Don’t hurt your neck. You read the headline right.
One of the Caribbean’s most iconic destinations has been flagged by the U.S. Embassy.
This one is hot off the press, so the State Department hasn’t followed suit with their own advisory, but remember, embassies tend to have the most up-to-date intel as they’re on the ground in that particular locale.
In this case, we’re not gonna be like the other guys and make you read 18 paragraphs of filler before revealing the destination.
Drum roll please….🥁🥁🥁
It’s The Bahamas, a paradise island so close to the States it feels like an extension of home.
Well, it did…
New reports backed by the Embassy may swiftly change how you view what’s long been an American mainstay, as The Bahamas is the latest vacation spot to find itself on the wrong side of headlines.
Assaults Reported In 4 Bahamian Destinations
We were just as shocked as you in 2024 when we reported on a high uptick in violence, though officials came out and challenged that assertion.
Those instances were largely pinpointed in Nassau, the vibrant capital city that’s usually your welcome mate into one of the Caribbean’s most sought-after beach escapes.
But now, as we’re halfway through 2026, there’s another shocker: reports of sexual assault in 5 different spots, all with a common theme.
The U.S. Embassy is warning Americans (particularly women) of renting jet skis across the nation “due to the lack of enforcement of safety regulations”.
It’s been confirmed there have been a total of 7 reports of sexual assault spanning from 2024 until now in the following destinations:
- Paradise Island
- Junkanoo Beach
- Saunders Beach
- Cabbage Beach
By all accounts, male guides have solicited jet ski rentals and sexually assaulted women in the locations above on isolated islands that make it easier for such a crime to take place.
The Embassy is advising travelers to avoid accepting rides from these so-called guides and to not rent jet skis in The Bahamas right now — point blank, period.
Additional Safety Concerns
It’s not only sexual assaults bruising the image of The Bahamas’ excursions right now — it’s safety in general due to poorly enfroced regulations.
There have been 2 more incidents confirmed by the Embassy, one of them unfortunately fatal:
- In August 2025, a U.S. tourist riding a jet ski was killed off Paradise Island after being hit by an unlicensed operator driving an unregistered boat.
- Since August 2024, 6 U.S. citizens in total have been hospitalized after jet ski accidents across The Bahamas, with 3 requiring emergency medical evacuations back to the States.
It’s yet another example of why the Embassy is urging Americans to avoid jet ski rentals entirely.
Just to show how serious the government is about this, U.S. government employees on location in The Bahamas are prohibited from using jet skis on New Providence and Paradise islands.
Tips To Remain Safe
In order to remain safe, the Embassy has also released a small list of helpful tips to remain safe in The Bahamas given these specific occurrences, and the first one I think we’ve beaten into oblivion:
- Do not rent jet skis in The Bahamas
- Remain aware of solicitations from jet ski operators near the Cruise Port, Junkanoo Beach and Arawak Cay, as well as the small islands east of Paradise Island
- Remember that regulations prohibit jet ski rentals to those under 18 years of age and vendors are not permitted to ride with renters
- Always follow local weather reports and marine alerts
How Embassy Statistics Stack Up With Our Safety Index
We’ve already covered the locations and the crimes reported, but what are travelers actually saying about The Bahamas?
As much intel as the Embassy shared, sometimes the best vibe check comes from people who were just there.
Shocking, I know — sometimes regular people beat the government to the obvious…
According to our Safety Index tool, you’ll see some surprising results too.
Scoring just 75/100, travelers are reporting a mixed bag of vibes across the nation as a whole, with no specific incident reports.
However, Nassau is a different story. Oddly enough, ranking higher than the country itself, there are a pair of incident reports for the topics of Harassment and Theft, still resulting in a high score of 83/100, overall.
Review both destinations below:
