The Complete Guide to Nassau Beaches

The Bahamas is known for its beautiful blue waters and friendly, hospitable people. In the late 17th/early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy, these waters were inhabited by pirates. English privateers and pirates used the shallow seas as a safe haven to raid Spanish ships, so there is a familiar sense of culture. English is the national language in the Bahamas, they accept US dollars, and flights are short and easy. If only they didn't drive on the wrong side of the road, lol.

It’s no surprise that the Bahamas is known as America’s tropical playground. While the clear, azure waters steal the show, Nassau’s beaches offer equally stunning beauty—if you know where to find them.

Cabbage Beach

Cabbage Beach is one of the best beaches in Nassau. Technically, it’s on Paradise Island, which is connected by a toll bridge, but that bridge is close enough. The beach is a two-mile stretch of soft sand that runs between the Atlantis Resort and The Ocean Club Resort.

There are some designated public access points along Casino Drive, but you'll most likely be able to access it from one of the Paradise Island beach hotels. Two tricks to noteComfort Suites offers day passes to Atlantis with qualifying accommodations, which can save you a lot of money. Plus, rumor has it that admission to the aquariums is free in the evening.

Cove Beach / Paradise Beach

These two beaches are located to the west of the entrance to the Atlantis lagoon. They are actually private beaches for Atlantis guests. If you are a guest, you also have access to a series of beaches along the lagoon itself.

These are all beautiful beaches with manicured sand and plenty of seating. The problem is that you are either a hotel guest or paying an expensive entrance ticket. The bright side is that a day pass gives you access to the huge aquariums and the amazing water park.

Barefoot Cay Beach

Barefoot Cay, also known as Sandals Private Island, might be the best beach in Nassau you haven’t heard of. Technically, it’s a five-minute drive from Cable Beach, but Sandals runs a ferry from the resort every hour, so it qualifies as a Nassau beach in our book.

The island has beautiful sand and a large sheltered swimming area that is rarely crowded. If you are here, you are a guest of the Sandals Resort, which gives you access to the island's pool, hot tub, restaurant and two bars. You can also get snorkeling gear from the snorkeling shack.

Sandals owns the entire eastern end of the island, so there are beaches on both the north and south shores, but we prefer the north shore because it's very private and secluded.

Cable Beach (Sandals)

There was a time long ago when you could walk for miles along Cable Beach. Today, private residences with sea walls separate the Sandals side of Beach from Baha Mar Beach, Goodman's Bay Park, and the Goodwin side. Each part of Cable Beach is very different, so we'll cover them separately.

Sandals Resort has the smallest part of the beach and is also separate from the other beaches. It is beautiful with plenty of shade, chairs, cabanas and two swimming areas on either side of the pier. Sandals Resort infrastructure is located behind the beach, so you don’t have to walk far to take advantage of the all-inclusive food and drinks or access the pool and jacuzzi area.

Cable Beach (Baja Mar)

Baha Mar is a huge resort with a huge beachfront. Rows and rows of beach chairs and cabanas await guests along about a half mile of beach along with floating platforms in the water.

A 500-foot-long wall forms a protected bay just east of the pier with some of the best snorkeling spots. Along the back beach walkway, you'll find a few small food trucks, hotel pools, and the famous flamingo habitat.

Cable Beach (Goodman's Bay Park)

Goodman's Bay Park is a large public park with ample parking and easy access to the beach. There are a variety of rentals available, from jet skis to banana boats, and snacks and drinks from beach vendors. These are not affiliated with resorts, so you may get more competitive rates if you walk to Goodman's Bay Park from Baha Mar or Goldwin.

If you have a car but can't get to the beach, Goodman's Beach is a great option for a day at the beach. It's a nice stretch of sand at the back of a large, beautiful bay.

Cable Beach (Goldwyn)

The Goldwin Hotel is a stylish and modern hotel with an equally stunning and artistic beachfront. The sand is well-manicured but it is the infinity pool that really sets the tone. There is also a fine dining restaurant just a few steps from the sand. The Goldwin Hotel is located at the eastern end of Cable Beach, which adds to its appeal and privacy.

