Top 14 Things to Do in the Bahamas in 2025

The Bahamas has a lot of allure and endless reasons to visit, but its beaches are unquestionably the strongest draw to this tropical paradise. There are hundreds of world-class beaches to choose from in the Bahamas, and they are both varied and diverse.

For those looking for famous and sought-after beaches, there’s the iconic Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island and the stunning and easy-to-access Cable Beach in Nassau.

There are also more remote and epic beaches like Tropic of Cancer Beach, Pink Sands Beach, and French Leave Beach. All these locations attract beach lovers from around the world. The sand is soft, and the waters are mostly protected, and a stunning turquoise hue. This makes them perfect for casual swimming, snorkeling, and all sorts of watersports.

Learn More About Bahamas Beaches

The Abacos are a series of islands and cays that spread out over a 130 square-mile region in the more northern Bahamas. There are two main islands, Great Abaco and Little Abaco, which you can reach by ferry from Nassau.

While this ferry is an easy and more budget-friendly way of seeing this stunning region, the best way to explore the Abacos and its pristine and inviting cays is by island hopping on a private vessel.

The Abacos is often called a “Yachter’s Paradise.” This area is perfect to explore in a sailboat or motor yacht because the waters are generally safe, shallow, and easy to navigate. The world under the water is teeming with life, with such exotic marine life as sea turtles, tropical fish, and eagle rays. This also makes the area amazing for those who love fishing.

The Abacos are a mixture of luxe islands and uninhabited cays. Some islands are owned by resorts (including Disney’s Castaway Cay), while others have nothing more than slivers of white sand and lonely palm trees.

New Providence Island is the most inhabited island in the Bahamas, and it is the capital of this island nation. It also happens to be the perfect jumping-off point for some of the best diving locations in the world. There are several iconic reefs, caves, and underwater regions that are easily reached by boat from New Providence Island.

Some of the most popular and incredible dive locations are near New Providence Island. Runway Wall, with its many wrecks and wildlife species, and The Towers, with its giant pinnacle coral, are sights to behold. This area is also home to the world-famous Sahrd Rodeo, which is teaming with sharks in their natural habitat.

With dozens of great dive locations a short boat ride away, New Providence is a great home base for those looking to incorporate several dives throughout a Bahamas vacation.

Learn more about Scuba Diving in the Bahamas

The Bahamas islands are best known for their beautiful beaches, incredible diving, and safe and swimmable sapphire waters, but there is so much more to this archipelago. One aspect of the Bahamas that you must partake in while visiting is immersing yourself in the flavors, culture, and rich history of this nation.

There is arguably no better place to get a feel for the food, culture, and history of the Bahamas than by touring through historical Nassau. There are several historic buildings and forts in this area, including Fort Charlotte, Christ Church Cathedral, and Parliament Square. There are guided tours you can take to make the most of your time in the historic area.

There are also several flavors you need to try in the Bahamas, including conch – the large-shelled crustacean. It comes in fritter, chowder, and other forms – all delicious. The Bahamas are also known for its exotic fruits like guava, and its delicious rum – and its signature cocktail, the Bahama Mama, made of fruit juices and rum. You can find all of this in abundance in Nassau.

The Bahamas is very family-friendly. Many of the beaches are safe and shallow, and thus perfect for children and adults alike, and some all-inclusive hotels even cater to families. But if you are looking for a unique, memorable, and truly Bahamas experience to have with your family, consider swimming with pigs, dolphins, or even both.

Pigs aren’t known for taking to the water, but in the Bahamas, they sure love to swim. These swimming pigs have become an unexpected sensation, with many people paying hundreds of dollars to fly from Nassau to the Exumas (where these pigs live) just to have the chance to feed them.

There are also dolphin encounter opportunities, which is another fun and memorable activity. While family-friendly, this activity is more suitable for kids who are at least 10 and comfortable in the water. But there are plenty of fun alternatives for the younger kids so they don’t get jealous.

The Atlantis Resort complex has been one of the most emblematic institutions in the Bahamas nation since its inception, and it continues to be one of the most famous resorts on the entire planet. This resort encompasses almost the entirety of Paradise Island and is equipped with so many activities, buildings, and excursions that it is entirely possible to spend an epic weeklong vacation and never leave the premises.

Atlantis is the largest and most popular resort in the Bahamas and features some noteworthy attractions. For one, it has the world’s largest open-air marine habitat and the largest casino in the entire Caribbean. Atlantis also has an impressive water park, Aquaventure, and a pristine 18-hole golf course. Take all this and add prime real estate with some of the best beaches in the area, and you have a resort that is truly unmissable.

Learn More About the Atlantis Resort

The northern and central Bahamas islands get the most attention, as the major cities, airports, and majority of the more elaborate accommodations are based in this region, But they are by no means the only Bahamas islands worth visiting. Some of the clearest water and least populated beaches reside in the southern region of the Archipelago.

