My wife and I got a great deal for the Coral on Taino Beach in the Bahamas this May. Anyone with experience in Freeport, do we need a rental car or would a taxi be fine for the days we want to travel to other parts of the island? We will be there for 6 nights. Aside from snorkeling/swimming, anything else you recommend on the island?

No need for a rental car, the island is tiny. I was there this past summer at a different resort and it was never more than a 15 dollar cab ride to anywhere we went, although we didn't leave the resort all that much. You will enjoy the beaches, very pretty sand and water. We did play a round of golf, it was a links style course and think it was 150 total including rental clubs per person. I'd honestly avoid that, we both weren't all that impressed and certainly not worth the money to play.

Thanks. So far, the furthest thing from Freeport we want to do is go to Lucayan National Park, which is an hour and a half each way according to Google maps.

If you get the chance, visit the Margarita Villa Sand Bar... http://www.bahamas.com/vendor/margarita-villa-sand-bar


Looks like a dive, food is great, atmosphere is awesome. It's that little bar that the locals all know about.

Just a little bit out side of town. Easy walk down the beach if you're staying at the Wyndham Fortuna...

If we'd found it sooner, we would have spent the rest of our vacation there.

Post trip report:

Armed forces vacation club is awesome for anyone who qualifies. Our resort was great and we couldn't beat the $475 ($349 plus resort fees) for 7 nights. The island doesn't have much of a night life, but that didn't bother us. Our resort did an all you can eat all you can drink bonfire one night, we went to two different political rallies one night (their elections were this week while we were there and we enjoyed seeing the less tourist side of their culture), and we rented a car and drove all over the island. We happened upon a private beach just a little further than Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach (we stopped here as well). This private beach was simply amazing. Best beach on the island by far.

I'd recommend Freeport if you don't want to party every night and would rather have a more laid back vacation. The rental car was well worth it. Take plenty of sunscreen and take some bug spray so you don't have to buy it there. Do the tourist stuff, but take the time to get out and about away from the "popular" places as well. Paradise Cove was not worth the drive out there, but Gold Rock Beach was. The snorkeling tours (via boat) were better. Also, before booking tours through the resort, walk down to the dock in the Lucayan Marketplace and ask around (not the tour huts, but the boats directly), you can get much better pricing for snorkeling, deep sea fishing, etc. Lastly, gratuity is included at most places, so look for that before you double tip.

Zip04,

I am a member at Taino Beach. I wish I had seen this before you went (Ii could have gotten you some discounts at Lucayan Watersports. Glad you had a great time. Freeport is one of my favorite places to get away to.

If you don't mind me asking, how's the pricing, etc. for membership? Wondering if it is worth it. We didn't go to the meeting while we were there because we have always heard bad things about timeshares.

We have been members since '98. and our contract is for two weeks every year (1 week in an efficiency and 1 week in a studio) or use both rooms during the same week. (also these are floating weeks that we can use anytime... we still have to book early for the holidays though)

With that being said, in 2004 a hurricane destroyed the oldest 2 units on the property and they were torn down so in order to accommodate the people displaced, we were "upgraded" to a newer unit but still with the same contract.

they still try to get us to do a further "upgrade" to the newest units and we usually go since we can get a free breakfast and usually a jet ski tour of the island out of them. I didn't go the last time i was there in 2015, so i don't know the current prices.... but, i do know that they stopped allowing every year access and have gone to every other year (still floating weeks though)

You can also bank your time in RCI if you are not going to use your time for a year or want to be able to get additional rooms for friends.

NOW, as much as i enjoy Taino Beach and Freeport , I would not sign up unless the deal was too good to pass up. (with my current contract, i have used it to my advantage and there have been times that i had enough rooms to have a group down there (8 rooms))

If I were to talk to them today, i would try to negotiate every year access because the current pricing is more that what i am paying. (while the economy is still down, they might be acceptable....but get it in writing)