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From near-vertical slides that plunge through shark tanks to a quarter-mile-long lazy river ride, this 141-acre water park allows you to both unwind and get your adrenaline pumping. Spend the day going from ride to ride, or relax under an umbrella on the white sand of three unique beaches or by one of 14 swimming pools. Three pools are designed especially for the youngest of guests, including Poseidon's Playzone, a Maya-theme water playground. Day passes for non-resort guests are limited, so be sure to plan well ahead.
Atlantis Paradise Island, Paradise Island, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Day pass $190
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With luxury shops, a glitzy casino, and seemingly unlimited choices for dining and drinks (40 restaurants, bars, and lounges), Atlantis is as much a tourist attraction as a resort hotel. At Dolphin Cay, you can interact with dolphins, sea lions, and stingrays. The 63-acre Aquaventure water park provides thrilling waterslides and high-intensity rapids as well as a lazy-river tube ride through the sprawling grounds. Celebrity sightings are frequent at both Nobu restaurant and Aura nightclub. The on-site comedy club, Jokers Wild, brings top comedians to the stage. Many of the resort's facilities, including the restaurants and casino, are open to nonguests, but the leisure and sports facilities are open only to resort guests and those who purchase a day pass. Atlantis has the world's largest man-made marine habitat, consisting of 11 lagoons. To see it, take the guided Discover Atlantis tour, which begins near the main lobby at an exhibition called The Dig. This wonderful series of walk-through aquariums, themed around the lost continent and its re-created ruins, brings you face-to-face with sharks, manta rays, and innumerable forms of exotic sea life.
Casino Dr., Paradise Island, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Aquaventure day pass $190. Rates vary
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Go behind the scenes at this boutique chocolate factory where you can make your own sweet souvenirs. The tour lasts about an hour, and after watching master chocolatiers in action and learning the history of chocolate production around the world, guests enter the chocolate classroom, where they get to design their own creations, including a signature Graycliff chocolate bar. There is also a chocolate and spirits pairing.
W. Hill St., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 for the tour; $54.95 for the chocolate making experience; $75 for the chocolates and spirits tour, children must be at least 6 years old and accompanied by an adult
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The former Buena Vista Estate, which featured in the James Bond film Casino Royale, has been painstakingly transformed and returned to its glory days, emerging as the new home of John Watling's Distillery. Parts of the estate date back to 1789, and the line of John Watling's artisanal rums, gins, vodkas, and liquors are handmade, hand bottled, and hand labeled just as they would have been in that era. Take a self-guided tour through the grounds and working estate to learn the fascinating history of the home, and then walk out back to watch the rum production line from an overhead mezzanine. Sit in The Red Tavern with an internationally acclaimed Rum Dum or just a great mojito, and pick up a unique Bahamian souvenir in the on-site retail store.
17 Delancy St., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free self-guided tour
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Hundreds of millions of dollars have been pumped into expanding and overhauling the cruise port, and it shows. The space that cruise passengers encounter after they tumble off their ships is now a destination in and of itself, complete with exciting local restaurants, a gallery and wine bar, a gelato shop, a Junkanoo museum, an amphitheater with live entertainment, and myriad shops and shacks selling unique Bahamian-made goods. Up to a half-dozen gigantic cruise ships, including the largest in the world, call on Nassau Cruise Port at any one time, and megayachts too large to pull up to any of the island's marinas have a special pier all to themselves. While access to the ship piers is restricted, the new port has been designed to allow open access to all the retail and dining areas.
Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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The building, where slave auctions were held in the 1700s, is named for an enslaved man who led a plantation rebellion on Exuma in 1830. The structure and historic artifacts inside were destroyed by fire in December 2011 but have been painstakingly re-created, and new exhibits have been acquired and produced. The exhibit Struggle for Freedom in The Bahamas: From Slavery to Independence is located on the ground floor, and a separate exhibit that changes from time to time and has its own admission charge is upstairs. A knowledgeable, enthusiastic young staff is on hand to answer questions.
Bay and George Sts., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Closed Sun. and Thurs. afternoons
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Known to Nassau residents as "the Fish Fry," Arawak Cay is one of the best places to knock back a Kalik or Sands beer, chat with locals, watch or join in a fast-paced game of dominoes, or sample traditional Bahamian fare. You can get small dishes such as conch fritters or full meals at one of the pastel-color waterside shacks. Order fried snapper served with a sweet homemade roll or fresh conch salad (a spicy mixture of chopped conch mixed with diced onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and hot peppers in a lime marinade). The two-story Twin Brothers and Frankie Gone Bananas are two of the most popular places. Try their fried cracked conch washed down with Sky Juice (a sweet but potent gin, coconut-water, and sweet-milk concoction sprinkled with nutmeg). Local fairs and crafts shows are often held in the adjacent field.
W. Bay St. and Chippingham Rd., Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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A delightful 18th-century landmark—a pink two-story house named aptly for its overhanging balcony—this is the oldest wooden residential structure in Nassau and its furnishings and design recapture the elegance of a bygone era. A mahogany staircase, believed to have been salvaged from a ship during the 19th century, is an interior highlight. A guided tour through this fascinating building is an hour well spent.
