Active Pursuits

Visitors interested in something more than lazing on the beach have only to ask hotel personnel to make the necessary arrangements. Guests at Atlantis (tel. 242/363-3000), for example, have access to a surprising number of diversions without so much as leaving the hotel property. They can splash in private pools; play tennis, ping-pong, and shuffleboard; ride the waves; snorkel; or rent Sunfish, Sailfish, jet skis, banana boats, and catamarans from contractors located in kiosks.

Hitting the Beach

On Paradise Island, Cabbage Beach (also known as West Beach) is the real showcase. Its broad white sands stretch for at least 3km (2 miles). Casuarinas, palms, and sea grapes border it. It's likely to be crowded in winter, but you can find more elbowroom by walking to the beach's northwestern stretch. You can reach Paradise Island from downtown Nassau by walking over the bridge, taking a taxi, or boarding a ferryboat at Prince George Dock. Cabbage Beach does not have public restrooms, but if you patronize one of the handful of bars and restaurants nearby, they'll let you use their facilities. Note that during the construction of Atlantis's soon-to-come waterfront timeshare property, access to some sections of this beach might be off-limits.

Our other favorite beach in this area is the white-sand Paradise Beach, which is used mainly by guests of The Cove, as it lies at the island's far western tip. If you're not a resident, access is difficult. If you're staying at a hotel in Nassau and want to come to Paradise Island for a day at the beach, it's better to go to Cabbage Beach . However, sunsets viewed from the sands of Paradise Beach look particularly beautiful.

Fishing

Anglers can fish close to shore for grouper, dolphinfish, red snapper, crabs, even lobster. Farther out, in first-class fishing boats fitted with outriggers and fighting chairs, they troll for billfish or giant marlin.

The best way to pursue this pastime is to go to your hotel's activities desk, where an employee will set you up with a local charter operator for a half or full day of fishing.

Golf

Ocean Club Golf Club, on Paradise Island Drive (tel. 242/363-3000; www.oneandonlyresorts.com), at the island's east end, is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf that overlooks both the Atlantic Ocean and Nassau Harbour. Attracting every caliber of golfer, the par-72 course is known for its hole 17, which plays entirely along the scenic Snorkelers Cove. Greens fees, including use of a golf cart, cost US$260 (£130) per player for 18 holes of play, without reductions for guests at any individual hotels. Rental clubs and shoes are available.

Golfers seeking more variety will find one other course on New Providence Island.

Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

Bahama Divers, in the Yachthaven Marina on East Bay Street (tel. 242/393-5644; www.bahamadivers.com), is the island's best all-around center for watersports, specializing in scuba diving and snorkeling. A two-tank morning dive goes for US$99 (£50), whereas a single-tank afternoon dive costs US$65 (£33). A half-day snorkeling trip is US$45 (£23), and dive packages are also offered.

Tennis

No other hotel in The Bahamas pays as much attention to tennis as One&Only Ocean Club, Ocean Club Drive (tel. 242/363-2501). It's the site of six Har-Tru courts, which go a long way toward evoking the days when Paradise Island was a lot more British-looking than it is today, and when tennis was a lot more widely played. Guests booked into the club's cabanas and villas can practically roll out of bed and onto the courts, which are often filled with first-class competitors, although beginners and intermediate players are welcome. Tennis is free for guests of the One&Only Ocean Club; access to the courts is forbidden to virtually everyone else. Guests of the Ocean Club can play with the resident tennis pro for US$75 (£38) per hour.

Other hotels with courts include Atlantis (tel. 242/363-3000), with five hard-surface clay courts. Atlantis guests (nonguests are not admitted) pay US$20 (£10) per hour for access to the courts and can play with the organization's resident pro for an additional US$75 (£38) per hour. Ball rentals go for US$9.50 (£4.75) per hour, tennis racquets for another US$10 (£5) per hour. At least two major annual tennis championships are held at the Atlantis courts, drawing players from around Europe and the Americas.