One of the Best Beaches on Earth Is Hidden in Plain Sight on Paradise Island in The Bahamas

Most people know Paradise Island before they ever see it.

They know the pink towers of Atlantis Paradise Island. They know Aquaventure, the casino, the marine habitats and the restaurants. They know The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas, one of the Caribbean’s best-known luxury hotels.

A lot fewer people know the name Cabbage Beach.

That’s surprising, because it runs for nearly two miles along the same island, right beside some of the most famous resort real estate in the Caribbean.

You don’t have to take a boat to a remote cay. You don’t have to fly to an obscure corner of The Bahamas. You can stay at one of the region’s most famous resorts, walk toward the sand and find a beach that deserves to be mentioned with the best anywhere.

Cabbage Beach is hiding in plain sight on Paradise Island.

The sand is soft and white. The beach is broad in many sections. There’s enough length to keep walking past the busiest clusters of chairs and umbrellas, and farther stretches can become considerably quieter.

Then there’s the water.

On calmer days, the shallows take on the bright turquoise and aquamarine colors associated with The Bahamas, with deeper Atlantic blue farther offshore.

It’s the kind of beach people plan entire vacations around.

Here, somehow, it often gets treated as an extra.

How Is a Beach This Good Still Overlooked?

Paradise Island has a visibility problem of the best possible kind.

There are too many famous things competing for attention.

At Atlantis Paradise Island, Aquaventure covers 141 acres, with waterslides, river rides and 14 pools. The resort also has marine habitats, multiple hotels and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges, including Fish by José Andrés, Nobu and Paranza by Michael White.

A lot of vacations are planned around those attractions before travelers ever think about the beach.

Then there’s The Ocean Club, with its 35-acre grounds, Versailles-inspired gardens, Augustinian cloisters, golf course and DUNE by Jean-Georges.

Paradise Island already has enough marquee names to fill an itinerary.

Cabbage Beach can get lost among them.

Walk onto the sand, though, and the hierarchy changes quickly.

You’ve got nearly two miles in front of you. You can find a place near the resort activity, swim, dry off, keep walking and stop again farther down.

The beach is far bigger than the quick glimpse many Paradise Island visitors ever see.

Nearly Two Miles Changes the Beach Day

Length is one of Cabbage Beach’s biggest advantages.

A small Caribbean beach can become crowded quickly. Cabbage Beach gives you far more room.

Sections near hotels can be busy, with loungers, umbrellas, vendors and water activities. Keep walking east and the clusters begin to spread out. There’s more open sand between groups. The resort buildings become less dominant behind you.

You can cover a surprising amount of ground before turning around.

The beach is especially good if you like to spend part of the day walking instead of staying in one chair.

Near the sea, the sand is firmer underfoot. Higher up, it becomes softer and deeper. Parasails pass overhead. Jet skis appear in some sections. Other parts are much quieter.

If you want more open sand, keep going.

That’s where Cabbage Beach starts to separate itself from many resort beaches.

You’re not confined to the section directly in front of your hotel.

Paradise Island Beach Club Is on a Quieter Part of It

One of the most interesting places to stay near Cabbage Beach is The Paradise Island Beach Club.

The smaller property has just 44 two-bedroom villas, each with a kitchen, living area and private balcony or patio.

That makes it very different from the giant resort experience farther west.

There are two heated outdoor pools, including a main pool with a swim-up bar, and the beach is steps from the villas. Beach service includes lounge chairs, umbrellas, food and drinks.

The resort also has The Reef Restaurant Bar and Grill and Cabbage Beach Bar & Grill.

If the beach is the main reason you’re coming to Paradise Island, the smaller villa format makes a lot of sense, particularly if you’re traveling with family or friends and want a kitchen and living room.

You’re still close to Atlantis and the rest of Paradise Island, but the immediate area is quieter.

Then There’s the Water

Eventually, every Cabbage Beach story gets here.

The colors can be extraordinary.

Near shore, the water can be nearly transparent. A little farther out, it turns turquoise and aquamarine before becoming deeper blue toward the Atlantic.

The white sand underneath intensifies the color.

Cabbage Beach does face the Atlantic, which means conditions can vary considerably. Some days bring gentle waves and easy swimming. Other days can be much more active.

If you’re traveling with younger children, check the surf before going in.

When conditions are calm, the swimming can be exceptional.

You can walk out over a sandy bottom, float in warm water and look back toward a beach lined with palms, umbrellas and low resort buildings.

It’s one of the classic Bahamas beach scenes, right in the middle of Paradise Island.

The Ocean Club Is the Luxury Classic

If your version of Paradise Island means old-school Caribbean luxury, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas remains the obvious choice.

The hotel has 107 accommodations across 35 acres, including rooms, suites and villa residences.

Its restored Augustinian cloisters and Versailles-inspired gardens are among the island’s most distinctive sights, while DUNE by Jean-Georges remains one of Paradise Island’s signature dining addresses.

There are also three pools, tennis and the Ocean Club Golf Course.

The hotel occupies a lower-key part of Paradise Island than Atlantis, with Cabbage Beach nearby.

If your trip is centered on golf, long lunches, garden walks and beach time, it’s one of the Caribbean’s strongest luxury options.

Atlantis Is the Full Resort Experience

Then there’s Atlantis Paradise Island.

If you’re traveling with children or want a vacation packed with activities, few Caribbean resorts have as much going on in one place.

Aquaventure alone can fill a day.

There are waterslides, river rides, pools and marine habitats across the resort. Atlantis also has multiple lodging choices, including The Royal, The Coral, The Cove, The Reef and Harborside Resort.

Dining is another major part of the trip.

You can reserve dinner at Nobu, eat seafood at Fish by José Andrés or try Paranza by Michael White.

It’s entirely possible to spend several days at Atlantis and barely leave the property.

Cabbage Beach is a good reason to do exactly that.

Walk east from the resort activity and Paradise Island starts to look very different.

Can You Visit Cabbage Beach From Nassau?

Yes.

Paradise Island is connected to Nassau by bridge, so Cabbage Beach can easily be part of a trip even if you’re staying elsewhere on New Providence.

You can spend part of the day in Nassau, visit the Queen’s Staircase, Fort Fincastle or the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, then head across to Paradise Island.

Arawak Cay is also worth adding if you want conch salad, cracked conch, fried fish and other Bahamian dishes.

The trip between Nassau and Paradise Island is short enough to make both part of the same vacation.

That proximity is another reason Cabbage Beach is so remarkable.

Some of the Caribbean’s great beaches require a small plane, a ferry or a long transfer.

This one is beside one of the busiest tourism districts in The Bahamas.

Does Cabbage Beach Belong With the World’s Best?

Beach rankings are always subjective, of course. We know that. But this one is definitely one of the best on the planet. Period. We’ve seen more beaches in the Caribbean than just about anybody, and this one is right around the top. 

You’ve got nearly two miles of white sand.

You’ve got sections where the crowds thin considerably.

You’ve got superb swimming when the Atlantic is calm.

You’ve got three very different ways to stay nearby: the huge resort experience of Atlantis, the luxury of The Ocean Club, and the smaller 44-villa Paradise Island Beach Club.

And you have Nassau right across the harbor.

The strange part is how little Cabbage Beach dominates the Paradise Island conversation.

People plan trips here for Atlantis. They make restaurant reservations. They schedule Aquaventure days. They reserve tee times.

Then they walk onto Cabbage Beach and find nearly two miles of white sand beside all of it.

One of the best beaches on earth has been here the whole time, hidden in plain sight on Paradise Island.