NeedToVacation

Hi.

I would suggest Saunders Beach. It's probably still within walking distance of Arawak Cay / Fish Fry area. We took the #10 jitney (local bus) for $1.25 per person from Mc Donalds. It was only about a 5 or 6 minute ride. It's before all the resorts at Cable Beach.

You could even take the bus one-way there, hang at the beach, then leisurely walk back past Fish Fry for lunch, then end up at Señor Frogs.

** It's just a clean, lovely local beach - no crowds. It's got a big public restroom. There's a Shell gas station right across the street, if you wanted a cool drink or some snacks. The water is calm & beautiful!

I'm going to try to attach some pictures. I would highly recommend this beach over Junkanoo!

pdf Saunders Beach Nassau.pdf

Hi. We've been to Ardastra Gardens and Zoo about three times over the past 6 years. It's nice and small, but still a lot of cool stuff to see. You can do a cruise line excursion there, or to save money, you can grab a cab or the local jitney (bus). Then you'd probably want to head to Cable Beach afterwards for swimming and water sports. There's also the Pirate Museum close to the cruise port. We've never gone in though.

Otherwise, if you're at all interested in a snorkel tour, I highly recommend Bay West Adventures. We did the private boat tour for just 4 adults and loved it! They have different sizes of boats available, ours was the 18-foot pontoon boat. They also offer a group tour for a less expensive rate. These local guys are terrific!! The boats are comfortable, and the water in the Bahamas is so beautiful!!! They take you to a private island and give you a short tour. You'll see rays and sea turtles (right from the boat) at Goodman's Bay, and whoever wants to try snorkeling can do so at the reef and one other spot.

Good luck! Have fun!

OK - here are some pictures from our snorkel trip with BayWest Adventures. Hope this helps you decide. Have fun, whatever you do!!

pdf Bay West Adventures Nassau.pdf

pdf Nassau Bahamas.pdf

jwlnroe, Did you end up going out to Gold Rock Beach? Or did you go to Paradise Cove/Deadmans Reef? We are sailing in February and really want to make it out to Gold Rock. The only thing holding us back is trying to figure out how to get out there since it's so remote. Renting a car is not an option for us (not going to attempt to drive on the left side anytime soon! ha!) Curious what you ended up doing! Any advice or tips would be appreciated! Thanks in advance :)

Hi. Try looking on Viator or shoreexcursioneer for Lucayan National Park Tour or Freeport Eastern Heritage Tour. They take you to see the caves and mangroves at the park and then you walk across the street to Gold Rock Beach.

We've gone with a local, Jeff Pinder, with Grand Bahama Eco Tours, but his information is not online right now. You can email him at jpinder.west@gmail.com and he should get right back to you. I would highly recommend him. Super nice guy.

Just got an email from Basil from Blue Hole Water Sports, and they are not operating on Christmas Eve. I'm glad that I talked to Bay west Adventures. If you have any reviews on them I would love to hear about them.

 

Thanks,

Cynthia

We used BayWest Adventures last November/early December. I would highly recommend them!

There were only 4 of us, but we paid for the private tour. He brought the 18-foot pontoon boat right up to the dock area at the port, so we didn't have to take a taxi anywhere to meet him. You just walk over to Señor Frog's from the cruise terminal (maybe a 5 or 6 minute walk if you take your time). We had my 72-year old mother along (who has scoliosis) and wanted her to be comfortable. The boat has padded chairs, shade, and he even brought snacks & drinks that I had requested through earlier emails.

The local guys with this company are great! Our captain took us to 3 different places to snorkel, all very close to each other, but different scenery at each. One was the reef, another was Goodman's Bay - where it is grassy, so you'll see rays and turtles. The other snorkel spot is around an abandoned "walk-in aquarium". As for the temperature of the water, I'm usually the first one to start shivering, but I was fine in Nov/Dec. It's just so turquoise blue, crystal clear, and beautiful that I would not ever pass up getting in that water any time of the year - even if it was a little chilly.

He'll take you to an island also. I would suggest to stay right on the little secluded beach and enjoy the water instead of having him give you the whole tour of the island. It might be too much walking for your mom. And you don't see a whole lot there - but where he pulls the boat up on the beach is wonderful.

