Can you just do the beach for free?

[odyzander]

This will be our second visit to Nassau. I really want to try Cabbage Beach. Can you just take a cab there or the ferry and walk along the beach and pull out your own towels and bask in the sun? For a break and to use the bathroom just have lunch at a nearby shack/restaurant. I just want 3 to 4 hours at a nice beach with the kids without having to go on some lavish excursion spending $$$$ for a few hours on a beach.

 

I guess I am confused to the whole Atlantis beach day pass?? Why pay for that, is it not the same free beach? Are you really paying all of that for the chairs and towels??

[scubagirrl]

This will be our second visit to Nassau. I really want to try Cabbage Beach. Can you just take a cab there or the ferry and walk along the beach and pull out your own towels and bask in the sun? For a break and to use the bathroom just have lunch at a nearby shack/restaurant. I just want 3 to 4 hours at a nice beach with the kids without having to go on some lavish excursion spending $$$$ for a few hours on a beach.

 

I guess I am confused to the whole Atlantis beach day pass?? Why pay for that, is it not the same free beach? Are you really paying all of that for the chairs and towels??

 

You can use Cabbage Beach for free.. put down your towel or rent a chair for $10. No problem. But there is no restroom and no snack shack or lunch spot. They are all part of the hotels.. and not open to the general public.

 

There are vendors selling rum drinks from a cooler on the beach as well a water/soda.

 

Free means NO amenities. And you can't just wander down to Atlantis. You'll be asked to leave without the appropriate ID bracelet.

[green eyed lady]

My DS and his GF just did that last week when they couldn't get a day pass to Breezes. He said the beach was fine and they had a good time. ;)

[odyzander]

I read on a travel site that there were some local restaurants near Cabbage Beach is that not true? So you are saying there are no restaurants within walking distance excpet hotels?? Are you not allowed to use the restaurants in the hotels?

 

I am confused last time we visited Atlantis and walked around and bought drinks, went to the shops, saw the aquarium and no one said anything. Where does someone stop you if you don't have a band?

 

OT: If you are staying at Atlantis or the condos across the way do you have to wear bands the whole week you are there?

[scubagirrl]

I read on a travel site that there were some local restaurants near Cabbage Beach is that not true? So you are saying there are no restaurants within walking distance excpet hotels?? Are you not allowed to use the restaurants in the hotels?

 

I am confused last time we visited Atlantis and walked around and bought drinks, went to the shops, saw the aquarium and no one said anything. Where does someone stop you if you don't have a band?

 

OT: If you are staying at Atlantis or the condos across the way do you have to wear bands the whole week you are there?

 

There are some public restaurants in the marina Village and in the shopping center.. but they are not near the beach..

 

The Atlantis lobbies and Casinos are open to the public.. as are those restaurants in the lobbies and outside the "waterfront property". To gain access to the waterscapes, aquariums, lagoons and beach bars and grills, you would need a guest bracelet or a day pass for $110 pp / per day. You cannot use the restaurants or buy a drink at the hotel beachfront venues. They are off limits to non-guests or day trippers with paid passes.

There are security guards at every exit from the lobbies to the outside, including the casino balconies. Even the beach walkways will have security preventing those who would try and enter from the beach.

 

Guest of Atlantis and those who have day passes MUST wear their bracelets on the property.. Bracelet colors change daily, so you must get a new one every day..

 

A few years back you could roam the property pretty freely.. these days.. security is tight and around every corner.

[odyzander]

Is it possible to take a taxi and have them drop you off at the most eastern point of the beach. I used google earth and could see where the more secluded area is. I am not a fan of the big hotels in front of the beaches. If you decide to take the boat over where does it drop you off at?

[scubagirrl]

Is it possible to take a taxi and have them drop you off at the most eastern point of the beach. I used google earth and could see where the more secluded area is. I am not a fan of the big hotels in front of the beaches. If you decide to take the boat over where does it drop you off at?

 

The most eastern point of the beach is private property and a gated community to boot.

You can ask them to drop you further down the road.. but you'd have to trespass thru someones villa property to get to the beach.. there's no public walkway except the one next to the RIU.

 

It's not that far a walk to get away from the crowd.

[kdrake1007]

We just returned and here's how our visit to Cabbage Beach went. We took the ferry from the pier to Paradise Island ($6pp round trip). From there we walked to the public access for Cabbage Beach, took about 20 minutes and the map I picked up from the pier helped tremendously - there aren't any big signs pointing the way to public beach access. When we got to the beach it was OK, no facilities to speak of, except a few vendors selling drinks out of coolers and LOTS of vendors selling necklaces, renting jet skis etc. My daugher and her friends had fun - the waves were fairly big and even though the water was on the cool side, it was swimmable. The beach was crowded right at the access point, but less so towards the east and west ends.

 

We stayed for about 2.5 hours. There are taxis as you come off the beach at the public access point, but we didn't mind the walk. I preferred the beach at Port Lucaya on Freeport, not as crowded. But the girls probably liked Cabbage Beach better. Next time I'll probably just do a taxi as each of the "guides" on the ferry had the same tourist spiel. Or Blue Lagoon if I'm with a group that's not on a budget!

[tonedaddy1]

We just came back for Nassau this past weekend. You can visit Atlantis for free at 5:00 p.m. The guards shift is over around that time. We were able to walk around the dig and then go out on the beach and rent jet ski. There are still life guards on the beach but no one checking for wristbands.