Murray On Travel

Like the city that inspired its name, The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas is impressive in its grandeur. Its architecture and facilities follow the theme of the Lost City of Atlantis, with its huge aquariums, a 141-acre water park with underwater ruins, a giant casino, a number of restaurants, as well as a shopping village.

A lot of families choose the Atlantis for its child- and family-friendly activities. It has over 3,200 rooms and suites, as well as facilities for meetings and conferences.

An Aquatic Thrill Ride at Aquaventure Water Park

The Aquaventure Water Park has high-speed, giant water slides (including a near-vertical 50-feet drop in the dark!), a one-mile long river that goes through tunnels and has rapids and wave surges, and several freshwater pools that are good for both adults and children.

This largest water park in the Caribbean offers the most elaborate water adventure of its kind. It has several attractions, including the Mayan Temple, a 60-foot slide with a near-vertical drop meeting any thrill-seeker’s need for an adrenaline rush, and the Serpent Slide, so-called because guests ride a tube through the tunnels and into the shark tank inside an aquarium, giving a clear view of these aquatic predators.

The Abyss is near-vertical drop in a dark tube. Guests can be heard screaming all the way down, and but can be usually be found coming back for another turn!

Admire the underwater ruins at The Dig. The Dig is a maze of interconnected chambers and tunnels featuring the ruins of the Lost City, threading through gigantic aquariums with numerous underwater inhabitants.

As guests go around the tunnels, they can admire a variety of sea creatures, from sharks and jellyfish, to lobsters, piranhas, lionfish, and even moray eels. There are huge groupers, as well as a variety of colorful tropical fish. There is also an interactive touch tank aquarium to give guests a unique experience. All in all, the huge marine exhibit has over 200 species of marine life. Resort Website

To give children something to talk about back home, have them observe these creatures feeding at the Lagoon.

If all these are not enough, the Dolphin Cay in Atlantis offers another unique experience for resort guests. It is a 14-acre dolphin habitat where guests can choose to swim with the dolphins in the shallow water or even underwater using the resort’s water scooter.

There is also a Trainer for the Day program where one can spend 6 hours of the day feeding, training, caring, and generally interacting with dolphins.

Guests can choose to stay at any of the six towers on Paradise Island: the signature Royal Towers, the Cove Atlantis, The Reef Atlantis, Coral Towers, Beach Tower, and the Harborside Resort where they have a variety of villas to choose from.

The Atlantis also has an 18-hole par 72 championship golf course, a spa, a fitness center, a tennis court, a rock climbing facility, and even a pottery center for both kids and adults. The resort has a theater, several bars and nightclubs, and a library with over 2,000 books as well.  Photos provided by the property.