Let me see if I can post a few pictures... or I can tell you where to look for my online review. Back soon.

Hi. I agree with Brunello22.

** Lucayan National Park is very cool. They'll take you through a couple of caves, and walk on a boardwalk over mangroves. Right across the street is Gold Rock Beach. (So beautiful!) It's not for snorkeling though - it's too shallow and sandy. The kids could splash around and play in the sand. Look online for Eastern Heritage Tour / Lucayan National Park Tours if you don't want to rent a car. I think Viator has one and maybe shoreexcursioneer. Or, you could email jpinder.west@gmail.com. It's a local tour company that we've used before (Jeff Pinder) - Grand Bahama Eco Tours, but he's not online currently.

We've also done the snorkel tour with Pat & Diane's out of Freeport when our kids were about that same age as yours. Look them up online.

-- In Nassau, we love Ardastra Gardens and Zoo. It's nice and small, but with a good variety of animals, We've just hopped on the local bus for $1.25 each (or you can grab a taxi), and afterwards you can have them take you to Cable Beach for swimming and water sports.

I would not stay onboard in either of these ports!

I would look at the Pirate Museum, just a short walk from the port. Not sure what it costs.

** Also Ardastra Gardens and Zoo is wonderful. ** Catch a cab or the #10 jitney for a short ride there. Zoo costs about $18 per adult, less for kids.

After the zoo, there is Saunders Beach (if you want a quiet local beach) or Cable Beach a little further down, which has water sports available (more people around). Both are beautiful, with crystal-clear turquoise water and sandy beaches.

If you're looking for a snorkel excursion, we went with Bay West Adventures. These guys were great! They could email you an answer about ages for snorkeling. I would highly recommend them.

Hi. We did the private tour with them last year, so we had the whole pontoon boat and captain to ourselves (just 4 adults). This company is awesome! One of the owners had emailed us before we left on our cruise asking what types of drinks and snacks we would like, so they were all stocked up for us The captain pulls the boat right up to the dock area by Señor Frog's just outside the cruise port - maybe a 4 minute walk. Very convenient.

The snorkeling was great! The water is so crystal clear and bright turquoise blue. We snorkeled in 2 different spots, plus he let my husband and brother slip quietly into the water and snorkel around in Goodman's Bay where we could see a turtle and ray swimming in the shallows.

They'll take you to the little deserted island that Eddie Murphy used to own. Even my 73-year old Mom got in the water at that small beach area since we were the only ones there.

We would all highly recommend this company. Have fun!!

UPDATE: Yes, Jeff Pinder is still in business. He emailed me right back from last night. He gave a phone # of 804-4898. I'm assuming that's local, so area code 242 maybe.

But you can just email him at jpinder.west@gmail.com (keep an eye on Spellcheck though - it will change the p). Request the Eastern Heritage Cultural Tour and tell him which ship you're arriving on & the date.

I highly recommend him.

UPDATE: If you haven't booked anything yet, email Jeff Pinder - he's still doing business. When we went last year, it was $80. per person, but totally worth it! No crowds. You'll probably be the only ones in a 7-passenger van. And the restaurant that he takes you to afterwards for lunch is WONDERFUL!! It's owned by locals and sits right on another very nice beach. Fresh-caught seafood on the menu / all included.

He emailed me back right away from last night. His email: jpinder.west@gmail.com (Keep an eye on Spellcheck when you type it in. It will change your spelling.)

Hey Tia,

I responded on the other thread about looking into Grand Bahama Eco Tours to see if they're still in business.

Otherwise, have you tried looking at Viator (outside excursion company)? Try their Lucayan National Park Tour for $50. pp. If you read the details, it sounds like just what you want to do. The caves are at the park, and Gold Rock Beach is just across the street.

Good luck! Hope you find one that works for you. Have fun!!

So, I looked back on my paperwork from April 2016 when we did this tour to Gold Rock / Lucayan National Park. There was a toll free # that you could try: 954-400-5368. And I have the email address he gave me when we were communicating about the tour: it was jpinder.west@gmail.com. I just tried to email him tonight (9/2) to see if he's still doing tours. I'll let you know if he responds.

-- And yes, it was roundtrip transportation. He was our own "private tour guide" for the day, from and back to the port.

