For serious shopping, you'll want to cross over the Paradise Island Bridge into Nassau. However, many of Nassau's major stores also have shopping outlets on Paradise Island.
The Shops at the Atlantis, in the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort (tel. 242/363-3000), is the largest concentration of shops and boutiques on Paradise Island, rivaling anything else in The Bahamas in terms of size, selection, and style. The boutiques are subdivided into two different sections that include the well-appointed Crystal Court Arcade corridor that meanders between the Royal Tower and the Coral Tower, and that encompasses 3,252 sq. m (35,004 sq. ft.) of prime high-traffic retail space. Newer, and usually with entrances that open directly to the outside air, are boutiques within the resort's waterfront Marina Village. An additional handful of emporiums is scattered randomly throughout other sections of the resort, as noted below. It's all about flagrantly conspicuous consumption that's sometimes fueled by the gaming frenzy in the nearby casino. So if you want to do more than browse, bring your platinum card and remain alert that in a high-ticket venue like this, maxing out your credit cards might be easier, and happen sooner, than you might ever have believed.
The resort contains two separate branches of Colombian Emeralds (one in the Marina Village, another within the Atlantis Paradise Island's Beach Tower), where the colored gemstones far outnumber the relatively limited selection of diamonds. Individual purveyors on-site include Lalique, the France-based purveyor of fine crystal and fashion accessories for men and women; Cartier; Versace, the late designer to the stars (this boutique also has a particularly charming housewares division); Façonnable, a youthful, sporty designer for young and beautiful club-hoppers; Bulgari, purveyor of the most enviable jewels in the world, as well as watches, giftware, and perfumes; and Gucci and Ferragamo, in case you forgot your dancing shoes. And if you want a bathing suit, Coles of Nassau sells swimwear by Gottex, Pucci, and Fernando Sanchez. Finally, John Bull, known for its Bay Street store in Nassau and as a pioneer seller of watches throughout The Bahamas, also has an interesting assortment of watches, jewelry, and designer accessories at this outlet.
One of our favorite shops, Doongalik Studios (tel. 242/394-1886), in the Marina Village compound, doesn't sell the predictably upscale roster of gemstones and fashion that you might have had your fill of by now. At the time of this writing, it's the only art gallery within Marina Village. Owned and operated by the architect and art connoisseur who designed Marina Village itself (Jackson Burnside), it positions itself as a bastion of Bahamian culture within the glittering row of shops otherwise devoted to luxury goods. Come here for insight into who is creating contemporary art in The Bahamas. Oil paintings by locally famous artists (including John Cox, John Paul, Jessica Colebrooke, and Eddie Minnis) range from $800 to $2,000 (£424-£1,060) each; prints -- sometimes of works by the same artists -- go for between $15 and $100 (£7.95-£53) each. Sculptures can be especially interesting, with some crafted from gnarled driftwood.
