Wander Women Nassau:
A PADI Club Dive + Yoga Retreat
Nassau, Bahamas
July 16-20, 2026
Join Wander Women for our first PADI Club exclusive dive retreat and celebrate Women’s Dive Day in style! Fall head over fins for this four night all-inclusive gal-away with the perfect balance of underwater action below the surface and Wander Women magic above it.
Wander Women is pinch-ourselves proud to announce our new partnership with PADI Club; bringing boutique dive retreats exclusive to members. We’ve been working in some form with PADI since the inaugural Wander Women Retreat in 2018, and we’re thrilled to turn the page to this new chapter. We couldn’t think of a better way to launch this partnership than with four days of shark diving and shell-abrating Women’s Dive Day with you babes.
What’s more, we’ll be staying at a chic and modern all-inclusive, which means we’ve never had a retreat with more included (yes mermaids, cocktails too!) — so you can let your hair down and let us take care of the rest. Sandals Royal Bahamian is for more than just slow-motion beach walks. This is the ultimate diver’s basecamp, with the Caribbean’s most comprehensive dive program.
By stripping away even the minor stressors of typical curated group travel — no group check logistics, no ATM stops, less shuffling between locations — our luxury headquarters clears the deck for a seamless adventure; more time underwater, deeper conversations over sunset cocktails, and a level of bliss that usually takes a week to melt into — achieved in just four days.
But that’s not all! Beyond the onsite dive deck and other incredible resort amenities, we’ll explore Nassau in classic Wander Women style by getting acquainted with the islands incredible culture, nature and cuisine. Home to Nassau, New Providence Island is the beating heart of the Bahamas — blending electric blue waters with soft pastel streets, and a world class shark diving experience.
We’ve sprinkled in all of our insider intel from Alex’s two decades of trips here — check out recent blog posts here and here! — to create an itinerary you’ll not find anywhere else. Think choosing-your-own-adventure between a rum or food tour, hiking through the ages at a hidden gem National Park, creating your own keepsakes with a crafternoon at a local art studio, and every moment captured by a retreat photographer who will join us every step of the way.
Want to know more about being a PADI Club member? Check out the perks and join here.
The Details
This five day retreat will be held from July 16-20, 2026. The cost, including just about everything, starts from $4,100 per person for a shared room (less than it would be to book just the resort alone!)
What’s Included
• Four nights accommodation at Sandals Royal Bahamian
• All inclusive meal + beverages
• Daily yoga
• At least six dives
• Stuart Cove’s PADI Shark Specialty Awareness Course
• Scuba diving gear rental
• Local culinary or rum tour
• Local transportation including arrival + departure transfers
• A custom welcome bag
• Local tipping for activities, meals and drivers*
• Professional photos of the trip
• Donation to a local on-island charity
What’s Not Included
• Flights
• Mandatory travel + dive insurance
• Airport transfer tips, the only tip you’ll handle the entire trip! (This is an outside vendor we cannot tip on your behalf.) We recommend $5-10 per person per way.
The Itinerary
Subject to change, but you’re going to have a magical time — here’s the general idea!
Day 1: Welcome to The Bahamas! Touch down in Nassau on one of the numerous easy breezy direct daily flights from the US, UK and Canada. As you feel that sea breeze kiss your skin, you’ll be swept to our fabulous resort where endless amenities call your name. Bliss out babes, chat to us about pre-booking your spa sesh to drift into, directly on arrival. Sun goddesses, we’ve got you covered… did we mention there are three swim up bars to bop between? After an early afternoon official check-in, meet your hosts and fellow Wander Women for an idyllic outdoor yoga practice. In the evening we’ll gather for welcome drinks and proper introductions as we take in our first Bahamian sunset. Tonight we’ll enjoy a delicious opening dinner at Gordon’s on the Pier and cheers to a new adventure together!
