Atlantis Aquaventure

Atlantis opened in its current form in the 1990s and is the largest resort in the Bahamas by a wide margin, built around a water park and a set of open-air marine habitats holding several thousand animals across dozens of exhibits, including a lagoon of rays, sharks and reef fish that visitors float through on a lazy river. The signature slide, the Leap of Faith, is a near-vertical drop of about eighteen metres ending in a clear tunnel through a lagoon of sharks. The Dig, beneath the main tower, is a set of aquariums presented as a fictional excavation of Atlantis, which is either charming or absurd depending on temperament.

What you actually see

• The Leap of Faith - a near-vertical slide through a shark lagoon tunnel.
• The Dig - aquariums presented as an excavated ruined city.
• The rapids and lazy river - running through the marine habitats.
• The marine exhibits - several thousand animals across the grounds.

When to go

December to May is the dry high season and the busiest; queues for the main slides are long at peak times and on cruise days. Going early in the day is the only real strategy. Summer is hotter and slightly quieter.

Honest expectations

Day passes for non-guests are limited, expensive and sometimes unavailable entirely, and the price for a family is very high. Everything inside costs extra. The marine mammal programmes, including dolphin encounters, are the subject of longstanding welfare criticism and are worth thinking about before booking. Queues at peak times are considerable.

Nearby

Cabbage Beach is alongside; Nassau is across the bridge.