The Bahamas

Is the Bahamas safe to visit?

For most visitors, yes. The large resorts on Paradise Island and Cable Beach, the cruise port in Nassau and the quieter Out Islands see little serious crime against tourists, and the US rates the Bahamas Level 2, the same as Jamaica. Violent crime also fell sharply: police counted 83 murders in 2025, down from 119 in 2024.

But in a country of about 400,000 people that is still a rate of about 20.6 per 100,000 (InSight Crime), higher than the Dominican Republic or Costa Rica. The water and the weather add risks that most crime-focused advice skips. We score the Bahamas 60.

Where crime happens in Nassau

Almost all the violence is on New Providence: 76 of the 83 murders in 2025. Police say firearms were used in about 80% of murders in 2024, and much of it is gang conflict in the "Over the Hill" area south of Shirley Street, where the US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary says gangs have killed residents. Few tourists go there.

The risk for visitors is armed robbery. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports robberies, some of them fatal, in residential and tourist areas of New Providence and Grand Bahama. It advises staying in downtown Nassau, which has regular police patrols, not walking outside the main tourist areas and beaches, especially alone, and travelling in groups after dark. Break-ins and thefts are rising, particularly at vacation rentals without security guards, so lock doors and windows and use the safe.

Grand Bahama is quieter, with three murders in 2025, and the Out Islands had four between them.

The water is the bigger risk

On the Bahamas the most serious incidents involving tourists often happen at sea. Both the US and UK warn that the water-sports industry is poorly regulated. Many jet ski and boat operators are unlicensed or use poor equipment, some ignore weather forecasts, and people have been killed. There have also been reports of sexual assaults by jet ski operators in Nassau and on downtown beaches. US government employees may not rent jet skis from independent operators on New Providence or Paradise Island; that is a sensible rule for visitors too.

Sharks have killed and seriously injured swimmers. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the risk is highest at dusk and at night, even in shallow water near resorts, and near excursions that use bait or where fishermen gut their catch. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary adds that some snorkellers have died after overestimating their fitness.

Hurricanes

The islands are low-lying, which makes storm surge especially dangerous. Hurricane Dorian in 2019 is tied with Melissa and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the strongest landfall on record in the Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center. In October 2025 Melissa crossed Long Island and San Salvador as a Category 1FAA IASAThe US FAA's check of whether a country's aviation regulator meets ICAO standards. Category 1 means it does; Category 2 means it does not.More in the glossary hurricane, flooding the airport at Deadman's Cay and leaving San Salvador without power.

The season runs from 1 June to 30 November. The government sends wireless alerts to mobile phones, but flights fill up fast before a storm, so leave early if one is forecast.

Health care and roads

Medical care in Nassau and Freeport is good but expensive. Out Island clinics are basic, and serious cases are flown to Nassau, Freeport or Miami, so your insurance must cover air ambulance. Dengue and Zika are present, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes about 3.2% of adults are living with HIV.

Traffic drives on the left, but most cars, hire cars included, are left-hand drive imported from the US. WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 16.2 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, about double its 2019 estimate: above Cuba and most of the eastern Caribbean, below Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Police have not yet published 2025 figures. The FCDO warns that the drink-drive limit is not always enforced, so take care on roads at night.

How to stay safe in the Bahamas

• Stay in downtown Nassau, Cable Beach or Paradise Island after dark, and do not resist a robbery.
• Book boats and jet skis through your hotel or a registered operator, and wear a life jacket.
• Never swim at dusk or near fish cleaning or shark-feeding spots.
• Check every bag for stray ammunition before flying: even one round can lead to arrest.
• Emergency numbers: 911 or 919.

How we scored it

Conflict (88) and health (72) are the strongest factors. Violent crime (40) is the weakest: the 2025 drop is real, but a rate near 21 per 100,000 still puts the Bahamas at the edge of our lowest band. Natural hazards (50) reflects frequent hurricanes on low islands, and road safety (52) rests on WHO's 2021 estimate of 16.2 deaths per 100,000. Confidence is medium because 2025 road data is missing and the murder rate depends on a small population.