Day 2: We’ll start the day with a serene sunrise yoga flow, followed by a nourishing breakfast to fuel the adventures ahead. Then it’s straight into the water for two dives right off our resort’s private pier, led by incredible female instructors. Expect a mix of iconic sites — from James Bond–featured wrecks and artificial reefs like the Bahama Mama party barge, to natural wonders such as the Coral Caves or Valley of the Sponges — all offering the chance to spot sharks, stingrays, grouper, and other vibrant marine life. No stuffy buffets here! It’s diver’s choice for lunch at one of our resort’s many food trucks. This afternoon, we venture into town and shake things up with your choice of a rum + cocktail tour to local distilleries to sample some liquid sunshine, or a foodies tour sampling some local bites from around the island. Afterward, we’ll set you loose for some free time and retail therapy to cap off the day. In the evening, we’ll head back to home base for sunset sips and a choose-your-own-adventure dinner from one of the many international restaurant options — Italian at Tesoro, featuring a stone pizza oven; Japanese teppanyaki at the lively Kimonos; rolls at the sleek Soy Sushi Bar; or Bahamian fare, of course — among others. Early to bed, or stay out for one more… we’ll sea where the mood takes us!
Day 3: Happy PADI Women’s Dive Day! We’re celebrating with some seriously fin-tastic encounters — but first, we’ll start slow with a morning yoga session followed by another delish breakfast spread. The morning is yours to chill by the pool, snag a decadent spa appointment (hello,Tropical Glow Facial!), or paddle from the beach on a kayak or paddleboard. In the afternoon, it’s time for the underwater main event — shark diving with world famous Stuart’s Cove’s! Get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat and marvel at the magic of Shark Arena, while also learning about these underwater friends with Stuart Cove’s signature PADI Shark Awareness Specialty course, so you leave with a deeper understanding and love for them. Alex can attest — while many shark dives around the globe require high level skills and can be a touch intimidating, this experience has all the thrill with none of the stress. It’s tried-and-true, expertly guided, and designed for off-the-charts education and enjoyment. The heart-pounding magic of a shark encounter while feeling completely supported and at ease! There’s a reason this is one of the most famous shark dives in the world.
For our true apex predator encounter queens, we’ve got you covered with an optional night shark dive (an unforgettable experience if conditions allow!) Slept through the morning yoga flow? Back at our resort, we’re also offering a starlit yin yoga practice, the perfect way to wind down and fully absorb the magic of an unforgettable PADI Women’s Dive Day.
Day 4: Another day, another incredible dive adventure! After breakfast, we’ll head out for a morning double boat dive to explore more of Nassau’s vibrant underwater world — expect technicolor reef fish, dramatic walls and drop-offs, and an array of wrecks and artificial reefs. Still craving your shark fix? Upgrade to the premium dive site The Lost Blue Hole, which in July can be home to hundreds of “sharknado”-level silky sharks.
Next, we’ll dock-hop from one launch to another for the short ride over to the private Sandals Cay, where we’ll live out our deserted-island dreams and dine at Aralia House. If you can peel yourself off the beach, it’s time to explore a side of Nassau few travelers get to see. First, we’ll lace up for a scenic stroll through Primeval National Park, offering a refreshing dose of nature and movement before the afternoon unfolds. From there, we’ll transition into a classic Wander Women crafternoon printmaking session, creating your own keepsake inspired by the natural wonders of the weekend at a locally owned, female-led art gallery. As the sun begins to dip, we’ll make our way to Jaws Beach for a soulful partner yoga session before returning to Sandals for our final sunset performance and closing dinner.
Day 5: Somehow, it’s time to say bye-bye to the Bahamas, but not before one last sunrise yoga practice to prepare for the travel day ahead. With camera rolls and hearts full, we’ll say our final farewells over breakfast before check-out and transfers to the airport. Or, if you’re not quite ready to leave (we don’t blame you), those with later flights can stick around to enjoy the resort’s amenities.
Where We’ll Stay + What We’ll Eat
We’ll be resting our heads for four nights at the stunning Sandals Royal Bahamian, which doubles as our adventure playground for this retreat. Enter stress-free as we are expertly taken care of from the moment we set foot in Nassau. We’ve done our research and let’s just say, prepare to be thrilled and chilled by an abundance of resort facilities — we can’t wait to try them all! This will be Wander Women’s first truly all inclusive experience, meaning your onsite meals and beverages are included and can be enjoyed as you wish. We’ll share a group dining plan for everyone to gather and swap highlights throughout the day, or feel free to explore the ten restaurants and eight bars at your own pace!
