Nassau relaxing beach or idea - in a week?

[aimcat]

Last year in Nassau we did a deal where we took a boat about an hour into Blue Lagoon, and while we enjoyed our day here the boat ride was about an hour, packed and just no to that again....what is another Nassau idea that doesn't involve an hour ride? Something nice, or just a beach to chill on? 

[lizroxy24]

Maybe look at the Clifton National Park tour.  It is a little bit of a drive but they will pick you up in a small group and take you to a very uncrowded beautiful beach which for us was worth a bit of a drive.

[aimcat]

Our ship comes into port at 11am. With that being said - what options should I look at for either a good beach to chill on or maybe a reputable ATV tour? 

[Bootscootin]

the Wharf area just past Junkaroo Beach. About the midpoint of the beach, past the throng but before all the concessions. You may want to use the concessions for chairs, umbrellas and water equipment

[aimcat]

Really want to avoid the beaches that have all the vendors and people trying to sell stuff...

[dvan68]

Take a cab to Cable Beach - only a 10 minute ride.  The driver will have you give a time that you want to return and will hook you up with a vendor for Chairs and Umbrella.  There are food and drink vendors, but no one is wandering the beach bothering you.

[blue_water]

I see this post is too late for the OP, just want to comment on the new Cable Beach recommendation.

 

We spent two weeks on Cable Beach a year ago and there was nothing but condo properties and the new Baha Mar property, which we stayed next to. Prior to Baha Mar (years ago) you could enjoy the beach at the Sheraton or whatever hotel was there. Baha Mar does not allow day visitors on the guest beach. 

The nearest public beach access we saw in Cable Beach was next to the Bob Marley hotel, which has since been closed, and there were no vendors or facilities at the beach. We met two couples on the street at Cable Beach who had just gotten off a jitney and we suggested they take the bus back to Goodman’s but they kept walking toward Baha Mar…

 

Goodman’s Bay - vendors selling food/drinks, renting lounges and jet skis. It’s a bit busy and not a perfect relaxing beach, but much better than Junkanoo Beach, that is too close to the ship..

Anyway unless something has changed we’d head to Goodman’s Bay, or perhaps Saunders Beach which is before Goodman’s. Grab the #10 jitney at Bay Street and Frederick and just tell the driver where you are going. $1.25 each way, exact change appreciated…

[mjkacmom]

13 hours ago, blue_water said:

I see this post is too late for the OP, just want to comment on the new Cable Beach recommendation.

 

We spent two weeks on Cable Beach a year ago and there was nothing but condo properties and the new Baha Mar property, which we stayed next to. Prior to Baha Mar (years ago) you could enjoy the beach at the Sheraton or whatever hotel was there. Baha Mar does not allow day visitors on the guest beach. 

The nearest public beach access we saw in Cable Beach was next to the Bob Marley hotel, which has since been closed, and there were no vendors or facilities at the beach. We met two couples on the street at Cable Beach who had just gotten off a jitney and we suggested they take the bus back to Goodman’s but they kept walking toward Baha Mar…

 

Goodman’s Bay - vendors selling food/drinks, renting lounges and jet skis. It’s a bit busy and not a perfect relaxing beach, but much better than Junkanoo Beach, that is too close to the ship..

Anyway unless something has changed we’d head to Goodman’s Bay, or perhaps Saunders Beach which is before Goodman’s. Grab the #10 jitney at Bay Street and Frederick and just tell the driver where you are going. $1.25 each way, exact change appreciated…

Good information, I had also heard that going to cable beach is really no longer an option.

[dvan68]

We were there in September. Used the taxi station in the cruise port, and they collected a bunch of us to go to Cable Beach. When the driver dropped us off, we arranged a pick up time, and he got us a vendor for a chair and umbrella. There were no roaming vendors, and a couple of stands doing drinks and we got some cracked conch. I don’t know what beach we were on if it wasn’t Cable because that’s what we asked for. 

[blue_water]

20 hours ago, dvan68 said:

We were there in September. Used the taxi station in the cruise port, and they collected a bunch of us to go to Cable Beach. When the driver dropped us off, we arranged a pick up time, and he got us a vendor for a chair and umbrella. There were no roaming vendors, and a couple of stands doing drinks and we got some cracked conch. I don’t know what beach we were on if it wasn’t Cable because that’s what we asked for. 

Perhaps Goodman’s Bay.

There may now be a vendor renting lounges at the public access area next to Bob Marley house. 
Curious - was it a large open beach area and was there a jet ski rental there?

[dvan68]

14 minutes ago, blue_water said:

Curious - was it a large open beach area and was there a jet ski rental there?

Yes, it was an open beach, with jet ski rentals.  It seemed like there were several locals renting the loungers, and our taxi driver did the talking, then they just asked us where we wanted to be- in the shade or out near the water.  It was all very easy.  Outside of the water being very warm (it was September) we had a great time there.  Very relaxing - we were there about 4 hours.

[blue_water]

53 minutes ago, dvan68 said:

Yes, it was an open beach, with jet ski rentals.  It seemed like there were several locals renting the loungers, and our taxi driver did the talking, then they just asked us where we wanted to be- in the shade or out near the water.  It was all very easy.  Outside of the water being very warm (it was September) we had a great time there.  Very relaxing - we were there about 4 hours.

Yes that sounds like Goodman’s Bay, that’s near Cable Beach “proper” and where I recommend day visitors go.

much nicer than the more crowded Junkanoo Beach! 👍

For others looking for a beach option, your post is helpful. They can just hop a jitney in town (at Bay and Frederick Sts) and get there for $1.25/pp each way (exact change appreciated). The #10 and other buses stop there to return you to town…