Our Definitive Guide to Nassau, Bahamas

By Karen Burshstein

Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 coral islands and thousands more cays scattered along a stretch of Caribbean Sea like paint on an abstract blue canvas. Together the archipelago make up the perfect palm-fringed, soft sand, turquoise sea vacation destination. But just because you came to chill on the beach, doesn’t mean you should bypass Nassau and all it has to offer. On New Providence Island, spend time in the bustling capital city and you’ll get to know a cosmopolitan town with a distinct character that blends British, African and Caribbean cultures, and offers a wealth of nature, historic architecture, fine resorts, and modern restaurants, bars and coffeehouses. All in a city that’s easy to get around by foot or ferry and just a short flight away.

Nassau is an easily navigable city whose different neighbourhoods refl ect its multi-faceted face.

Downtown

Downtown, easily accessible from the cruise port and popular Paradise Island, is a history-fi lled collection of banks, shops and pastel-pink government buildings. Bay Street is the main shopping and eating area and home of the famous straw market, the place to go for handmade Bahamian crafts and straw vendors, who make up one of Bahamas’ oldest industries. (Stick to the authentic artisans. There’s a lot of tourists at the market too.) Spend time downtown and you’ll get to know the distinct rhythm of the city. Bustling by day, downtown goes quiet at 5 pm, as if a light switch has been fl icked off. That’s when cruise goers return to their ships. Then a few hours later, as the sun sets the pace picks up again as locals and overnighters make their way to restaurants and bars. Nature and historical sites are all within walking distance as is Junkanoo beach, the closest beach to downtown.

Cable Beach

On the north shore of New Providence, just a few miles west of Nassau, Cable Beach is the home of many upscale resorts lining its two-anda-half miles of fabulous white sand beach. This is the Bahamian Riviera, a grown up’s playground where you can while away an afternoon drifting on a sailboat, play a round of golf or try your luck at the island’s largest casino.

Paradise Island

You can cab it, take a ferry from the cruise port, or walk the 600-foot bridge to this true calling card of the Bahamas, known for its high end condos, estate homes and fabulous, and sometimes famously over the top, resorts. Yes, Atlantis resort, we mean you. (Atlantis is, of course, the home of the enormous waterpark you see in the photos.) Most of all, Paradise Island is a family paradise where you can rent water sport equipment, visit Dolphin Cay or spend the day doing what you know the kids really want to do: enjoying 141-acre Aquaventure Water Park. nassauparadiseisland.com

Junkanoo Beach

This beautiful public beach is favoured by locals as well as visitors, and is also a quick and easy walk from the cruise port. Here’s where you’ll fi nd the tropically colourful painted beach shacks offering island delights to eat and drink, or where you can rent a kayak or treat yourself to a massage. This beach is an instagrammer’s delight.

From quiet and secluded beachfront properties to some of the most dazzling resorts situated on the famed beaches of The Bahamas, here are some of our favourites.

SLS Baha Mar Resort

SLS is part of the sprawling Baha Mar resort complex, which means guests have the best of both worlds: a more intimate hotel experience and access to the Baha Mar complex’s amenities including all its pools, the massive casino, ESPA spa and the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. Not to mention the on site pink fl amingos. Pull up a glam midcentury-inspired chair at the stylishly decorated bar, or have lunch at the on-site sushi restaurant designed by Philippe Starck. The pool has a slide for two and rooms have walk-in rainfall showers. sbe.com/hotels/sls-hotels/baha-mar

Graycliff Hotel

This boutique hotel is the historic face of Nassau, an estate dating back to 1776, that perches majestically on a limestone hillside overlooking downtown. It’s both a charming hotel where the guests such as Sir Winston Churchill, Aristotle Onassis and The Beatles have stayed and a tourist attraction in its own right. Besides the well-preserved and elegantly furnished Great House, you can tour the 250,000-bottle wine cellar, one of the largest in the world, and the humidor, where you can see master rollers in action. Overnighting guests are booked into colonial style rooms with four poster mahogany beds, and exceptional views. graycliff.com

Compass Point Beach Resort

The budget-minded traveller couldn’t do better than Compass Point Beach Resort, not far from the airport. The tropical-coloured, sea-front wooden huts inspired by the vibrants colours of carnival, are air conditioned and come with kitchenettes and private balconies. Staff are also helpful at suggesting and arranging affordable and interesting excursions. compasspointbeachresort.com

Looking for casual fi sh shacks? Or a haute temple to gastronomy? These places deliver in spades.

Sip Sip at The Cove, Atlantis

Sip Sip (local slang for ‘gossip”) has long been a beloved hangout on pink sand Harbour Island, one of the Bahamas’ Out islands. Now, The Cove at Atlantis has opened a branch of the casual lunch spot on a beautiful stretch of beach. Everything on the menu is prepared to show off the bounty of Bahamian farms, sea and culinary traditions. Try local watermelon and goat cheese salad, lobster quesadillas or one of the creative iterations of conch. atlantisbahamas.com

Fish by José Andrés at The Cove Atlantis

At his chic, sea-toned eatery, located at the Cove at Atlantis, beloved chef/ humanitarian José Andres invites diners into a food and drink menu that puts creative spins on traditional Bahamian dishes and beverages. FISH, as you might guess, stars fish and seafood. The chef, true to form, does it with sustainable catch, including by featuring non-native, coral-destroying lionfish on the menu. Andres turns even conch fritters into haute cuisine. atlantisbahamas.com/dining