Hi lumpyspaceprincess, (love the name!)

We stayed on Gold Rock Beach at least 45 minutes to an hour. It was still pretty early - maybe 10am, and he told us to take as long as we wanted. My Mom & I just waded out a little ways, took some pictures and enjoyed the beauty of it all.

I can't seem to find his website anymore though. It used to be under grandbahamaecotours. It might be renamed. I saw his name (Jeffrey Pinder) under Bahamas Interisland Tours when I did a Google search. It gives his phone number (242)727-7463. You might also try looking up his Facebook page if he has one. (?)

Otherwise, I saw the same exact excursion on shoreexcursioneer, but it says you need a minimum of 8 participants.

I'll keep looking and let you know if I find anything else. Now I'm curious!

We went with Bay West Adventures last year, and these guys were terrific! There were 4 of us, so we all pitched in to do the private tour on a pontoon boat. But one of the other boats came by while we were snorkeling, and they had only about 6 or 8 people on theirs. Look them up online. I would highly recommend them.

Well thanks a lot for all the input once again. I have a while to think and plan on what I want to do so I will just have to keep an eye on the boards and see if something else really interests me since that sounds easier. If not I guess I can always figure something out to get out there. Thanks so much!

 

 

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Hi Pugster4,

Have you gone on your cruise yet?

If not, try Papito's - we booked it through shoreexcursioneer last year, and it was wonderful! It includes transportation there and back, and your driver stays with you. Your driver will turn in to Punta Sur, then go back past the lighthouse to a little "beach club" area with a secluded beautiful beach. We were the only ones there at 10am - had the place to ourselves! You get snorkel gear included, use of their chairs / umbrellas. There is a restaurant/bar for a snack or meal or just drinks. No loud music - very relaxing. *See attached pics

Three of the six of us snorkeled. It was a good 10 - 15 minute swim before you see any reef or fish, since it's just nice & sandy where you start. But we did see a ray, then some brain coral, lots of big angel-looking fish, parrot fish, etc... I wore a watch so I knew how long to stay out. Maybe stayed out for an hour. We saw about 8 other people there by the time we came back.

We asked our driver if we could go climb the lighthouse. He was happy to have us pack up a little early, then drove us back to the lighthouse (about 2 minutes away). A local guy showed us around the ruins and snapped some pictures of our group for us. Everyone was so nice. I would recommend "Papito's".

Papitos Cozumel pdf.pdf

Mystic tours. They have a Facebook page. $65 pp for 3-4 hours going to snorkel locations you mentioned. We used them last year and going again in two weeks. Very enjoyable. Felt very safe. Small groups are all they do. Must take taxi there - five minutes from port

Hi. Can you describe what kind of boat this tour has? Or do you have a picture of the boat?

We're taking my 73 year-old mother with us, and I want her to be comfortable while we are all in the water snorkeling. Would she be able to get in the water easily at El Cielo and back onto the boat?

And how small are the groups they take out? We are a party of 7. Should we ask them about a private tour just for us maybe?

Thanks for any information.

Thank you for all the info, really useful! I've emailed them to ask about timings.

The private boat sounds great but theres only 2 of us! And everyone on our roll call has other plans

Also - email them ahead of time (before you book excursion). Tell them the times you are scheduled to be in port. They will look it up and let you know if there is enough time for that particular excursion. Our ship is there from 7 - 4 in Nov. (Royal Caribbean), so one company already emailed me back that we would not be able to get back in time. Bummer...

So I'm also looking into a couple different sailboat / snorkel excursions. Try cozumelboattrip (the Adelaide) or cozumelsailing (the Tucan). They both look like fun! Good luck!!

I have heard about the snorkeling at Cozumel. But, would love some specific input.

We want to book a snorkeling cruise, maybe with H2O. I am reading that often the sites are deeper water snorkeling with the reef 30 feet below.

 

Is this because of the reef areas themselves?

Is this because, most often, this operator takes snorkelers and dives on the same outing?

 

I would love advice on where to snorkel, and who to snorkel with, to find the most beautiful shallower, reefs.

 

I will just add that the most amazing snorkeling in our limited experience has been the Marine Preserve at Puerto Morelos. Gorgeous living reef... AMAZING!