There are two room categories to choose from — Superior or Deluxe — which can be booked as either Single, for your own personal haven, or Shared, if you prefer to bunk with a dive buddy. Bring your own, or we’ll pair you with someone we know you’ll click with based on your intake form (we have some bestie-matchmaking bragging rights under our belts!). All rooms feature one extra-large, cloud-like king-size bed for sharing, a spacious en suite bathroom, plenty of space for happy dances, and a refrigerator stocked with bottled water, juice, soda, local beer, and a variety of wines.
Superior rooms are the East Bay Garden Zen, located on the second through fourth floors and offering views of lush tropical gardens through oversized windows. Deluxe rooms are the East Bay Oceanview Grand Luxe, located on the upper floors and featuring generous balconies with postcard-perfect ocean views and a cozy seating area.
The Diving
Nassau’s diving is pure Caribbean magic: a thrilling mix of vibrant coral reefs, iconic Hollywood shipwrecks, and dramatic wall dives that plunge into the “Tongue of the Ocean” canyon. Beyond the pastel reef architecture, the area is truly world-renowned for its incredible shark congregations. Prepare for an unforgettable natural adrenaline rush as you scuba alongside majestic Caribbean reef, silky, and nurse sharks — and keep your eyes peeled for visiting lemon and tiger sharks, too!
We’ve curated a diverse six dive itinerary, including four dives with our resort’s club and two dives with the legendary Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas. To deepen your connection to the ocean, we’ve included the PADI Shark Specialty Awareness. This course covers shark behavior and conservation through at home eLearning, followed by two exhilarating dives: a free-swim and a professional shark-feeding experience. It’s the ultimate way to connect with these vital apex predators in their natural habitat.
Beyond the thrills, the area is famous for a stunning mix of terrain that’s perfect for all skill levels, with depths ranging from 20–100 feet and visibility often exceeding 100 feet. You’ll be expertly guided by a sensational team of local female dive guides in small, thoughtfully arranged groups of four. If you BYO dive buddy, that’s totally cool too — just let us know in your Welcome Form! We’ll consult the local intel every morning to hit the sweet spot, so our exact dive sites will be informed by our local team depending on the weather and conditions on the day.
All your daily dives will be conducted from chartered boats with assistance from a professional dive team, meaning less fuss and more fun. While top-of-the-line gear is included (BCD, regulator, mask, snorkel, fins, and weights), we recommend bringing your own dive computer. Best of all, most dives depart directly from our resort, maximizing your “mermaid time” and leaving plenty of room for sunset cocktails, spa treatments, and hanging with the gals. To ensure these memories last, a professional photographer will be in the water with us to capture every epic moment!
What’s PADI Club?
We’re thrilled to be partnering with PADI Club! Certified divers from any training organization are welcome to join PADI Club. In addition to being eligible to participate in the retreats, membership comes with the following bonus benefits:
Annual subscription to Scuba Diving® Magazine
20% Off Select PADI eLearning Courses
Free and discounted PADI certification cards
Free Online ReActivate® Scuba Refresher
Invites to Exclusive Member Trips + Speaker Series Events
Free DAN Prepared Diver Courses + Exclusive suite of DAN benefits
Getting There and Away
Your seamless arrival into paradise will be through Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS), the main international gateway to Nassau. For the majority of our global travelers — including those with US, Canadian, UK, Australian, and most European passports — a tourist visa is not required for stays of up to 90 days. Getting here is easy, but for our US mermaids, the best part is actually the journey home! NAS is one of the few international airports to offer US Customs and Immigration Pre-clearance, meaning you’ll clear US Customs before you even leave the Bahamas — a complete game-changer that makes your return trip effortless. We’ve also made sure your journey from plane to sand is completely stress-free, with arrival and departure airport transfers included.
Please feel free to reach out to us for help with flight recommendations — we’re always available at retreats@alexinwanderland.com. We offer an hour of complimentary consultation on booking your trip, after which we will offer our hourly consulting at a special retreat guest rate. You will receive a packet at the time of booking with more details regarding travel.
Travel With Us
On this trip, you’ll be traveling with Alex Baackes as your host and yoga teacher. More hosts will be announced soon!
Alexandra Baackes is the founder of Wander Women Retreats and Alex in Wanderland as well as a PADI Divemaster, an AmbassaDiver, and a Women Divers’ Hall of Fame Associate Member. She has worked in the dive industry as an underwater videographer, a writer for publications like Sport Diver and Scuba Diver magazines, and as the creator of Wander Women Retreats. She is also a RYT 200 Registered Yoga Teacher, an RYT 50 Aerial Yoga Teacher, a Buti Bands and Sculpt instructor, and a regular yoga practitioner for more than a decade — she can’t wait to practice with you.
