Nassau
The capital city of the Bahamas is almost designed for the perfect vacation
Nassau is both a gateway and a destination | Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock
It’s easy to view Nassau as just the place where your cruise ship parks up for the night or as the gateway to whichever paradise island you’ve booked the seaplane too. But The Bahamas’ capital offers plenty to visitors who don’t just use it as a glorified airport or cruise ship terminal.
Downtown Nassau’s pastel-coloured colonial buildings hide a less cheerful past; The Bahamas was a plantation-based colony. You’ll get a taste of this past in Nassau’s growing list of small but important museums, including the Bimini Museum and Heritage Museum of the Bahamas. The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas is worth a visit too, but save your heritage energy for Fort Fincastle and the Queen’s Staircase; the views are worth the effort.
But the real reason you’re in the Bahamas is of course the sand and water. Dodge the crowds at Junkanoo Beach (it’s still great) and head to Rose Island (a short boat ride). Check into Sandy Toes, a laid-back beach club with hammocks and as many Goombay Smashes as you can handle.
If lying around in the sun doesn’t do it for you, try Clifton Heritage National Park, with hiking trails, hidden beaches, snorkelling galore including submerged sculptures to discover and some historic ruins to explore. It’s also a great place to spot sea turtles flopping along the sand at night.
Escape your all-inclusive for a trip to Graycliff Restaurant, where dinner is served in an elegant historic mansion (pricey but worth it). After, grab a cocktail at Bon Vivants and watch the waves lap onto Cable Beach.
So, don’t skip the city in favour of the islands, as there are plenty of amazing things to see and do in Nassau!
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