Aquaventure Water Park at Atlantis: Rides, Day Passes, Hours and Beaches

Somewhere between the stepped temple tower and the long bend of The Current, a line of kids in wet towels is already arguing over who goes down the slide first. That is Aquaventure, the water park of Atlantis on Paradise Island, in Nassau. It is open to resort guests and, with a day pass, to visitors staying elsewhere.

What is Aquaventure?

Aquaventure is a large water park at Atlantis, built around theming and attractions you would not find at a typical local water park. The theme is an ocean-themed lost city, and the whole resort plays on it, from the towers to the marine habitat. Atlantis Paradise Island sits in Nassau, Bahamas, and it is an ocean-themed casino resort spread over 154 acres with a waterpark, a marine habitat and several hotel towers.

The park is a 154-acre expanse of water slides where the sea at the beach is usually calm and clear, though conditions change. Two features anchor it: The Current, a lazy river and water raft ride hybrid, and the temple slide tower, a stepped, stone-faced structure that gives the park its most recognizable silhouette. Both are the signature pieces of the Aquaventure complexes at Atlantis resorts.

The resort around the park

Atlantis officially opened on December 11, 1998, when the Royal Towers were built. Since then the resort has grown to include The Coral, The Royal, The Cove, The Reef and Harborside Resort. The Cove, a 600-suite luxury tower, opened in March 2007. The resort is owned by Brookfield Asset Management LLC and operated by Marriott International’s Autograph Collection Hotels.

Beyond the water park, the grounds hold a marine habitat with more than 65,000 aquatic animals from 250 species, including dolphins, sharks, sawfish and stingrays. Dolphin Cay is a marine conservation and education center where visitors can interact with dolphins in a controlled environment. There is also a 7,100-yard golf course, and a casino of 60,000 square feet with 85 table games and over 700 slot machines.

When the park is open

Hours change with the season, and the shoulder months fall between the two schedules below. Pools and cabanas keep a slightly longer morning in the warm months.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so the summer schedule and the start of the winter one both fall inside it. Any trip planned in those months can run into a storm.

What are the rides and the beaches?

The rides are water slides, and the beaches are a stretch of white sand that the resort describes as five miles long, where the sea is usually calm and warm but conditions change. The mix gives you a choice between a day spent moving and a day spent floating.

The Current and the temple slides

The Current is the slow side of the park. It is a lazy river crossed with a raft ride, so you drift along a winding channel instead of waiting in a line for a single drop. It suits a mid-day stretch when the legs are tired and the sun is high, and it gives you a way to see much of the park without walking it.

The temple slide tower is the opposite experience, a vertical climb followed by a quick drop. It is the part of the park you can spot from across the resort, and it is the first thing most people point at on arrival. A workable rhythm is to reach the park when the gates open, take on the tall slides while energy is high, then float The Current through the middle of the day.

Beaches and pools

The white sand beaches are part of the water park grounds, so a day here is not only slides. Spread a towel on the sand between rides, or settle by one of the swimming pools, where cabanas are open in the warm months. Pools and cabanas open an hour before the park itself from April through September.

Lockers are rented at the Day Visitor Centre behind the temple tower, and rental runs until 6:30 PM. A $50 fee applies for an unreturned locker key, payable by room charge or credit card only, so hang on to the key when you change.

Beyond the slides

The resort fee for hotel guests also includes the marine habitat, The Dig and the Predator Tunnel. These sit on the same grounds, so a rainy or overcast hour can be spent walking past sharks, sawfish and stingrays instead of standing at the top of a slide. Dolphin Cay is the place for dolphin encounters in a controlled setting.

Who can use the park?

Hotel guests at Atlantis can use Aquaventure, and visitors staying elsewhere can enter with a day pass. For guests, the daily resort fee includes access to the water park, The Dig, the Predator Tunnel and the marine habitat. The same fee covers Wi-Fi for four devices (six at The Cove and The Reef), the fitness center, two reusable water bottles, the resort shuttle and local phone calls.

Day passes for non-resort guests

Day passes are required for all non-resort guests and must be bought in advance. They can be booked online and give access to the water park, Dolphin Cay, the marine habitat, the pools and the beaches on Paradise Island. Prices are set by age: adults are 13 years and older, children are ages 4 to 12, and children under 3 are free.

Wristbands are picked up at the Atlantis Adventures Desks or the Ticket Center. Check-in runs daily from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM at the Atlantis Adventures Tour Center, which leaves a gap before the park opens at 10 AM for collecting wristbands and sorting out lockers.

Staying at Atlantis

At The Coral, The Royal, The Cove and The Reef, at least one guest must be 18 or older and present a valid credit card at check-in. At Harborside Resort, at least one guest must be 21 or older and present a valid credit card. Check-in is at 4:00 PM at all five. Check-out is at 11:00 AM at the four towers and 10:00 AM at Harborside.

Dining reservations can be made 90 days or less before arrival, subject to availability, which is useful to know if a water park day is part of a longer stay.

Cancellation windows for stays

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.

Aquaventure sits on Paradise Island, so everything above, from the day pass to the wristband desk, belongs to that one resort in Nassau. Bring a card for the locker deposit rules, since a lost key is charged only to a room or a credit card. Plan the day around the season, with the park closing earlier in winter and staying open longer from March into September.