Visit legendary Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas
By Trish Riley
South Florida Parenting
Important: This article was last updated on April 18, 2005. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
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See larger image (AP Photo/Craig Lenihan) Dec 12, 1998  |
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It's amazing how much undeveloped land can be seen from the air, especially considering the crowded streets after we land and head by car to the huge resort Atlantis on Paradise Island just across Nassau Harbor.
The Caribbean's crystal-clear blue waters help put the Bahamas at the top of the list of choice getaways. Less than an hour's flight from Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami, the tropical destination is nurturing an ever-increasing tourism industry -and with kid-friendly resorts, it's a great place for a long weekend. Airfare is about $150 roundtrip on Spirit Airlines.
Paradise Island is home to hotels owned by Donald Trump and Merv Griffin, and the Atlantis resort, an other-worldly creation of South African developer Sol Kerzner.
'HISTORICAL' SITE
When guests enter the resort's main lobby, they are greeted by an expansive mural depicting the history of Atlantis as related by Plato. The mural covers the high, domed ceiling of the resort lobby. Beyond, a restaurant is situated against a backdrop of a grand seascape -- this time it's real -- and the walls are floor-to-ceiling glass windows looking into the largest aquarium in the world, giving guests their first hint of the piece de resistance of Atlantis.
In an extravagant design comparable to the wonders of Disney, developer Kerzner sought to create an unforgettable paradise. Themed after the mythic legend of Atlantis, the resort features more than 50,000 sea creatures living in the world's largest man-made marine habitat.
An underground network of passages, The Dig, gives explorers the chance to admire a wide collection of zebra stingrays, iridescent jellyfish, huge grouper, and blue eels snaking in and out of olive jars and wine casks, perhaps left behind by Atlanteans when their country was wiped out by an earthquake in 1,500 B.C. A tube-shaped walkway takes visitors beneath the marine Predator Lagoon, where they can admire the sharks and piranhas that guard the ancient treasures abandoned by the legendarily brilliant citizens of the lost city.
The resort is so monstrous that tours are available daily. Just check with the concierge.
As we make our way through the dark, mysterious, cave-like Dig on our tour, I suggest to our tour guide that many guests might actually believe that the resort is built on the site of an archaeological dig with real historic value, not a re-created legend built on a spit of land with no actual archaeological significance. "Yes, they do," guide Eric Hall replies. "We encourage that."
Families can learn about the legend of Atlantis from books, games and toys offered at the gift shop at the end of the amazing tunnel.
LAGOONS AND WATERWAYS
While many kids and adults may wish to spend hours in this cool environment watching the beautiful sea creatures, there is a nice view from above the lagoons and waterways that blanket the property, too. An amazing manta ray with a wingspan of 8-10 feet nearly covers the width of a waterway lining the hotel's perimeter as he swims majestically back and forth for guests to admire.
From the Lagoon Bar and Grill, a dome-roofed open-air restaurant, diners can gaze down into a pool filled with sharks and man-sized saw fish. Daring adventurers can climb to the top of the Mayan Temple and slide 60 feet down a nearly vertical slope while passing through shark-infested waters -- but don't worry, there's a clear tunnel that separates humans from the sharp-toothed fish.
Other water sports available include personal watercraft, parasailing, kiddie pools with shallow, zero-entry edges, and a snorkeling lagoon that's stocked with colorful tropical fish.
ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS
Kids can join Discovery Channel Camp and spend their days exploring the history and science of the sea. Older children are invited to hang out at Club Rush Teen Center, open evenings 8:30-midnight, with movies, video games, Internet access, music and dancing.
In-room baby-sitting is available for younger children if parents want to visit the casino or have a romantic dinner alone at one of the resort's 35 restaurants, which offer a wide range of world cuisine. Parents will want to take the kids along when they eat at Seagrapes, where there's a Kids Korner buffet featuring such culinary treats as macaroni and cheese, pizza and hot dogs.
Rooms start at $225 and run to $2,500 for a two-bedroom suite.
Celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears have spent time at Atlantis. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen filmed their movie Holiday in the Sun here.
ISLAND TOUR
Once you've soaked up all the rays you can stand and the kids have exhausted themselves playing around the resort, consider taking an island tour, available through the concierge. Our guide took us to Nassau Harbor, where boats from other islands bring in fish and produce for New Providence.
Colorful goodies fill market shacks along the waterfront. Fiery red crabs claw their way around cages next to baskets of bright orange habanero peppers, and deep pink conch shells are piled on the counters. Market vendors are busy piercing the shells and extracting the conch, and they're ready with limes, onions and peppers to whip up a fresh conch salad -the national signature dish -for anyone who'd like a snack.
We also visited Fort Charlotte, built in 1787-1789 to protect the British-owned islands from attack. The Queen's Staircase is nearby, 60-some steps from the hilltop to a city street below, carved into the limestone by slaves. Near the staircase is a water tower that doubles as a lighthouse, which guests may ascend for a sweeping panoramic view of the island.
It may not be the real home of the legendary Atlanteans, but the people you do meet in this island paradise are gracious and friendly, truly among the Bahamas' greatest resources.
Trish Riley is the author of Florida's Gold Coast and the Keys (Countryman Press, 2005).