Whether you visit Nassau by cruise or by plane and stay a few nights. Chances are you will want to visit one of the beaches of the Bahamas for some rest and relaxation. Junkanoo beach is just one of many.
Sun , Sand and Sea was once the motto for the Bahamas and our pristine waters, powder white sands and endless all year round sunshine was the main selling point for many years.
Contrary to popular belief not all the beaches in the Bahamas meet this criteria and even less have what it takes to be dubbed The Best Beach.
Many travel sites have list of the top 10 beaches in the Bahamas but they are all cookie cutter and generic information that sells the dream that every beach is and can be amazing.
Here at Bahamas Information Guide we will point our the beaches of the Bahamas that not only travel sites talk about but the hidden ones only the locals know of.
We will give you access to our world and give a non bias rating that is not only useful for locals but visitors that are looking for a particular beach to visit and enjoy.
Bahamas Information Guide rating of Junkanoo Beach
6/10 = Good – I would bring my family here
Bahamas Information guide rates Junkanoo beach, in Nassau the Bahamas a 6 out of 10.
Take a look at how we arrived at this rating, view images and video of the beach and comment if you agree or disagree. Tell us your rating.
Junkanoo beach rating guide Contents
Are beaches free in The Bahamas?
There is a saying that may be heard among the locals that there are not private beaches in the Bahamas.
This is partially correct but mostly incorrect. The issue is that all beaches are public from the high water mark to the sea but from the high water mark inland is private.
This has caused issues over the years with public access to certain beaches. Most access requires traversing through private property to reach the beach area. This is trespassing.
However if you happen to gain access to the beach via public access you can walk the entire coastline as far as you can as long as you remain between the sea and high water mark. Property owners rarely ask for you to leave but its also not uncommon.
Hotels are known to keep non guest away and separated from their guest hence access to beaches behind hotel property are always private… but only at the point of the high water mark.
Beaches and parks are regulated by the Public Parks and Beaches Authority you can visit an article that discusses the private and public parts of a beach HERE
“I believe every right thinking Bahamian would be saddened by the unfortunate reality that although we live in a land of undisputed beauty, much of that beauty is kept hidden from our people, to be seen from a distance. Madam President, by way of background under Bahamian Law, the land below the high water mark ordinarily vests in the Crown. I say ordinarily as there are a few exceptions to this rule such as seabed leases but almost always, the land which is below the high water mark is owned by the Crown.“
Bahamas beach rating guide
To consider what makes a good beach instead of just listing what the popular vote may be, we put together 10 things to consider to rate each beach. Each consideration is worth one point hence if a beach has 10/10 points it is considered an excellent beach.
The ratings take into account various beach types throughout the Bahamas considering what guest and locals consider to be a requirement for a good beach
Here are the rating points listed below and the final rating score
- Location
- Access
- Wild Life
- Beach parts
- Swash zone
- Beach face
- Berm
- Water
- Uniqueness
- Amenities
- Bathroom
- Food and Drinks
- Beach equipment
- Water sports
- Human Impact
- Locals
- Tourist
- Safety
- Privacy
- Enjoyment
Beach rating score card
- 1/10 = Avoid at all cost
- 2/10 = Horrible – Keep driving
- 3/10 = Bad – Nice to visit but not to stay
- 4/10 = Not bad, needs Improvement
- 5/10 = Average – I can swim here
- 6/10 = Good – I would bring my family here
- 7/10 = Above average – I would have a date here and even propose
- 8/10= Really good – One of the best beaches
- 9/10 = Excellent – Has all you will ever want
- 10/10 = Superb!! – Pure beach heaven, never leave
Photos of Junkanoo Beach Nassau Bahamas
Junkanoo Beach rating guide
Location
Junkanoo Beach is perhaps the closest beach to Nassau cruise port that has free access, amenities and is within walking distance.
Junkanoo beach is a 8 minute stroll west from the cruise port, past the shops of downtown Nassau and next to the British colonial hotel.
This makes finding this beach from Nassau cruise port or any hotel pretty easy. The beach is also located near downtown and several popular hotels in the area. Its proximity to Downtown Nassau makes it one of the most popular beaches on New Providence for tourist.
Bahamas Information guide gives Junkanoo beach 1 point for its location
Access
Access is easy and the beach is free with no issues of walking from the sidewalk directly onto the beach.
There is wheel chair access via the ramped sidewalk to the beach but once you hit the sand access via a wheel chair comes to a sandy halt.
The beach is all open public space near downtown Nassau making it a priority on the government of the Bahamas list to ensure locals and tourist alike can enjoy the beach.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach 1 point for ease of access
Wild Life
Junkanoo beach is protected from the Atlantic ocean by Paradise Island and it is very close to the cruise port. It is because of these to factors not many wild life sea creatures come close to the shoreline of Junkanoo beach.
The beach is often crowded with tourist and locals alike hence another reason wild life tend to stay away from the area.
You may be lucky enough to spot small silver fish in the water swimming in small schools looking for scraps of food. The same for seagulls which are opportunist hence be careful to not leave your food unattended even if you look away for a moment.
Bahamas Information Guide grants no points for wild life
Beach parts of Junkanoo beach
Every beach should have three distinct parts. A swash zone, beach face, wrack line and berm area. Depending on what each part of the beach holds makes a beach a good one.