If you are searching for less-inhabited islands and incredible bays that you can have mostly to yourself, head to Mayaguana Island and Abraham’s Bay. Abraham’s Bay is located in southern Mayaguana Island and has a population of barely more than 100. It is a wonderful place to visit if you are traveling to the Bahamas by boat. The area boasts beautiful, peaceful beaches and incredible snorkeling.

Consider also visiting Crooked Island, another stunning southern Bahamas island. The waters around these islands start looking more like the sapphire blue that Turks and Caicos are known for, as these islands are close by.

The Exumas are not only famous for their swimming pigs, even if it is one of their bigger draws. This region in the Bahamas has a whopping 356 islands and cays in its waters. Some of these islands have luxury resorts, but many are uninhabited with tranquil waters, making them perfect for exploring by kayak or SUP board and any great water activity to enjoy when visiting the Bahamas.

The Exumas often have shallow and well-protected waters and many sand bars that appear and disappear at high tide. These waters also happen to be shockingly blue and vivid. Many of these beaches have shallow waters, making it a great place for beginning SUP borders and novice kayakers. This island chain is also a great place to bring your kayak anchor along, so you can hop out from time to time and do some snorkeling in this clear and inviting water.

After exploring the beaches and all the underwater attractions the Bahamas has during the day, you might be ready for a cocktail. If you are looking for a vibrant nightlife scene when visiting the Bahamas, you can find it in most of the more populated islands in the Bahamas, but Paradise Island and Downtown Nassau are the pulse of nightlife here.

Some more popular places to have a fun wild night out include Xscape Nightclub, Senor Frogs, and The Dilly Club. There are also plenty of establishments with a more low-key vibe. You can drink a daiquiri at Da Daiquiri Shack, or watch the sun sink on the horizon at The Sunset Beach Club while drinking the island’s namesake fruity rum cocktail – the Bahama Mama. Regardless of what type of environment, you will find in this stretch of bars, lounges, and restaurants.

It is easy to spend your entire Bahamas vacation enjoying its endless water activities and exploring the wonders it possesses under the sea, but there is also plenty of magic happening above the surface. The Bahamas has 14 national parks, and Lucayan National Park is one of the best places for those looking to experience preserved natural habitats within this island nation.

Located on Grand Bahama Island, Lucayan National Park is home to several natural wonders. Its main claim to fame is it protects one of the largest underwater cave systems in the world.

It also has well-preserved natural land habitats, including mangrove rivers and pine forests. There are also great coral reefs offshore of this park, and one of the best beaches on the island, Gold Rock Beach.

The Bahamas is home to many magnificent blue holes, which are deep sinkholes or caverns in the ocean floor that have a deep blue appearance due to their depth and clarity. While the waters around the Bahamas have many blue holes and caves to explore, none is more epic than Dean’s Blue Hole.

This is a giant blue hole located near Clarence Town on Long Island and is one of the most fascinating things to see in the Bahamas. What makes this blue hole so impressive is that it is the world’s second-deepest blue hole. It has a depth of 663 feet, making it a true world wonder. You don’t need to drop down deep into this hole to experience its majesty. It looks very impressive from above.

Snorkeling and diving are popular here. You can also jump from the nearby cliffs into the inviting waters if you are daring (and careful) enough. There is also a lack of commercialism around this blue hole, which makes things feel a bit less touristy.

If you love exploring iconic underwater marvels, then don’t miss a trip to the Thunderball Grotto. Located near New Providence Island, off the coast of Staniel Cay, Thunderball Grotto is an underwater cave system that was made famous by multiple James Bond films. It gets its name from the film “Thunderball,” which is one of the films in which it was featured.

The area is an incredible diving spot in the Bahamas. It is also a great place for snorkeling, as there are multiple swimmable entrances, lots of marine life, and an amazing cave you can enjoy. At low tide, you don’t need to swim underwater to enter, and it is a fantastic exotic place for snorkelers who don’t want to scuba but want to get immersed in the Bahamas’ epic underwater geology. You can take your boat near this location or take one of several tours that take you to this popular spot.

If you are a lover of sharks or have always had the desire to see them in their natural habitat, consider taking a trip to Compass Cay to swim in the native habitat of nurse sharks in these waters.

Nurse sharks are generally rather docile, which makes this a great experience for those who want to experience a close-up experience with sharks but are scared of having a dangerous encounter. This excursion is considered safe and is a great first-time shark diving experience for those visiting the Bahamas.

There is not a whole lot else on this cay, other than this activity and some nice beaches. But for those looking for a close encounter with sharks in their element, swimming with nurse sharks here is a great thing to do in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas has dozens of incredible places to dive. From its many iconic shipwrecks to underwater caves, colorful and unique reef systems, and bountiful marine life, it can be almost impossible to choose just a few places to dive when visiting the Bahamas.

This is why boarding a multi-day liveaboard dive boat is so ideal for those who love diving and want to make the most out of this world-class diving region. There are many different options to choose from, with all sorts of varied itineraries and budgets.

New Providence is often the most convenient place to hop on a liveaboard vessel, but you can book several different dive charters in nearly any region of the Bahamas, from the Exumas to the Abacos, depending on what you are looking for.

Learn more about Liveaboards in the Bahamas