Nassau

Capital of the Bahamas and a major cruise port, with the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, pink colonial buildings and island-hopping trips to the swimming pigs — just a 1-hour flight from Miami.

Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas, set on the north shore of New Providence. Around 70% of the country's population lives here, and it is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean, about 290 km (roughly a 1-hour flight) from Miami. The main areas to explore are: downtown (Bay Street, Parliament Square, the Straw Market, the Pirates of Nassau Museum, Government House, the Queen's Staircase, Fort Fincastle and other pink colonial buildings); Paradise Island, linked by bridges (Atlantis resort, Cabbage Beach, the Versailles Gardens); Cable Beach and the Baha Mar resort to the west; and Clifton Heritage National Park and native forest in the island's southwest. Out on the water, you can take a boat to Blue Lagoon Island or snorkel at Rose Island, or join a day trip to the Exumas to see the swimming pigs. The climate is tropical maritime: December–May is the dry season and peak season, with temperatures of 24–28°C; June–November is the rainy and hurricane season, with the highest risk in August–October — prices are lower, but keep an eye on the weather. Getting around: Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) is in the west of the island, about 15 minutes from Cable Beach and 30 minutes from downtown; on the island you can ride the numbered minibuses (jitneys, about US$1.50 cash) or take taxis (zone-based fares — agree on the price before getting in), and water taxis run to Paradise Island. The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and both are accepted. Plan on 3–5 days. China and the Bahamas have a mutual visa exemption for ordinary passports, so Chinese travelers can stay visa-free for up to 30 days (check the latest official policy); connecting through the US requires a US visa.

Top sights

Atlantis Paradise Island – A giant resort themed around a lost city, with a water park, one of the world's largest open-air marine habitats, and a casino.
Cabbage Beach – A white sand beach about 3 km along the north shore of Paradise Island. It is the longest and most beautiful public beach beside Atlantis…
Queen's Staircase – A flight of 66 steps carved into limestone by enslaved people in the late 18th century, flanked by cliffs and a waterfall. It was named in…
Versailles Gardens & French Cloister – Stepped French-style gardens on Paradise Island, with cloister remnants of a 14th-century Augustinian monastery shipped over from France.
Paradise Island Lighthouse – The oldest lighthouse in the Bahamas, completed in 1817, its white tower standing at the entrance to Nassau Harbour and visible from the cr…
Cable Beach – A resort beach about 6 km along the north shore of New Providence, lined with big resorts such as Baha Mar, with clear, calm water.
Baha Mar – A sprawling integrated resort on Cable Beach, home to one of the largest casinos in the Caribbean, a water park and several luxury hotels.
Fort Fincastle – A small ship-shaped fort built in 1793 on the summit of Bennet's Hill, connected to the Queen's Staircase, with views over central Nassau a…
Fort Charlotte – Nassau's largest British colonial fort, built in the 1780s, with its moat, underground passages and dungeons well preserved.
Arawak Cay Fish Fry – A row of brightly coloured seafood shacks where conch salad is made fresh with conch cracked open on the spot, along with fried fish and fr…
Parliament Square – A group of pink colonial buildings along Bay Street, home to the Bahamian Parliament, the Senate and a marble statue of Queen Victoria.
Nassau Straw Market – A large handicraft market on Bay Street, crowded with stalls selling straw bags, wood carvings, T-shirts and souvenirs, ideal for bargainin…
Pirates of Nassau Museum – An immersive museum recreating the 18th-century “Pirate Republic” era, where you can board a replica pirate ship and learn about famous pir…
Graycliff – A boutique hotel converted from an 18th-century colonial mansion, where visitors can tour the chocolate workshop, cigar factory and huge wi…
John Watling's Distillery – A rum distillery set within the 18th-century Buena Vista Estate, offering free tours of the rum-making process and cocktails at the bar.
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas – The National Art Gallery is housed in a 19th-century Italianate villa and showcases paintings, sculptures and installations by Bahamian art…
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre – A small botanical garden and zoo famous for its flamingo marching show, in which the Bahamas' national bird, the Caribbean flamingo, marche…
Junkanoo Beach – An urban beach a short walk from the cruise terminal, lined with beach bars and snack stalls, ideal for cruise passengers who want a quick…
Christ Church Cathedral – An Anglican cathedral completed in 1841, which gave Nassau city status in 1861 and is an important historic landmark in the city centre.
Government House – A pink-and-white official residence of the Governor on a hillside, where you can admire the Columbus statue at the entrance and the regular…
Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation – A small museum in a former 18th-century auction house, telling the story of slavery, resistance and emancipation in the Bahamas.
Potter's Cay – A local seafood dock beneath the bridge to Paradise Island, where fishing boats sell conch and fish directly, and stalls prepare conch sala…
Blue Lagoon Island – A private island about 5 km northeast of Nassau, offering dolphin and sea lion encounters, a white-sand lagoon beach and hammocks, ideal fo…
Rose Island – A long, narrow uninhabited island east of Nassau, where shallow sandbars, shipwrecks and coral reefs make snorkelling a classic stop on hal…
Clifton Heritage National Park – A coastal heritage park at the southwestern tip of the island, featuring Lucayan archaeological sites, ruins of colonial plantations and an…
Primeval Forest National Park – The only surviving primeval hardwood forest on New Providence, with wooden boardwalks crossing limestone caves and sinkholes that reveal th…
Love Beach – A quiet beach on the northwest coast of the island where the nearby reef can be reached by swimming straight out from the shore, away from…
Fort Montagu – Nassau's oldest surviving fort, built in 1741, standing by the sea on East Bay Street and next to a beach park popular with locals.

Where to eat

Graycliff Restaurant – An iconic fine dining restaurant set in an 18th-century colonial mansion, famous for its wine cellar of over 250,000 bo…
Twin Brothers Seafood & Steakhouse – A well-known restaurant at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry, run by three generations of the same family, specializing in fresh…
Café Matisse – An Italian restaurant operating since 1996 in a century-old house behind the Parliament Building, highly popular for it…
The Poop Deck (East Bay Street) – A decades-old seafood institution by Nassau Yacht Haven, where you can choose the catch of the day and have it cooked t…
Goldie's Conch House – An established conch house at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry, featuring conch salad made fresh to order, waterfront seating, a…
McKenzie's Under the Bridge – A local stall at Potter's Cay Dock under the Paradise Island Bridge, repeatedly praised by diners for its made-to-order…

Itineraries

Nassau & Paradise Island Family Vacation – Based on Paradise Island, dedicate one day each to the water park, an outer island beach, and Nassau's historic old tow…
Great Exuma & Staniel Cay Island Hopping – Stay in George Town first, then fly to Staniel Cay for three nights to see the swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto, and t…
Bahamas Island Hopper: Nassau, Eleuthera & Exuma – Visit three major island groups in one trip: Nassau's Old Town, a road trip through Eleuthera, and a boat tour from Geo…