Adelaide Beach is not on most tourists' radar, which is either a bonus or a drawback, depending on your point of view. On the south side of New Providence Island, the beach here is long and virtually empty during the week. On weekends it's popular with local residents.

Named one of the best in the world, Paradise Island's Cabbage Beach hosts several of the big hotels. Public access is on Casino Drive. The beach itself is a beautiful, wide stretch of white sand spanning about two miles of coastline. There are several places to rent watersports equipment, from jet skis to floats. Not surprisingly, it tends to be crowded and busy, more so at the western end.

This is New Providence Island's primary beach, with several major hotels. It lies about three miles west of downtown Nassau, and is notable for its calm water and expanse of fine white sand. This is where the vast majority of tourists end up, so space is often at a premium. Vendors hawking t-shirts, seashell jewelry and sunscreen meander through the crowds, sometimes offering to give lessons in some of the more popular watersports.

Situated on the north shore of New Providence, this is west of Cable Beach and therefore considerably less crowded. It's an appealing little beach that doesn't get much tourist traffic, so it's ideal if you need some space away from the throngs of vacationers at the other beaches closer to town.

PARADISE ISLAND. The village of Delaporte's public beach is another great option if you're trying to avoid the crowds. Located between Cable and Caves Beaches, it's slightly closer to downtown Nassau, yet far enough off the beaten path that most tourists never see it. If you go, check out the village, too ­ it's a charmer!