The swash zone is the part of the beach where the water laps on the sand. This area varies with the tide and is more separated during low tide from the beach face and wrack line.
The beach face is the middle ground between the swash zone and the wrack line. It is in this area that the tide rises and falls and the sand here can be compact and moist
The wrack line also known as the high tide mark is the end of the wet sand area that the swash zone can encompass during high tide. This portion of the beach can sometimes have seaweed that was washed ashore during high tide.
The berm is considered the actual beach area we enjoy the most. It is the driest area away from the water, but during storms the sea can reach this area. However not all beaches have sand in this area, the beach berm can also be a rocky beach.
Swash zone
The swash zone of Junkanoo beach is well defined mainly because it is between two jetties that stretch out into the water.
These jetties help keep the beach from eroding and exposing the lime stone beneath the sand.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach swash zone 0.25 points
Beach face
The beach face is that change over from the high water mark towards the wrack line. It too is clearly defined by wet sand in the swash zone and the semi wet sand moving toward the beach berm area.
Most beaches tend to have seaweed in its beach face which can be unsightly and others may not feel comfortable around. Because junkanoo beach is always busy the seaweed is cleaned early every morning along with trash from the previous day.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach beach face 0.25 points
Wrack line
There no discernable wrack line on junkanoo beach.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach no points for its lack of wrack line
Beach berm
The beach berm of Junkanoo beach is used by sun bathers, to play volley ball and a number of stalls that sell drinks and light finger foods.
There are not trees in the immediate part of junkanoo beach but as you move further west away from the Hilton hotel there are some trees that can provide shade for you.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach no points as its berm is commercialized.
The total score for Junkanoo beach beach parts is 0.5 points
Uniqueness of Junkanoo beach
What makes Junkanoo beach a unique beach?
Its commercialization is what makes junkanoo beach unique. This level of stationary and permanent vendors is quite unique compared to many beaches in the Bahamas and on Nassau.
Junkanoo beach is considered a party beach due to the availability of alcohol and other foods at the beach its self not to mention minor souvenirs that are on sale.
The beach is not overly popular with locals although young boys can be seen from time to time diving off the jetty into the water.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach 1 point for its uniqueness
Amenities
This beach has all amenities you can think of. Its commercialization ensures that food, drinks, rental lounge chairs, and umbrellas, public bathrooms, souvenirs and even water sports are all available.
There are many small stalls with various sale items that occupy the beach near the road. Vendors walk the beach soliciting guest to purchase drinks, food or trinkets.
Another unseal amenity of the beach is that there is a police station is directly across the street from beach which help aide in the safety of the beach which can get crowded especially during spring break.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach 0.5 points for its amenities. while it has many amenities its over commercialization takes away from the beach rest and relaxation experience and focuses more on the party beach experience.
Human impact
Crowded beaches are bound to have some sort of human impact that may affect the beach experience. Junkanoo beach requires daily maintenance to ensure the new influx of guest enjoy their stay at the beach.
The Bahamas government has been doing a good job in ensuring the beaches are cleaned every evening and morning for the next influx of visitors however, throughout the day its harder to keep up with the trash discarded by visitors.
Complaints of cigarette butts, plastic cups, napkins, bottles and other discarded food items are a common read on many travel review sites.
On any given day the beach can become so crowded that its hard to find a good spot to spread a towel and enjoy the sunshine.
The proximity to the street and downtown Nassau is another issue. Although its not overly noticeable, the city live of cars passing by, horns honking and loud trucks rumbling can still be heard over the lapping of the waves and calls of the seagulls.
The human impact is just to great to the beach to remain sustainable, as we mentioned that even the wild life stays away from this beach.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach no point for its over commercialization and heavy human impact on the environment.
Safety at Junkanoo beach
Where ever crowds of persons gather altercations are bound to happen. Tie into the mix the consumption of alcohol and the chances increase for human to human interactions.
Beyond verbal of physical possibilities the safety of your belongings are at greater risk of being stolen by a thief blending in with the crowd. Although the police officers do a great job of ensuring local loiterers are removed from the beach, its is not always the locals you have to watch out for.
Many visitors take advantage of the crowds and use the opportunity to relieve other visitors of their belongings. Its the perfect cover as the guest will most likely blame the locals or the country as being bad or unsafe.
The good news is violet crime is not common at this beach as there are always undercover officers watching the scene and will quell any issues before you even know something happened.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach 1 point for its safety
Privacy
There is not much to discuss here as there is little to no privacy at Junkanoo beach. It is one of the most crowded and well visited beaches not only on New Providence but the Bahamas.
Add to this its proximity to the main road and its not a place you may want to live out your fantasy of skinny dipping in the Bahamas
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach grants no points for privacy
Enjoyment
Overall enjoyment of a beach is an individual matter. What you may enjoy the other person may loath hence its difficult to rate enjoyment.
What can be stated however is based on all the other considerations what is the likelihood that the majority of visitors to a beach will enjoy it?
Based on the ratings thus far the overall enjoyment of Junkanoo beach would be rather high as there is such a diversity of persons that visit the beach the odds of not having fun is almost negligible.
Bahamas Information Guide gives Junkanoo beach 1 point for enjoyment.
Final rating score for Junkanoo Beach
6 out of 10
Do you agree with this rating? If you do or not leave a comment below with your experience of Junkanoo beach we and others would love to read your thoughts.