The name Atlantis immediately comes to mind when travelers think of accommodations in the Nassau area, but it comprises a small and ill-representative slice of the pie. Cable Beach is resort headquarters on New Providence. Many of the resorts there are of the chain variety, and by the time its redevelopment is complete, there will be more of an upscale...
Rental cars are readily available at the Nassau airport and other locales. If you have an American Express credit card, use it to charge the rental if possible. In case you’re in an accident and your insurance won’t cover it, Amex will. Driving around Nassau and Paradise Island can be VERY confusing. First, there’s the driving on the left side...
It’s easy to get from Paradise Island to downtown Nassau and vice-versa without a car. The Nassau-Paradise Island ferry boat is within walking distance of Paradise Island’s resorts and Nassau’s harbor. Cost for passage is $4 each way. Don’t expect a luxury cruiser, but it’s comfortable enough, and the trip lasts only about 20 minutes. There’s narration along the way...
Nassau’s history runs deep to post-American Revolutionary War Loyalists, pirates, forts, and Civil War Confederate sympathizers. Its forts remain intact, the best of them for touring being Fort Charlotte and Fort Fincastle. It’s also known for its historic churches; St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is my favorite. Other historic must-sees include Graycliff Hotel, the Queen’s Staircase, and the Nassau Library.
Most kids will be thrilled with the islands’ natural attributes—their beaches, shallow and clear seas, and marine creatures. Atlantis is the ultimate family attraction in the Bahamas, with endless aquariums, slides, animal encounters, kids programs, and other activities to keep them enthralled and sensory-overloaded. Nassau’s Ardastra Gardens and Zoo has some hands-on bird interactions in addition to cool animals that...
Most people think “beach” first when planning a Nassau vacation, but for those interested in getting to a deeper level of cultural understanding, the destination has much to offer. The heart of the arts scene beats in downtown Nassau, home to the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. A number of fine museums cluster around Bay Street and its side...
Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) is 2.5 hours by air from New York, about 3.5 hours from the Midwest, and only 30 minutes from Miami. Air Canada, American Airlines, Bahamasair, Continental, Delta, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, US Airways, and a number of charter airlines provide service from the U.S. to Nassau’s international terminal. A new $198 million U.S. departures terminal...
Between the casinos, nightclubs, and pool halls, Nassau stays plenty lively in the after hours. Most of the best – and safest – clubs are found in the hotels, especially Atlantis, where a magnificent casino, the glam Aura, and other spots jam into the wee hours. A young crowd grooves in town at the Club Waterloo. Locals party at Arawak...
The best Bahamas vacations combine the bustle of Nassau/Paradise Island with the time-stopped, utter relaxation of the Out Islands. That is why I have included overviews of most of the major Out Islands. For each of the Out Islands I’ve listed, I have included air carriers and travel time within the listing. Sea transport is the slower way to go,...
Most of what the Bahamas has to offer is on the outside – beaches, amazingly clear waters, reefs, birds, fish…. the list goes on and on. Besides water sports and beach-bumming, visitors can engage in the beauty of island flora and fauna at its zoo, gardens, and parks. Best bets in Nassau include Ardastra Gardens and Zoo, Clifton Heritage National Park,...
Two bridges span the narrow channel between Nassau and Paradise Island, each going one way. You can walk or bike the arched high bridge for free. The toll to cross by car is $1 each way. Under the bridge, on the Paradise Island side, you’ll find two boat terminals, one for the public ferry, the other more fancy one (with...
Before there was Arawak Cay, Potter’s Cay was THE place to get your freshly chopped conch salad and other Bahamian seafood dishes and fresh fish. Arawak Cay stole some of its thunder with its pretty-for-tourists setting, but Potter’s Cay, under the Paradise Island bridge, is still the locally colorful place to find that and more — fresh seafood and produce from...
If you could boil Bahamian cuisine down to one word, it would be “conch.” More than a food source, it’s a cultural icon. Bahamians eat it raw and marinated with lime and hot peppers as conch salad, pounded and deep fried as crack’ conch, chopped and balled into deepfried conch fritters, simmered in gravy as stew’ conch, roast’ conch, and...
Nassau’s two iconic shopping experiences span the range: straw market and duty-free luxuries. Straw markets, through the ages, have become diluted flea markets for knock-offs and imported basketry. The most famous is the newly rebuilt Nassau Straw Market on Bay Street. Ironically, you can find more authentic crafts at the cruise ship port’s Festival marketplace. Bay Street also holds a...