Bahamas
Overview
Nassau is the colourful capital of the Bahamas, with pink colonial buildings, a busy cruise port and some of the clearest turquoise water you will ever see. It is very touristy around the port and Bay Street, and keep in mind that it is expensive. Go a bit further, to Arawak Cay or Cable Beach, and you find a more local side with conch shacks and music.
The Lucayan people lived here when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas in 1492, on an island most historians identify as San Salvador. The British settled New Providence in the 1600s, and the town (renamed Nassau in 1695) became a famous pirate base, home to Blackbeard and others, until the British governor Woodes Rogers expelled them in 1718. During the American Civil War and later Prohibition (1920s), Nassau made money from blockade running and rum smuggling. The Bahamas became independent in 1973, and tourism is now the main industry.
How long to stay: 3 to 4 days, plus a day trip to the Exumas if you can.
Last updated: October 2026
Quick Facts
Location
On New Providence island in the northern Bahamas, about 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Miami. Paradise Island is connected by two bridges.
Budget
Per person, per day.
| Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | $100–150 | $230–380 | $500+ (Atlantis, Baha Mar) |
| Food | $40–60 | $80–120 | $180+ |
| Getting around | $5–15 (jitney) | $40–80 (taxis) | $120+ |
| Daily total | $145–225 | $350–580 | $800+ |
A plate of cracked conch costs about $15–25; a cocktail $12–18.
Things to Do
The Queen's Staircase has 66 limestone steps carved into a cliff by enslaved people in the 1790s, later named after Queen Victoria, who ended slavery in the British Empire. At the top, Fort Fincastle (1793), shaped like a paddle-wheel boat, has views over Nassau.
Price: staircase free; fort a few dollars · Time needed: 45 minutes.
The largest fort in Nassau, built by the British in 1788, with dungeons, tunnels and cannons. It never fired a shot in battle.
Price: small fee or donation.
Pink colonial government buildings with a statue of Queen Victoria, and Bay Street, the main shopping street with the Straw Market for crafts.
Price: free · Tip: bargain gently at the Straw Market.
A fun, interactive museum about the golden age of piracy, with a full-size pirate ship to walk through.
Price: about $15–25.
A row of colourful shacks serving conch salad made in front of you, fried fish and cold Kalik beer. The most local food experience in Nassau.
Price: conch salad about $15–20.
A long white beach west of downtown with resorts, including Baha Mar.
Price: free public access points.
Across the bridge, Paradise Island has Cabbage Beach and the huge Atlantis resort, with its aquarium and water park.
Price: Atlantis day passes are expensive (often $150+); the marina area is free to walk · Getting there: water taxi from Prince George Wharf or jitney and walk over the bridge.
A rum distillery in an 18th-century estate called Buena Vista, with free tours and a tasting bar.
Price: tour free; tastings extra.
The Bahamas' big street parade, with costumes, cowbells and drums, on Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day. Visit the Educulture Junkanoo Museum any time of year.
Full-day speedboat tours or short flights take you to the Exuma Cays to swim with the famous pigs of Big Major Cay, see nurse sharks and iguanas and walk on sandbars.
Price: about $300–500 for boat tours.
A quieter island 30 minutes by boat, with beach clubs and snorkelling.
Transit Tips
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Airport: taxis to Cable Beach about $35, to downtown about $40, to Paradise Island about $50 (fixed zone rates, plus bags). HOP shows the fare upfront.
By cruise: the cruise port is in downtown Nassau, walking distance from Bay Street.
No Uber or Lyft. Taxis (agree the fare first), the HOP app, or jitneys.
Jitneys: small buses from downtown (Bay Street) to Cable Beach and other areas, $1.25–3.50 in cash, daytime only.
Water taxi: from downtown to Paradise Island.
Keep in mind that driving is on the left and roads are busy; most visitors do not rent a car in Nassau.
Helpful Words
A few basics in English can make everyday conversations much easier.
Where to Stay
Plan & Book
Explore accommodation options and open hotel details directly from the map.
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