Like the myth it was named for, the Atlantis Bahamas resort rises from the sea as you head over the bridge into Paradise Island from Nassau. In the center of all of this is the 20 million gallons of water, 141-acre water park – Aquaventure, a resort water park like no other.
Whether you are staying at Atlantis Bahamas, or are there on an Atlantis Bahamas day pass, there’s so much that you’ll enjoy at Aquaventure. Here’s our review of the Atlantis Bahamas waterpark, as well as tips for visiting.
My son and I experienced Atlantis Bahamas and the Atlantis Bahamas water park at no cost on a press trip to Nassau/Paradise Island. We also paid for a visit on our own as a cruise excursion. All opinions are my own.
This post contains affiliate links and a click-through/purchase from one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no cost to you.
Aquaventure: The Atlantis Bahamas Water Park
If you are staying at Atlantis, it’s just a quick walk to the water park, which is located right in the center of the whole resort. This huge water park is the largest in the Caribbean and the best water park at a resort that I have experienced.
It offers so many things that families will enjoy. Here are some of the attractions you’ll see there.
Attractions at Aquaventure Water Park
Lazy River
Enjoy a relaxing ¼ mile journey around the river, while sitting on an inner tube. As the name indicates, this is an enjoyable way to relax, cool off, and enjoy being in the water. I always love riding on a lazy river during my vacations – it’s a nice way to stay cool while just sitting back.
The Current
For the (slightly) more adventurous, the Current is a mile-long river ride that includes waves, rapids, and fun conveyor belt/escalators. My son and I loved this lazy river ride (although it isn’t exactly “lazy”). I was a bit nervous because he wasn’t too comfortable in the water when we visited, but we got a two-person tube and he loved it.
If you are riding with younger kids, I’d recommend sharing one of the larger inner tubes so you don’t get separated from each other. I know that my son would have been very nervous if he’d lost me at any point during our ride through the Current. We enjoyed it so much though and wished we had time to keep riding it over and over again.
Do you and your family love water slides? The Atlantis Bahamas water park offers an unbelievable 18 slides, including high-speed water slides. So you’ll definitely find a few that you’ll love.
Slides in the Mayan Temple
The large Mayan-inspired temple in the center of Aquaventure offers several water slides that are great for older kids. The Challenger Slides, pictured here, features two slides where you can challenge a family member or a friend to a water slide race. This is definitely one of the big icons of Aquaventure – and what most people think of when they think about the Atlantis water slides.
For adventurous travelers, there’s the Leap of Faith (the Atlantis “shark slide” a high-speed water slide that is almost 60 feet. After racing down this almost vertical drop, you’ll end up in a clear tunnel submerged in a body of water with sharks.
Prefer to slide in an inner tube? The Serpent Tube, also one of the Mayan temple slides, is five stories. Like the Leap of Faith, it ends in a clear tunnel in the lagoon with sharks. There are other inner tube slides at Aquaventure, like the Surge, which goes through rapids. There’s also the Drop and the Falls water slides.
Do you have younger kids who aren’t quite as adventurous? Aquaventure also offers a splash pad area, which is perfect for families with younger children. If little ones are looking to cool down, it’s the perfect place to splash around and is so much fun.
Pools and Beaches at Atlantis
In addition to the Atlantis water slides and other Aquaventure water attractions, there are loads of pools located throughout Atlantis. You’ll find the adult-only Cove pool (open only to adults staying at the Cove tower), family pools, and kid pools.
There are also several beaches on the property, if you’d prefer to dip your toes in the sand. Some of these are not part of Aquaventure, so if you are utilizing a day pass, you’ll want to know exactly what is included.
Atlantis Bahamas Day Pass
Not staying at Atlantis Bahamas? There are still several ways that you can visit the Atlantis Bahamas water park, without staying on property.
Atlantis day passes are available for purchase online, based upon availability. These must be purchased in advance, and you’ll need to select the day of your visit.
Once you choose your day, you’ll be able to select the type of experience you want to have. A standard day pass includes access to Aquaventure, beaches, the casino, and more. Day pass tickets and reservations are required for all outside guests.
You’ll also have the opportunity to choose experiences like the Ultimate Trainer for a Day or the Dolphins experiences. There are also cabanas available for rent for the day.
If you are visiting Nassau on one of the many cruise ships that stop in the area, you may also have the option of booking an excursion to Atlantis Bahamas.