Fish Fry Arawak Cay

The celebrated Fish Fry on a stretch of seaside at Arawak Cay was started by a couple of fishermen who would make casual meals with their fresh catch. Now, more than 30 restaurants, fish shacks and full sit down options make up this must stop during your Nassau stay. Whatever their style, they all sell dishes made from fresh snapper, grouper or seafood. And don’t skimp on the classic fish fry side dishes: Macaroni, plantains, peas and rice. Indulge too, in Guava Duff, the beloved island dessert made from the Bahamian’s favourite exotic fruit. (You can dance off some of the calories, as there’s often music playing). Now sure which one to go to? Ask locals to recommend their favourite restaurant. Everyone has a strong opinion and it’s a great way to strike up a conversation about this quintessential Bahamian experience. nassauparadiseisland.com/things-to-do

DUNE Restaurant at The Ocean Club

The Dune is a destination restaurant at the movers and shakers’ favourite resort, the Four Seasons One and Only Club. Dune is helmed by Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten who whips up exquisite dishes where Frenchmeets-Asian using island spices and flavours. (Try the Bahamian lobster with curry and plantains if it’s on the menu). The food, the sophisticated and spare beach decor, the wraparound terraces, and setting atop a cliff overlooking white sand-bluffs all add up to an exquisite island experience. fourseasons.com/oceanclub

Dino’s Gourmet Conch Salads

Conch is the unofficial national food of the Bahamas and you’ll see it on almost every menu. Dino’s on the northwest side of the island near Compass Point is one of the best places to try it—prepared in one of several different ways. You might like a tropical salad of diced conch, island fruits, spicy peppers, onions and tomatoes but any way you have it, it’s always made fresh to order. facebook.com/Dinosgourmetconchsalad

Nassau Birding Tours

Spend a day (or half a day) on an island tour with experienced naturalists and birders. The Bahamas is on many serious birders’ lists, but you can also just enjoy the beauty of the nature reserve’s natural forest, wetlands and other ecosystems and wetlands, and hear the birds warble without having to worry about checking the Bahama Yellowthroat species off your bird watching list. bahamasoutdoors.com

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas

Housed in a typical pastel-coloured villa, The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB), is the premiere art institution of the country and a worldclass museum covering historic and contemporary art (paintings, sculptures, ceramics and photography) with thought provoking and often boundary-pushing exhibits guaranteed to keep cultural conversations vibrant. nagb.org.bs

Goombay House Cooking Studio

Developed an affinity for rock lobster, and fi sh soup? Want to know what to do with a scotch bonnet? Sign up for a cooking class with the Goombay House cooking Studio. Learning the island’s culinary repertoire is one of the best ways to bring a bit of the Bahamas home with you after your vacation. goombayhousecookingstudio.com

The Retreat National Park

Tucked away in the middle of a dense residential area, this park was once a private estate, but since 1977 it’s been in the hands of the Bahamas National Trust, which turned it into one of the most beautiful green spaces in the city. See the native fl ora of the Bahamas, one of the largest collections of palms in the world, or just lose your thoughts in the tranquil park. bnt.bs

John Watling’s Distillery

This 18th-century-estate-turned-distillery is the place to go to hear fascinating tales of The Bahamas’ rum-running era as you sample small-batch Bahamian rums (and rum cake!). The tour is free but you’ll want to pay a bit extra to personalize your own bottle of Paradise rum and try your artisans skills hand-waxing your seal and making your own label. www.johnwatlings.com

Though Nassau has everything to recommend it, a day trip to one of the country’s out islands shouldn’t be missed to get the total Bahamian experience. Take a ferry or hop a plane for a quick fl ight to walk along pink sand beaches or swim with the pigs.

Exuma

Your trip to the Bahamas really isn’t complete without an excursion to Exuma, a collection of 365 islands and cays, sand bars, reefs, grottos, translucent water, and even a huge swing in the middle of the ocean (at Coco Plum beach at low tide). Some of the islands are wild, others are tamed but privately inhabited by the rich and famous (Johnny Depp fell in love with Exuma when fi lming Pirates of the Caribbean and bought one of them), and others are waiting for you. This includes Big Major Cay, where you’ll fi nd the real stars of Exuma: the wild pigs. In fact, Big Major Cay is also known as Pig Island. The porcines will swim up to your ferry waiting for a food handout. And, if they’re in a good mood you can swim with them. If you fi nd yourself in the northern Great Guana Cay, make sure to stop at Lorraine’s Cafe, a beloved insiders’ secret. It’s off the beaten path but totally worth the detour for the delectable coconut bread. bahamas.com/islands/the-exumas

Andros

Hop a 20-minute fl ight from Nassau to Andros, a seemingly untouched slice of paradise where you can swim at one of the limestone island’s many blue holes, explore the vast underwater cave system, barrier reefs, mangrove fl ats and secluded pine forest. bahamas.com/islands/andros

Bimini Island

Ernest Hemingway liked to come to this westernmost district for deep-sea and bone fi shing. How’s that for an endorsement? Other offshore fi shermen followed suit, and it’s become a place to set fi shing records. Not into fi shing? You might also like to know that this is where Ponce de Leon thought the fountain of youth was located. bahamas.com/islands/bimini