Holidays to Bahamas
From pantone-blue seas and paddling piggies to pirate-sized goblets of rum, there arghh a thousand and one reasons you should book a Bahamas holiday.
Spectacular sea life
There’s a good reason scuba divers go bananas for the Bahamas: the waters are so clear you’ll feel like an extra in Finding Nemo 2. Snorkel Beach in the Clifton Heritage National Park is heaven for underwater explorers. Head to Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden to see the huge Ocean Atlas – the largest underwater statue in the northern hemisphere.
Carnival capers
Bahamians love to partaay! Loud, lively and fuelled by rum, Junkanoo is the islands’ most fun fiesta. Named after an 18th century Ghanaian warrior and chief whose European name was John Canoe, the colourful parade and party happens several times a year. Time your Bahamas holiday right, and catch the OG of Junkanoos on Bay Street, Nassau.
Swimming piggies
Why live on a farm when you could scamper around on sugar-white beaches fringed with palm trees? The famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas have the right idea. With more paradise beaches than you can wave a sausage at, no Bahamas holiday is complete without a paddle alongside the aquatic porkers of Big Major Cay and Great Exuma.
Swashbuckling shenanigans
Once home to fleets of ships flying the Jolly Roger, the Bahamas has a long and lawless pirate history. Learn about the legend of Blackbeard at the Pirates of Nassau Museum. Walk down The Quay Side, a reconstruction of olde Nassau, which smells of tar and gunpowder. Or hop on board Blackbeard’s Revenge pirate ship for a cruise around the ha-argh-bour.
Nightlife: Fish FRY-day
Colourful beach shacks, busy food trucks and rickety, hand-painted bars serving noggins of rum, Friday fish fry is a must on any Bahamas holiday. And Arawak Cay in Nassau is the best place to party. This laidback beach enclave is where the locals come to feast on conch fritters, cracked fish and dance to Junkanoo bands until the early hours.
Sneak Peek
Best for... Pink sand-lovin’ beach bums with a hankering for a good rum cocktail. 🍹
Go... Swimming with the resident pigs of Exuma Island. 🐷
You have to... Join in with Junkanoo, the liveliest fiesta in the Bahamas. 🎉
Bahamas holiday deals
Comfort Suites Paradise Island
4.2
Very Good
- 24 Oct 2026
- 7 nights
- Bed & breakfast
- From Heathrow
Prices from
British Colonial Nassau
4.3
Excellent
- 11 Mar 2026
- 7 nights
- Room only
- From Heathrow
Prices from
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
4.4
Excellent
- 24 Oct 2026
- 7 nights
- Room only
- From Gatwick
Prices from
Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island
- 24 Oct 2026
- 7 nights
- All-inclusive
- From Heathrow
Prices from
Details
Currency
Bahamian Dollar
Language
English
Time difference
GMT -5
Cost of a beer
$3.50
3-course meal
$40
Flight time
9 hours
Top beaches: Barbie-esque beaches
As rosy as a Barbie Dreamhouse, Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island is the Instagram gold of Bahamas holiday pics. More white than pink (or green for that matter), Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island is great for little nippers. Venture here for shallow seas and sandcastle-worthy beaches, plus if you get bored, the Atlantis Resort is nearby. Elsewhere Gold Rock Beach on Grand Bahama Island is simply breathtaking, with fine white sand and clear, shallow waters. At low tide, a surprise sandbar appears, giving you private-island vibes.
Food and drink: The Conch King
Fancy something a little spec-shell? Conch is a culinary staple in the Bahamas. Pronounced “conk”, conch fritters are delectable – give the dish a go at one of the beach shacks on Arawak Cay. Conch salad – aka Caribbean ceviche – has been a Bahamian favourite since Lucayan times (around 700–1500 BCE). Top tip: try Stuart’s Conch Stand in Bailey Town on North Bimini. Like rum in your tum? Take a tasting tour of small-batch rums at the John Watling’s Distillery.
Family-friendly: (Little) pirates paradise
Pink-sand beaches, pirate ships and piggies, a Bahamas holiday is a surefire hit if you have little ones in tow. For water parks, watersports and shaded loungers, Cable Beach on New Providence Island is the place. Elsewhere, Paradise Island has the Atlantis Resort, which is home to a huge aquarium and water park with a waterslide that zooms you through shark-infested waters! Yikes! Both are easy to get to from downtown Nassau. Walk the plank at the Pirate Museum or visit Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Center for mammals, birds and reptiles galore.
When to go to the Bahamas
With temperatures sitting at a delicious 25C to 30C, swap your Uggs for your fave flip-flops on a winter sun escape to the Bahamas. To avoid downpours, the best time to visit is between December to April, when it’s all sun-drenched days, balmy nights and Junkanoo celebrations. This is the high season, so bear in mind that the main beaches will be busy, and hotels can be pricey. For a cheap Bahamas holiday, visit between May and November. There’s a higher chance of hurricanes and rain at this time of year, but the temps are still hot hot hot (July’s average highs hit 32C), and the beaches will be quieter.