Saunders Beach

Saunders Beach is located midway between Cable Beach and downtown Nassau at the mouth of Arawak Island. The beach has a small parking area and some facilities, but its main feature is a series of erosion-resistant walls along the beach that form small, protected pools. These pools provide a natural boundary between boats and swimmers and are a good habitat for small reef fish.

Saunders is close enough to walk to downtown if you're looking for something different from Junkanoo Beach. It also has convenient parking if you have a car.

Junkanoo Beach (West End)

Junkanoo Beach or Long Wharf Beach is the downtown beach. The western end is a public beach next to Margaritaville. This beach is good, but the water quality is affected by Paradise Island, which blocks the water flow and boat traffic through the harbor.

If this beach weren't so close to the cruise ship dock and downtown, it wouldn't get as much attention as it does now. At least in terms of beach aspects, but because of its proximity, there is a thriving beach business. Most notable is the Fish Fry on the far west end with many vendors selling authentic Bahamian food at reasonable prices.

Junkanoo Beach (East End)

The eastern end of Junkanoo Beach is the hotel beach for the British colonies. It is a small beach with sea breaks on both sides forming a small cove. The structure makes it great for swimming, with little current and Paradise Island a half mile offshore blocking all the waves from the open ocean.

You can access the beach through the hotel by passing through the hotel pools, then rows of beach chairs before reaching the beach and swimming area. It is a small, efficient and private beach, but far from secluded.

Cave Beach / Seaside

These beaches are located about three miles west of Cable Beach. They run along Bay Boulevard for about a mile. The beach quality is only acceptable (very rocky) and the proximity to the road is a downside, but the water is very nice.

You will find some parking and snacks at both ends of the beach. There is also a parking lot across the road at the Caves. This cave is a small limestone cave with a large population of bats. The cave is small enough that you won't need a flashlight to explore it but the views over the water make it worth the visit and contemplation.

Joe's Beach

Jaw's Beach gets its name from the shark movie that was filmed here. It's the closest thing you'll get to a real beach experience in Nassau, as it's a 30-minute drive from downtown. You'll find easy parking and a wide, sandy beach with little infrastructure.

There is no beachfront development here as it is within Clifton National Heritage Park. Paths meander through the park taking you through protected ecosystems to more secluded beaches. The main entrance to the park is a two-minute drive down the road.

Clifton National Heritage Park

Clifton National Heritage Park is a 206-acre park on the far west side of Nassau. It’s away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, but offers reasonably priced tours including transportation that includes lunch. The beach tour gives you access to the private beaches within the park. The beaches closest to the park entrance are notoriously rocky, but they gradually become more beautiful as you head around the point toward Joe’s Beach.

The park offers amenities such as changing rooms, rest rooms, lounge chairs, picnic tables, and even a tiki bar. Other activities including snorkeling and cultural tours are available for a separate fee. The snorkeling tours, whether guided or self-guided, are especially fun because you’ll be swimming next to the world’s largest underwater sculpture, Ocean Atlas, which is part of a living art gallery.

Montagu Beach

Montagu Beach is located at the easternmost point of the island. It is named after Fort Montagu, which dates back to 1741 and guarded the eastern entrance to Nassau Harbour.

Most people come here to tour the fort or shop at the Nassau Fish Market. Both places have large but crowded parking areas, but there is a nice beach quarter attached to them as well. There aren't many amenities along the beach, which some say adds to the ambiance.

Our guide to Nassau beaches concludes

As you can see, the best beaches in Nassau are associated with the luxury resorts on the island. There are some public beaches that you can access from downtown, especially if you have a car or are willing to take a bus or taxi. Otherwise, you can visit Junkanoo Beach or take a long walk to Saunders or Cabbage Beach. In this case, a winning strategy might be to spend the day at Cabbage Beach and the evening at Atlantis. No matter which option you decide to take, you are sure to find your dream beach in Nassau.