Description

Riding Rock Resort & Marina

Riding Rock Resort & Marina is one of only two resorts located on the scenic San Salvador oceanfront. Built, owned and operated by the William’s family since the 1960’s, the resort is and always has been dedicated to the comfort and convenience of scuba divers, fishermen and water sports enthusiasts.

Riding Rock offers the very best Bahamas diving in a setting that’s truly unique. We work hard to make your time out of the water as exciting as your time spent exploring our spectacular coral reefs and amazing walls.

Room Options

All of the rooms at the Riding Rock Resort are now Deluxe. We have 18 rooms in our two-story building, offering both oceanfront and poolside views. In addition, have 4 oceanfront rooms in our single-story building on site.

The rooms come with either one king bed or two queen beds. All of the Deluxe Ocean Front rooms have a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Amenities

All rooms are air-conditioned and offer cable TV, a mini-fridge, private bath, porch or balcony, outside drying hooks, tile floors, and daily housekeeping. For your convenience, beach towels can be found in your room to be used at the pool only. If there isn’t a beach towel in your room, kindly speak to the front desk and one will gladly be provided. Beach towels for diving are provided on the boats.

The resort also features a freshwater swimming pool and access to a breathtaking white sand beach to the South of the rooms.

The Driftwood Bar

The Driftwood Bar opens at 4:00 pm and will close when the last customer staggers out down the steps! It’s a great place to check emails or share your dive images utilizing our free Wi-Fi – which is also available in the restaurant. Beer, wine, sodas, and a wonderful variety of mixed drinks and blended island drinks are available from our expert local bartenders. Cable TV brings in sports games from home. The management sponsors two cocktail parties each week. Try the ring toss game or relax on the open-air patio overlooking a beautiful beach. Don’t forget to leave some personal artwork behind to adorn the ceiling and walls.

Meals at Riding Rock Resort & Marina

Especially popular are our restaurant — specializing in American and Bahamian cuisine with an accent on fresh fish — and the Driftwood Lounge. Both provide a friendly, casual atmosphere for the food and drinks and a magnificent ocean view.

Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9 am. Fresh fruit, cereal, French toast, pancakes, bacon, and sausage are served to order or buffet style.

Lunch is served from 12:30 to 2:00 pm. Conch chowder and fresh Bahamian bread are served daily. Your choice of a meat or fish dish or a buffet-style meal is prepared. Cracked conch, grouper fingers, steamed conch, pizza, and baked chicken are some of the selections.

Dinner is served from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. A garden salad is served with each entree. Your choice of meat or fish dish is prepared or a buffet-style meal. Grilled dolphin, roast beef, steamed grouper, stuffed chicken breast, and steak are some of the selections.

Bahamas Scuba Diving That’s Completely Different

Great diving is a well known throughout the Bahamas, but San Salvador diving is unique. Here’w why…

We have legendary visibility and the most spectacular wall dives you could imagine. Our island attracts open water and reef species that are rare, or even unseen entirely, elsewhere in the Bahamas Commonwealth. But, that’s just part of the story. To understand what’s unique about San Salvador, it helps to explore its physical oceanography.

Best Diving in the Caribbean?

Well yes and no… San Salvador Island isn’t actually in the Caribbean, although a quick Internet search would have you believe otherwise. According to Google, The Bahamas is “a country in the Caribbean.” Sorry Google, but The Bahamas is only MOSTLY in the Caribbean. Our island paradise site outside the Caribbean boundary in the Atlantic Ocean where we are exposed to the Antilles Current before it merges with the Gulf Stream.

It gets better. San Salvador Island sits on its own isolated carbonate platform, which is also unique compared to the other Bahamian Islands. When we say “wall diving”, we mean WALL DIVING! Some of our dive sites descend vertically from 40 feet or less to thousands of feet… …straight down.

This combination of vertical topography and exposure to the open ocean make San Salvador one of only a few places worldwide with the potential of an up close encounter with great hammerhead or scalloped shark.

Amazingly, most of our dive sites are less than a twenty minutes boat ride from our dock! Divers of all skills levels are spoiled by warm, calm water and dizzying visibility. San Salvador offers a truly unique Bahamas diving experience. Let us show you!

Bahamas Shark Diving

Shark lovers will be pleased to hear that San Salvador is home to many shark species, the Scalloped Hammerheads being a favorite with visiting divers. These giants are regularly seen in our waters in the cooler winter months. Hammerheads are not aggressive sharks, but their size, crazy-shaped heads, and eye placement on either end of their heads do make your Bahamas diving adventure a bit more exciting! Caribbean Reef Sharks are also frequent visitors and our reef fish are more than abundant.

It isn’t unusual to dive with a dozen sharks or more. Often, sharks will cruise the reef throughout your dive. Unlike formal “shark dives” in the Bahamas, our shark experiences are a natural part of your visit to our local reef ecosystem. We don’t draw animals in with a bait box, and we don’t kneel in a circle on any of your dives. Our “Bahamas Shark Dives” are simply dives. The sharks choose to dive with us on their own.

Bahamas Deep Sea Fishing – Optional and Extra

Marina Anglers from all over the world have discovered the marine wilderness of San Salvador. World record Blue Marlin, Wahoo, Dolphin, Kingfish, and Tuna cruise the deep blue waters just minutes from the Riding Rock docks. When it comes to Bahamas deep sea fishing, we encourage the philosophy of catch and release sport fishing in an effort towards conservation.

Bahamas Deep Sea fishing is offered for 1/2 and full day charters on our 28′ boat, Odyssey III.

Morning departures are usually set for 8:30 am, but the departure time is not set in stone and can be arranged to fit the needs of our anglers. Tackle, bait, and water are provided. With advanced notice, we would be happy to prepare and pack your beverages of choice and snacks or meals for your charter at an additional cost. You are welcome to bring your own beverages and food also.

Bahamas Scuba Diving Packages

Riding Rock makes it easy for guests to budget for their trip with our scuba diving packages, which include everything in their Island Escape Package price: accommodations, 3 hearty meals daily, 3 dives daily, San Salvador Airport transfers to/from the resort, and all taxes. The only add-ons are the bar tab, any personal purchases, and dive staff gratuities. Laid back or lively, Riding Rock offers divers all of the excitement and adventure, or rest and relaxation they’ve been searching for.

Dive Package at Riding Rock Resort & Marina Includes:

• 7 nights accommodations in Poolside View Rooms (Double Occupancy)
• 21 meals for 7 days
• Package of 16 dives – see description below
• Airport transfers to/from resort
• All applicable taxes

Diving includes: Two morning and one afternoon boat dive on the “full” dive days plus a 1-tank dive on the last dive day. No diving is scheduled for the day of arrival or departure.  Tanks, and weights.