Active Pursuits

Visitors interested in something more than lazing on the beaches have only to ask hotel personnel to make the necessary arrangements. Guests at the Atlantis Paradise Island (tel. 242/363-3000), for example, can 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 in some circles 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 a little more elbowroom by walking to the northwestern stretch of the beach. 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 facilities, but you can patronize one of the handful of bars and restaurants nearby and use their facilities. Technically, to use the facilities, you should be a customer -- even if that means buying only a drink. Note that during the construction of the Atlantis Paradise Island's new waterfront hotel and timeshare accommodations, access to some sections of Cabbage/West Beach might be off-limits.

Our other favorite beach in this area is the white-sand Paradise Beach. The beach is used mainly by guests of The Cove Atlantis, as it lies at the far western tip of the island. (Sunsets viewed from its sands are particularly beautiful.) 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 .

Fishing

Anglers can fish close to shore for grouper, dolphin fish, 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 the activities desk of your hotel. All hotels have contacts with local charter operators who take their passengers out for a half-day or full day of fishing.

Golf

Ocean Club Golf Club, on Paradise Island Drive (tel. 242/363-3000; www.oneandonlyresorts.com), at the east end of the island, 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 include use of a golf cart. They range from $190 to $260 (£101-£138) per player, without reductions for guests at any individual hotels. Rental clubs and shoes are available.

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

Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

Bahamas Divers, in the Yachthaven Marina, on East Bay Street (tel. 242/393-5644; www.bahamadivers.com), is the best all-around center for watersports on the island, specializing in scuba diving and snorkeling. A two-tank morning dive goes for $89 to $109 (£47-£58), whereas a single-tank afternoon dive costs $55 (£29). A half-day snorkeling trip is only $39 (£21), and dive packages are also offered.

Spa Serenity

The 2,323-sq.-m (25,005-sq.-ft.) Mandara Spa at the Atlantis is a Zen-inspired enclave of calm and serenity (and some not necessarily serene prices) designed to make guests feel like gods and goddesses. Services include exotic body scrubs and wrap treatments with names like Caribbean Coffee Scrub, Tropical Coconut Scrub, and Sunburn Cooler. Spa guests also get to take a dip in Poseidon's Thalassotherapy Pool, a beautiful open-air natural seawater pool.

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 cabanas and villas of the club can practically roll out of bed onto the courts. The courts 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 $70 (£37) per hour.

Other hotels with courts include the Atlantis (tel. 242/363-3000), with five hard-surface clay courts. Residents of the Atlantis pay $20 (£11) per hour for access to the courts and can play with the organization's resident pro for another $70 (£37) per hour. Ball rentals go for $9.50 (£5.05) per hour, tennis racquets for an additional $10 (£5.30) per hour. At least two major tennis championships a year are held at the Atlantis courts, drawing players from around Europe and the Americas.