This legendary and lavish resort is on Paradise Island, located near Nassau and just a hop from Florida. Features include the giant AQUAVENTURE waterpark, The Cove luxury lodgings, and The Reef Atlantis beachside tower with kitchen-equipped suites.
The Atlantis Bahamas has many great features for families, highlighted below, and also some kid-friendly special events.
Main Features:
This huge resort has 140 acres of water park, lagoons, pools and waterfalls, not to mention its giant subterranean aquariums.
Giant Waterslides
The Aquaventure water park includes the five-story Mayan Temple, near the Royal Towers, with a 60-foot vertical drop that ends in a clear tunnel inside a shark-filled lagoon, and a pair of Challenger slides where you can race your friends.
Meanwhile, the 120-foot Power Tower has four wild slides including "The Abyss" with a near-vertical 50-feet drop through darkness, and two inner-tube slides where guests can ride up a conveyor back up to the slide to ride again.
River Loop
The AQUAVENTURE water park redefines the river-float experience with this one: guests can ride an inner tube through lifts and drops, white-water rapids, and 80-foot underground tunnel and caves, and can even up side-track up a conveyor to the top of the giant waterslides. Read more about the AQUAVENTURE river ride.
Beach and More Water Play Zones
The Atlantis Bahamas has a beautiful white-sand beach to enjoy. Guests can also cool off in multiple swimming pools, or a seven-acre lagoon with shallow sandy shore (and kayaks and water toys available to rent). Many families gravitate to the large kids pool which has a slide, waterfalls, and a comfortable area for lounging; other family options include a baby pool and the Splashers kiddie waterplay zone.
The Dig, and Giant Aquariums
An unexpected feature at the Atlantis is that this resort has some of the largest tanks full of sea life in the world. Guests can get a subterranean view of these gigantic aquariums by descending to The Dig, an Atlantis-themed maze of chambers.
Other Features
The Atlantis Bahamas resort has a giant casino, spa, a wide choice of restaurants, and spectacular glass sculptures and other pieces by well-known artists. The Marina Village area offers shops and restaurants and a chance to ogle truly large yachts.
What's Special for Families?
Numerous features and services have been designed for kids of all ages.
- Gentle Travel
"Gentle Travel" is a set of amenities for families with babies, such as a a special kit with night-light, and baby care products.
- Ripples Kids' Pool
This large pool play area has waterslides, waterfalls, other fun features, and ample room for loungers for parents. The Atlantis Resort also has a second smaller baby pool in another part of the vast grounds.
- Splashers Water Play Zone
This area is designed for kids under 48" tall, and has slides, dumping bucket, squirters, etc.
- Feeding Time for Sea Creatures
Kids can enjoy watching sharks, manta rays, and other sea animals during their feeding times at the Predator Lagoon and other lagoon areas.
- Atlantis Kids Adventures
This 8000 sq. ft. kids club was designed in partnership with the LEGO toy company. Features include a LEGO construction room, a performance area and sound booth, a culinary program in deluxe kitchen, a LEGO Mindstorm interactive play area, arts and crafts, a wizardology room, a Victorian kitchen and dollhouse, and outdoor play space.
- Club Rush
This lounge space for tweens and young teens has with dance floor, movies, and videogames for kids age 9 to 13.
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CRUSH Club for Teens
This 14,000 sq. ft. teen club (with admission charge) has an internet lounge, state-of-the-art game room, gaming cabanas, and a dance floor.
The Atlantis Bahamas also puts on major live entertainment events, fantasy camps for kids and teens, and special arrangements such as "60 Days of Summer" with the Cartoon Network.
Tips for Family Visits:
- The grounds at the Atlantis Resort are huge: have a look at a resort map to get the picture, and to consider where you want to stay. The Royal Towers are near the Mayan Temple waterslides and the Ripples kiddie pool zone; meanwhile, the Coral and Beach Towers are a considerable walk from the AQUAVENTURE water park, but do have a smaller lazy river nearby.
- The Beach Towers is a family-friendly and casual place to stay.
- Wear flip-flops or water-shoes in the water park areas, as the surface underfoot gets hot!
- The Reef Atlantis has suites with fully-equipped kitchens-- handy for families.
- Another option with kitchens is Harborside Villas, which can accommodate larger families. A frequent shuttle takes guests to the center of the Atlantis Resort; walking might take 10 minutes.
- Expect that food is expensive; also, a 15% gratuity is added at all restaurants. Budget-wise families might bring along fruit leather or granola bars for kiddie munchies. At the resort, buy refillable drinks, or head to the Marina Village for snacks at Starbucks and family restaurants. Read visitor comments for other money-saver tips.
- Guests staying at the adjacent (and less expensive) Comfort Suites have access to the Atlantis Resort's facilities including pools, lagoons, waterpark, casino, spa, and kids' camp.
- The Bahamas are in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean, but the Commonwealth of the Bahamas belongs to the Caribbean Community.
- Guests at the adjacent Comfort Suites Paradise Island can access the water park, beach, kids club, and more
Find Out More:
- Check for deals and promotions
- Check prices, at Kayak.com
- Read recent visitors' comments at TripAdvisor. Search for either "Atlantis Bahamas" or "Harborside Atlantis" for the villas that can be a good choice for families, or for The Reef or The Cove Atlantis specifically
- See sister resort Atlantis The Palm, Dubai (also larger-than-life)