxury spa, 21 restaurants, and 19 bars.
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What To Do in New Providence
Take a chocolate tour, stop by a local fish market, shop at the Straw Market, Climb the Queen’s Staircase to Fort Fincastle, see the Nassau Lighthouse, visit the Aquaventure Waterpark, and take a day trip to Blue Lagoon Island.
Know Before You Go
These are the most popular islands in The Bahamas, which means they’re some of the most crowded and expensive islands to stay on. You should also be prepared for cruise ship crowds disembarking most days.
This island is known for Thunderball Grotto, swimming pigs, pristine beaches, and snorkeling.
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Choose This Island If You Want:
To be off-the-beaten-path, an active trip where you leave your hotel most days, to be centrally located in the Exuma islands region, and to travel on a budget.
This hotel on Staniel Cay in the middle of the Exuma island chain is near the famous Thunderball Grotto and swimming pigs. The coastal apartments are cozy, and every unit has a patio. The hotel has a fabulous pool, and restaurants and shops are just a short walk from the resort.
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What To Do in Staniel Cay
Snorkel in Thunderball Grotto, swim with the famous pigs, visit the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, and swim with the nurse sharks at Compass Cay.
Know Before You Go
Bars and restaurants run on “island time,” meaning that service will likely be slower than you’re used to. You may have to get the server’s attention rather than waiting for them to approach. This is a cultural difference, not a sign of poor service.
This is the only eco-resort in The Bahamas and is only reachable by seaplane. There are 11 spacious, secluded, screened-in wooden cottages with views of the resort’s sugar-white beach dotted with palm trees and hammocks.
This budget-friendly hotel is on the beach with a bar, restaurant, complimentary bikes, and a central location for exploring Andros Island.
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What To Do in Andros
Visit Blue Holes National Park, snorkel or dive in the Andros Barrier Reef (the third-largest barrier reef in the world), hike to Morgan’s Bluff, and take a boat ride through West Side National Park.
Know Before You Go
Many restaurants are closed on Tuesdays, and most restaurants don’t update their Google business profile. So you’ll want to call restaurants for their opening hours and reservations instead of relying on the internet.
This is the largest hotel on the island of Bimini. There's a marina, a private beach, five restaurants, two pool bars, a spa, two pools, and an on-site dive shop.
This mid-range hotel is near the beach, has an on-site restaurant and bar, spacious rooms, and specializes in diving.
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What To Do in Bimini
Bive the Bimini Road (which legends say is a part of the sunken city of Atlantis), visit the shipwrecked SS Sapona, enjoy a moon party at Luna Beach, and swim with dolphins.
Know Before You Go
ATMs are available at some resorts, banks, and shopping centers, but they’re often not conveniently located to hotels and vacation homes. So I recommend bringing enough cash with you (especially if you’re from the U.S. with no currency change) or withdrawing lump sums to keep from making lots of visits to an ATM.
This beachfront all-inclusive hotel has yoga classes, an on-site dive shop, a pool, a spa, four restaurants, two bars, a nightclub, and a free kid's club.
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Lighthouse Pointe at Grand Lucayan Resort - All Inclusive
This budget-friendly hotel has two restaurants, a spa, three pools, a fitness center, and a poolside bar.
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What To Do in Grand Bahama
Explore the colorful city of Freeport, shop at the Port Lucaya Marketplace, visit the Garden of the Groves, and dive or snorkel in Lucayan National Park, home to one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world.
Know Before You Go
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted at hotels and car rental agencies, but most shops and restaurants don’t take credit cards. And most of the shops and restaurants that do take credit cards charge a 2.5-5% processing fee, which can add up quickly. So I recommend paying for meals and souvenirs with cash.
Get off the beaten path at this secluded resort on the laid-back island of Eleuthera. You’ll love swimming in the infinity pool, snacking at the sushi bar, sleeping in your chic all-white room or villa, lounging on the private beach, and sipping cocktails at the open-air bar.
This laid-back hotel At Coral Sands Hotel has complimentary snorkel gear and surfing/body boarding, a pool, a fitness center, a tennis court, two restaurants, a bar, and lush gardens.
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What To Do in Eleuthera & Harbour Island
Explore the historic city of Governour’s Harbour, eat at the Anchor Bay Fish Fry on Fridays, have some beach days on the world-famous pink sand beaches, visit the Edwin’s Turtle Lake Marine Reserve, and swim in the Ocean Hole, a natural inland swimming spot with tropical fish and turtles.
Know Before You Go
If you’re visiting one of the public beaches away from your resort, bring bags for your wet and sandy shoes and clothes. There usually aren’t showers for rinsing off.
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