When booking through your cruise line, make sure that you understand exactly what you are booking. There are typically multiple types of excursions are offered, and they don’t always include admission to Aquaventure.
When my kids were much younger, we booked an excursion with admission to the aquarium and the beach, but not Aquaventure. Now that my children are older, I would definitely prefer to book one that includes the water park.
Finally, guests at the adjacent Comfort Suites Paradise Island are able to receive complimentary admission to Aquaventure with full access. That’s a great benefit to staying at that resort, and can be a great way to have an affordable Atlantis Bahamas vacation. Advanced bookings are required however – you can’t access Atlantis if you book a same day, one-night stay.
Atlantis Bahamas Water Park Tips
- You must be 48 inches to ride the water slides. If you have kids shorter than that, you may want to wait until they are tall enough so they aren’t disappointed looking at the slides that they can’t ride.
- Drink lots of water and bring plenty of sunscreen. It can definitely get hot in the Bahamas.
- For the same reason, you’ll want to make sure you have water shoes to walk around the water park area. The ground can be hot.
- Life jackets are offered for free.
- Lockers are available, but I’d recommend leaving valuables in your hotel room safe or back in your stateroom (if you are on a cruise excursion).
- We didn’t find the lines to be too long, but it’s always a good idea to get an early start. Line up for your favorite rides first.
Other activities at Atlantis Bahamas
While the water park is usually the most popular part of the resort, there are lots of other things to do in Atlantis Bahamas. Beyond Aquaventure, there are other pools and beaches on property. These may feel a little more low key than the water park, so they are good to visit when you are looking to relax.
There are also marine exhibits and a marine habitat located throughout the property. Our favorite is the Dig aquarium, which offers sea animal exhibits. When we stayed at Atlantis, we’d typically visit the Dig in the evenings after dinner as we walked through the property.
Other animal exhibits include the predator lagoon and hibiscus lagoon (filled with sea turtles). These can be seen as you walk through the property, and some activities (like feedings) occur on a schedule.
There’s also the Earth and Fire Pottery Studio, where you can paint a piece of pottery to take home (additional fee applies), teen and tween nightclubs, a movie theater, a library, an arcade, and other children’s programs.
For a special experience, book an excursion at Dolphin Cay, where you can interact with dolphins right on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Atlantis Paradise Island Water Park
Atlantis Bahamas is not all-inclusive. Whether you are staying at the property, or on a day pass, you’ll need to pay for food and drinks.
When you book a day pass, some food may also be included. When we booked a cruise excursion to Atlantis, we did have a voucher for food that was valid at a few of the dining locations. It was nice to have lunch included so we didn’t have to worry about the additional expense.
Just make sure that you check to see if food is included and what the vouchers cover. Ours did have specific inclusions.
The Atlantis Bahamas water park is located on Paradise Island, which is connected to Nassau by a bridge. The water park itself is in the center of the resort. If you are doing a cruise excursion, it’s a short walk from where you’ll be dropped off to the water park.
The Nassau airport is about 45 minutes from Atlantis. During your ride to the resort, you’ll pass the cruise port, which is about 10 minutes away from the resort. There’s also a water taxi that you can take from the cruise port.
If you book an excursion with your cruise line, transportation will most likely be included. If you are flying in and out of the Nassau airport, you’ll want to arrive early for your return to the United States.
You’ll be going through US customs right in the Bahamas. That takes a little extra time in Nassau, but then you’ll skip customs in the United States.
Bahamian dollars are used in the Bahamas. They have the same value as US dollars.
There are lots of restaurants located throughout Atlantis. However, you may not want to leave the water park to get a quick bite.
Luckily, there is food available right in the water park area. During our day stay, we ate at Shark Bites. It offers sandwiches, Bahamian specialties, a kids’ menu, salads, wraps, cocktails, and more.
Yes, if you are staying on property at Atlantis, you can access the water park at no additional charge. Otherwise, you’d need to purchase a day pass, which are only available to select guests based on where you are staying, if you are on a cruise, or if you are a Bahamas resident.
This really depends on what you’d like to do. I think anywhere from 4-7 days is ideal, because you can definitely spend more than one day at Aquaventure alone. You probably won’t need to go off property much, but if you did, there are some fun museums in Nassau to see.
Day passes are available if you aren’t staying at Atlantis or the adjacent Comfort Suites.