Join Us
We’re thrilled to be sharing the opportunity to book this experience with the vast PADI Club network — book soon to secure your spot on this first-of-its-kind Wander Women retreat!
Please note that there is a minimum booking requirement, so please refrain from booking air travel until the guaranteed departure quota has been met. You will be notified when this is a guaranteed departure.
Can’t make this one? Don’t sweat — sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when enrollment opens on future retreats. Don’t hesitate to email us at retreats@alexinwanderland.com with any and all questions or concerns over if this is the right retreat for you. We’re always here to chat.
Wander Women Nassau: A PADI Club Dive + Yoga Retreat 2026
Price range: $4,100.00 through $7,200.00
F.A.Q.
So does non-refundable really mean non-refundable?
Yes, all payments are non-refundable. If the trip must be postponed or canceled due to events beyond our control, you will be offered the choice between a full refund and applying your payments to a future trip.
The reason payments are non-refundable is that we start incurring costs from the moment someone presses “book” — from credit card fees to high hourly wages for our team who correspond with guests, manage trip inventory and our e-commerce platform, analyze forms to create room assignments, coordinate with our local vendors, and beyond.
There’s nothing we want more than for our guests to take and enjoy the travel they have worked hard and paid for. Thank you so much for your understanding and respect of our need to enforce this policy strictly. We want to be here to travel with you for years to come!
I didn’t get certified with PADI. Am I welcome on this trip?
Divers of all agencies, at all levels, are welcome in PADI Club, and on this trip!
Will I need travel and dive insurance?
Yes, it is mandatory for all Wander Women Retreat guests to have personal travel and dive insurance for the duration of the trip, either through a travel insurance provider such as World Nomads, or an industry specific membership insurance such as Divers Alert Network (DAN). World Nomads offers coverage at affordable rates. We recommend you book your travel insurance as soon as you make your trip deposit to protect your investment.
What about visas?
Good news! Entering Nassau is a relatively straightforward process as tourist visas are not necessary when you hold a US, UK, Canadian or Australian passport — along with many other countries. Before traveling, you will just need to make sure that you have at least six months validity from your intended return date and a blank passport page — hurray, another stamp!
Why women only?
Girls just wanna have fun! Diving is still a male-dominated industry, and we want to take a week to connect like-minded women and celebrate the female scuba community — and besides, it’s PADI Women’s Dive Day!
Will I have time to do my own thing?
Absolutely. This is your retreat and we want you to make it exactly what you want! There’s a lot to see and experience, so we’ve tried to design an itinerary that balances the best of activity and downtime — we’re happy to help facilitate you doing your own thing.
Do I need to be good at yoga?
Absolutely not — and honestly, we don’t believe in the idea of being “good” at yoga! Our retreats welcome everyone, from complete beginners to experienced teachers. You’ll have the chance to explore a variety of styles and can join as many (or as few) classes as feels right for you.
I want to extend my trip. Can you help me?
Absolutely! Extra nights can be booked at either end of the retreat if you would like to extend your stay in paradise. Upon booking we will send more information and details on pricing.
How much money will I need to bring?
The Bahamian Dollar (BSD) is pegged 1:1 with the US Dollar (USD), and US dollars are accepted everywhere in Nassau (though you may receive change in BSD). Several major banks in Nassau, have ATMs that are specifically set up to dispense US dollars directly to foreign cardholders. In saying that, this resort is all inclusive, so there will be little to spend on outside of souvenier purchases and tips for your dive guides, which are at your discretion.
Is there an age requirement?
You must be 18 years or older for this retreat. We love the age diversity of the Wander Women community, which includes travelers ages 18 to 68! We get a lot of questions from those concerned they will be the oldest or youngest on a retreat — all are welcome, truly.
Is there a waiting list?
There will be a waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis in case spaces open up. If the retreat is full and you’re still interested, email us at retreats@alexinwanderland.com to be added to the waiting list.
I still have questions, or cute photos of my dog. Can I contact you?
Um, yes please! Our email is retreats@alexinwanderland.com.
