Paradise Cove Beach Resort - The Red Bar — Attraction in West Grand Bahama

Summary Paradise Cove is an outstanding place to visit. This is a "must-see" that is perfect for families as well as the more intrepid traveler. The food is is great and a good value. The sugar sand beach is clean and well maintained. The snorkeling is outstanding with 4 different areas - there's something for everyone. The staff is friendly without being intrusive and genuinely want you to have a good time. I don't usually write long reviews, but this is such an amazing place with plenty of amenities, so if you want more details then read on. If not, then please look at the pictures as they tell most of the story.

• Beach Shallow with warm water, sugar sand over limestone. Beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. are available for rental. Outside showers are available. There's a large floatie for relaxing on the water. I think that they also have boogie boards with a clear viewing window and that could be really fun. Great shelling especially at low tide. The breakwater on the other side of the villas always has something interesting, including conch, snails, clams, and sea biscuits. Note that you can bring shells back to the US, but not coral (even if you find it on the shore). Large conch shells (larger than your fist) are not allowed in your carry-on but I think you could put them in your checked luggage.
• Food & Drink Good selection of foods at reasonable prices. Very good quality; everything is made to order so be patient. Fresh-caught fish and conch are available in addition to the standard grill items. Yes, you can drink the water. No, I don't recommend it as it's chemically treated and not very tasty. Best bet: Bring your refillable bottle and buy a gallon jug of water at the grocery store for under $2.
• Snorkel Outstanding; this is the best reef on the island. 4 snorkeling zones: man-made reef from large reef balls, sea grass area visited by turtles, island side of the natural reef, and ocean side of the natural reef. The man-made reef is a perfect spot to take children or those new to snorkeling. When the tide is low you can walk halfway to the starting point and it's laid out like a swimming trail. (You can actually see it on Google Earth.) There's a good variety of fish and different corals, and turtles and stingrays may come by. The island side of the natural reef is a longer swim and has a variety of terrain including trenches and deep channels that cut through the natural reef. The ocean side of the natural reef is much deeper and you are more likely to see larger fish here. If you are an avid snorkeler, then I recommend taking a guided tour around the natural reef. The guides are local and know the area very well. Good quality rental equipment is available or you can bring your own. The snorkeling briefing is mandatory even if you are experienced. It's vital for everyone to understand the safety and ecological impact we have on the reef in order to keep it healthy for future generation, Plus you'll get tips on the best places to see! Turtles! (Need I say more?)
• Staff Friendly and helpful local folks that truly want you have a good time. They are happy to answer any questions that you may have and will never make you feel pressured.
• Kayak I didn't get a chance to kayak, but it should be very good. They have standard kayaks as well as a few with glass bottoms.
• Villas Lovely 1 or 2 bedrooms with all modern conveniences and beach theme. Full kitchen with coffee maker, Keurig, toaster, microwave, stove/oven, etc. Laundry facilities are available. Basic cable and wifi. (If you want more options than basic cable, then I suggest that you bring your Firestick or other streaming gadget.) Villa rentals include beach chairs and towels. I stayed a week and it was very...

My son found this beach via the web and visited it when our cruise ship docked for most of the day in Freeport. We didn't want to pay the higher $ prices from the cruise line beaches, so we took a chance. My son, his father-in-law and his brother in-law and his two boys decided to take a trip to this site. We rented a hatchback car at the ship dock site (you should negotiate the price for the car!) and drove the 6.5 miles to Paradise Cove. Remember to drive on their side of the road - the left. We arrived on site and paid $4.00 to use the beach. It had a little kitchen along with covered picnic tables and a clean water area to wash off the salt. I purchased a nice snorkel set w/fins for about $40 for this trip, and the equipment didn't disappoint vs. the guys who didn't have good fins, mask, etc. You can rent all kinds of stuff from this place, but we just left our gear at the picnic tables. Dead Man's reef is a great place to swim to...maybe 300 yards? They have 2 anchored rest areas in the water to the right (they are round rafts) and one to the middle of the reef. Don't walk on the above water reef itself as the rock is sharp. Wear some water socks/ water shoes to wade in/out of the shallow waters. Take a GoPro or some type of underwater camera - you won't be disappointed. Our weather was sunny and about 90 degrees, and the water was bathtub warm in early October 2015. None of us opted for life preservers (which you could rent); however, we were in decent physical shape and didn't need them. Someone not athletic might consider bringing a kick board or something that would give a little buoyancy. The caretaker guy gave us a look at the types of coral on a color page, and his basic advice was to not touch the coral, and he gave a couple other suggestions. Nothing of danger in the water if you leave the creatures alone. As we swam out further and water depth increased, we began to see a number of different types of creatures. Sea turtles, a barracuda, couple of sting rays and many types of fish - kept us wanting more. As we swam around Dead Man's Reef, the depth seemed to be about 25 ft(?) and we could see bottom with bigger game down below. I felt as if we were in an aquarium, and tried to touch the many fish as they swam in our proximity. We had at least one school of beautifully colored fish swim with us. I would say it took at least an hour to casually swim the circuit and back to the beach. I wore my light-colored tee shirt to help protect me from the sun, and I think i was the only one that didn't get burned. Saw one or two people w/rubber suits on as well. One of our guys was stung by a tiny black jellyfish, and he said it felt like a tiny pinch on his skin...no issues. I'd say this was the highlight of our cruise...to be at this place. We did get some conc fritters - much like hush puppies. We spoke w/some people that hired a charter group to get here (complete w/lunch, rentals of snorkeling equipment, life vest, chair and umbrella) for $150/person. The hatchback cost us a little over $100 and $4.00 for entry. We LOVED THIS PLACE AND WOULD GO BACK TOMORROW! The videos we took were great as well. Picturesque place! If you like to swim and don't mind driving about 25 minutes, you shouldn't be...

Edit 6 months later : I just noticed the absolutely rude and disgusting reply from the owner about my 1 star review !

Since you’re questioning that I’ve actually been at your beach , let me give you a in depth description of why it was given .

Me and my family were brought to your beach by a local I’m assuming hired by the beach spot owners ( which was sketchy experience itself ) the guy drove insanely fast and wild .

Upon arriving at the beach, we were told that it cost , which was fine ! We proceeded to sit on the beach ( chairs cost) and then rented chairs . About 15min in we were offered jet skis ( declined ) however we’re constantly being hassled to buy them! After about 30min of pure harassment we agree to get on the banana boat! We were the last two on and were told to hurry up and get on with the group waiting on the boat. We get on and before we’re even able to fully strap our life safety vest on we’re pulled off at an extreme speed . We’re holding on for our lives as we aren’t strapped on and only supported by personal strength . We go two beaches down at extremes speeds crying asking to for him to stop and he doesn’t hear us . My friend tells me he’s about to fall off and I don’t hear him for approx.6 mins and I look back and he’s missing . I start screaming to the top of my lungs once again and get everyone on the bait to try and signal the driver ! We are now back down on the other side past the original beach and at another one. He finally notices and turned around to look for my friend . As we speed back we’re looking for him and about 3 mins we find him in the MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN with a life jacket ! I pull him on the boat and he takes off once again this time at a speed that is decent . We think we’re going to dock and he turns and speeds off again at a extreme speed and knocks all of us on the banana boat into the water . THE WHOLE BEACH SEE THIS! We’re panicking and getting everyone back on the banana boat and he proceeds to say something and takes us back to the dock area , where we then noticed , My phone was missing , all of our glasses and one guys wallet and hat. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSTED HAD THE OWNERS NOT RESPONDED IN A...