Why limit yourself to a single Caribbean destination? These duo-island itineraries let you double up on the fun and adventure.
By: Susan Moynihan
If You Have Four Days:
What’s not to love about the Bahamas? The closest Caribbean country to the United States (only 50 miles from Florida at its closest point), this archipelago is home to hundreds of low-lying islets and cays, and the prettiest water this side of Tahiti. Close proximity between islands makes it an easy place to hop around, even with a limited amount of time.
Start on New Providence
Most international flights arrive in New Providence, the Bahamas’ most populous island and home to its capital, Nassau. You’ll technically be island hopping when you cross the bridge from Nassau to Paradise Island, home to the Caribbean’s largest, glitziest resort, Atlantis. This mega-hotel with more than 3,000 rooms spread across three separate towers boasts a Las Vegas-style casino, multiple bars and restaurants, the beautiful Mandara Spa and a lavish 141-acre waterpark with themed high-speed water slides and a mile-long lazy river. There are also multiple swimming pools, beaches and 14 different aquarium-style lagoons showcasing stingrays, sharks and every hue of tropical fish.
Stay close to the fun but apart from the crowd by checking into The Cove, a hip resort-within-a-resort set apart on the western edge of the complex. Elegant rooms come with marble-clad interiors and French balconies facing the sea. Just outside is Cain at the Cove, Atlantis’s sole adults-only pool area complete with outdoor bar, a house D.J., casino tables and decked-out cabanas. A quick stroll (or shuttle service if you’re feeling lazy) takes you to the resort’s central complex for nightlife from dining at Nobu to clubbing at Aura (room rates start at $959 a night; atlantis.com).
Photo courtesy of The Cove Atlantis
Hop to Andros
South Andros may only be a 15-minute charter flight from Nassau, but it feels like another planet. Once you arrive, a taxi and quick boat transfer take to you to Kamalame Cay. (The resort now offers helicopter service from Nassau if you want to speed things up.) Life moves at a much slower pace in the Out Islands, and this secluded private-island resort is a great place to mellow out after the energy of the capital.
Your agenda here is simple: sunning and strolling on three miles of white-sand beach and exploring the island’s unique limestone caverns on a hiking or diving tour. Don’t miss a couple’s massage at the over-water spa, set on a long pier jutting out into the sea. Dinners are presented at The Great House. Thirteen plush guest rooms are tucked inside Bahamian-style cottages with pastel exteriors and wooden verandas. Each is stocked with board games and stereos in lieu of TVs and telephones. Or spread out in one of the new luxury villas for a barefoot-chic experience with the emphasis on chic (room rates start at $407 a night; kamalame.com).
Photo Credit: Anais Ganouna