Hi. I was looking at H2O also. They look like a really good company. ** Great reviews on TripAdvisor. **

We're also considering any of the excursions that advertise that they go to Palancar Reef, Columbia Reef, and El Cielo. Those are supposed to be the best snorkeling, according to the research I've been doing.

We are booked in January and are looking at spending the day at Cable Beach. We have been to Atlantis and Junkanoo so its time for something new :) What is the best way to do Cable Beach, taxi? Is it a public beach or should we get a daypass from a resort/hotel?

It is a public beach, but if you want to use any beach loungers or have access to any restrooms, you should probably get a day pass. I have walked through the Melia Resort a couple times just to get out to the public beach from the bus stop in front. Then I just lay down my beach towel. * But a day pass is nice because then you get the beach, plus a pool, bar, chairs, restrooms, etc. It's up to you. Taxis are everywhere. You shouldn't have a problem getting a ride to or from.

Thank you for all your information everyone!! :)

Nassau is one of my favorite ports! I usually go to Cable Beach, Saunders Beach, and / or Ardastra Gardens & Zoo on my own. You can take a taxi very easily or hop on the #10 jitney (local bus). The water is crystal clear and so turquoise blue!!! And the Fish Fry is along the way if you'd like some fresh local food for lunch.

We've also done a couple snorkeling excursions there. The best was with Bay West tours (not through the cruise lines). I found them on the internet - very nice guys - great excursion!

We go again in Sept. and are looking into taking a boat to Rose Island for the day, with snorkeling and lunch included. I can't wait!! The pictures and reviews make it look like lots of fun.

- You can also walk right off the ship and do some shopping. There are plenty of stores right there, plus the huge Straw Market. - There's always Señor Frog's, if you like that kind of thing...(!)

- We've walked to the Queen's Staircase before. There's a Pirate Museum close by.

- You can ride the water taxi over to the Atlantis side (Cabbage Beach is there).

Have fun!!

My Mom & I used Galveston Express shuttle. We were very happy with the service.

Has anyone been on Liberty of the Seas recently? Wondering if we will be able to get cartons of chocolate milk on board? Thanks!

I've been to Ardastra Gardens & Zoo 3 times in the past 8 years. I love it, obviously! Just walking through all the trees and flowers - it's so lush and green and beautiful. There are peacocks and hens walking around on the pathways. Once, a peacock spread out all his colorful feathers and stood right in the middle of the sidewalk - I couldn't get by him he was so big! The flamingos are out walking freely also, but they stay in their corner area until the show.

- The animals have nice, big natural enclosed areas. It's a small enough zoo that you can see everything in about 30 - 40 minutes, but it's also not crowded, so you can take your time in any areas that you like. -- See attached pics

I usually take the #10 jitney (bus) there, and then catch it again to go to Saunders Beach or Cable Beach, both are very close - maybe 4 to 6 more bus stops down the road from Ardastra. Plus you could get some great local food at the Fish Fry, which is the bus stop you use to walk in to the zoo.

Nassau beach zoo pdf.pdf

We played on those water toys he's talking about. It was maybe four years ago. The guy charged us $5 pp. There was a big "igloo-type" mountain you could climb up and jump off, and a floating trampoline. Pretty fun stuff. Only one other person was on them besides us, but it was late in the afternoon after our boat snorkel tour dropped us off there. Not sure if he charges by the hour or what. But we only used them for about 35 - 40 minutes.

- See attached pics

We ate Jerk Chicken at the cute palapa beach restaurant right there and just walked back to the ship, which you could see in the distance. (Not sure if it was Jack's or something else...) Maybe a 12 minute walk back.

More recently though, I snorkeled right from the beach just this May. If you walk past all the free blue lounge chairs you'll get to the ones the local guys charge for. We kept walking to the red ones, rented a double chair / umbrella for $15, then I swam along the floating rope that keeps the jet skis & boats out. It's a mini drop-off, but not very deep at all. I saw huge colorful parrotfish, a ray swam by, saw a barracuda, and a couple schools of squid. They were really cool! And it's just past where all the cruise people are standing around in the water with their drinks - totally oblivious to what is under the water just inches away from them! HA!

Grand Turk pdf.pdf