After spending three days in Staniel Cay exploring the magical sites of Staniel Cay and the surrounding islands, my crew headed to the Atlantis Resort & Marina on Nassau. This was a 113 nm journey that took us about three and half hours cruising at about 34knots.
We entered Nassau from the southern end of the channel. Most boats do not go this way due to the shallow “bombies” (large reefs just under the water) but our captain was very experienced and knew the safe route to take.
Entering Nassau Harbor, you will find grand homes, industry and other marine vessels.
Atlantis Resort & Marina on Paradise Island
The Atlantis Resort is located on Paradise Island, which is owned and operated by the resort. Our captain called to the dockmaster before entering the marina to ensure we had a slip ready. As we cruised in a manatee swam past the yacht. (Watch our video for the footage).
The Atlantis marina is very nice with large slips for all sizes of yachts. They do have a minimum dockage of 50′. This means if you have a 30′ boat, you’re still going to pay for 50′. The marina office was located across from where we were docked and it was a longer walk than I expected.
Accommodations at Atlantis
There are four main hotels at Atlantis and I stayed in the Cove. It was located the closest to the marina and is connected to the Royal. I had a great room with a view of the ocean. When you book your reservation, you have to pre-pay for your stay and give them every guest name (you can’t change it afterwards). The cost of my room was about $486 per night. Be prepared to pay not only sales tax but a 10% VAT on top of everything too.
When you check in, you’ll get a complimentary thermal water bottle and they have water filling stations all over the resort. Looking at the map below, you can see how large of a complex the resort is.
The Marine Life & Aquarium
The following day, I took some time to explore the grounds. I headed to “The Dig” which is the aquarium. You can see all that they offer here, including swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling with the marine life.
Atlantis, Paradise island is home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, encompassing 14 lagoons, 8 million gallons of ocean water and more than 50,000 aquatic animals.
Atlantis has a team of 165 marine experts that care for, rescue and rehabilitate over 250 marine species. A portion of Atlantis’ marine interactive programs goes back to the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving sea species.
Pool Time
Later that day, I headed down to the Cove Pool to relax and read my current book, Over the Top by Adrian Flanagan.
The pool had plenty of lounge chairs with umbrellas. My only caution would be the prices of the pool bar. I kid you not, I paid $28 for a Rum Punch!
That evening I had a wonderful dinner at Olives enjoying a delicious ravioli dish.
Back to Bimini Bay
The following morning, our crew left around 9am for Bimini Bay. I managed to find a home for one of our stickers at the marina – so look for it!
We fueled up in Nassau Harbor, just outside of the marina.
As we cruised to each island, I spent most of my time up on the fly bridge or cockpit enjoying the moment and experience. Just 6 months ago, we were living in cold wet weather in the PNW.
Who would have ever imagined that I would soon be cruising the crystal clear turquoise waters in the Bahamas for my job? There is something therapeutic about being on the water with nothing else around you. I certainly didn’t take this moment for granted.
The trip to Mega Marina at Bimini took us about three hours, cruising around 27 knots. We decided to save on fuel since we were not in a hurry to get to Bimini. It’s amazing how beautiful the water is at Bimini compared to Nassau.
I don’t think cruising through the Bimini Channel will ever get old to me.
Our group stayed at Mega Marina this time, which is a bit larger and right next to the Hilton Hotel.
Finally after eight days, it was time for our crew to head back to Florida. We left around 8am hearing that bad weather was moving in. Our trip back was pleasant and smooth. I stayed on the fly bridge the entire way and reflected on the journey I had just experienced. I know I am very fortunate to be living this life and this is one of the many reasons we chose to move closer to the Caribbean.
As always, thank you for following our journey and blog. Be sure to watch our video below and subscribe to our channel. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Cheers, Ally