Market St. and Trinity Pl., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Donations accepted, Closed Thurs. after 1pm, and Sat., Sun., and holidays
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The Central Bank of The Bahamas was established in 1973 to oversee monetary policy in a newly independent Bahamas. Art lovers will delight to see that it has also evolved to protect and promote local art, with an extensive collection of more than 500 pieces of original Bahamian art. The bank's foyer is an impressive and carefully curated gallery with ever-changing exhibits featuring emerging and established artists.
Market Street, Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sat. and Sun.
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It's worth the short walk off the main thoroughfare to see the stained-glass windows of this cathedral. It was built in 1841 but only became a cathedral in 1861, when it was a key element in Nassau being designated a city. The white pillars of the church's spacious, airy interior support ceilings beamed with dark wood handcrafted by ship builders. The Crucifixion depicted in the east window's center panel is flanked by depictions of the Empty Tomb and the Ascension. Be sure to spend a few minutes in the small, flower-filled Garden of Remembrance, where stone plaques adorn the walls. Sunday Mass is held at 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, and 6 pm. Drop by the cathedral on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve to see the glorious church at night and hear the music and choir. Call ahead to find out the time of the service.
George and King Sts., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Shaped like the bow of a ship and perched near the top of the Queen's Staircase, Fort Fincastle—named for Royal Governor Lord Dunmore (Viscount Fincastle)—was completed in 1793 to be a lookout post for marauders trying to sneak into the harbor. It served as a lighthouse in the early 19th century. A 15- to 20-minute tour that brings this historic site to life costs just a few dollars and includes the nearby Queen's Staircase. The fort's 126-foot-tall water tower is more than 200 feet above sea level (and the island's highest point). Unfortunately the tower remains closed pending restoration.
Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Nonresident adults $3.30; children five and under free
View Tours and Activities
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The oldest of the island's three forts, Fort Montagu was built of local limestone in 1741 to repel Spanish invaders. The only action it saw was when it was occupied for two weeks by rebel American troops—among them a lieutenant named John Paul Jones—seeking arms and ammunition during the Revolutionary War. The small fortification is quite simple but displays a lovely elevated view of Nassau Harbour. The second level has a number of weathered cannons. A public beach looks out upon Montagu Bay, where many international yacht regattas and Bahamian sloop races are held.
Eastern Road, Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
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The official residence of The Bahamas governor-general, the personal representative of England's monarch since 1801, this imposing pink-and-white building on Duke Street is an excellent example of the mingling of Bahamian-British and American colonial architecture. Its graceful columns and broad circular drive recall the styles of Virginia or the Carolinas. But its conch-shell-pink color, distinctive white quoins (cross-laid cornerstones), and louvered wooden shutters (to keep out the tropical sun) are typically Bahamian. The mansion was once home to the former King Edward, who became the Duke of Windsor and Governor of The Bahamas from 1940 to 1945 after he abdicated the throne to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. Government House recently underwent a restoration project said to cost in excess of $17 million. The storied Christopher Columbus statue that once graced the steps leading to the entrance has been removed, though the base bearing his name remains.
Duke and George Sts., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
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Named for John Gregory (royal governor, 1849–54), this arch, at the intersection of Market and Duke streets, separates downtown from the "over-the-hill" neighborhood of Grant's Town, where much of Nassau's population lives. Grant's Town was laid out in the 1820s by Governor Lewis Grant as a settlement for freed slaves. Visitors once enjoyed late-night mingling with the locals in the small, dimly lit bars; nowadays you should exhibit the same caution you would if you were visiting the commercial areas of a large city.
Market St., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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The octagonal building near Parliament Square was the Nassau Gaol (the old British spelling for jail), circa 1797. You're welcome to pop in and browse. The small prison cells are now lined with books. The museum has an interesting collection of historic prints and old colonial documents.
Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sun.
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Take a self-guided journey through Nassau's pirate days in this interactive museum devoted to such notorious members of the city's past as Blackbeard, Mary Read, and Anne Bonny. Board a pirate ship, see dioramas of intrigue on the high seas, hear historical narration, and experience sound effects re-creating some of the gruesome highlights. It's a fun and educational (if slightly scary) family outing.
George and King Sts., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $14 adults; $7 children
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This open space at the western end of Bay Street overlooks busy Nassau Harbour and is the spot to catch local festivals and events, live music, and Bahamian crafts shows. With 24-hour security, public restrooms, an interactive water feature that delights kids of all ages, and a host of small restaurants and bars nearby, this square pays tribute to an enslaved man who fought for his freedom.
Bay St., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Walk the road beneath the Paradise Island bridges to Potter's Cay to watch sloops bringing in and selling loads of fish and conch. Along the road to the cay are dozens of stands where you can watch the conch being extracted from its glistening pink shell, straight from the sea. If you don't have the know-how to handle the tasty conch's preparation—getting the diffident creature out of its shell requires boring a hole at the right spot to sever the muscle that keeps it entrenched—you can enjoy a conch salad on the spot, as fresh as it comes, and take notes for future attempts. Empty shells are sold as souvenirs. Many locals and hotel chefs come here to purchase the fresh catches; you can also find vegetables, herbs, and such condiments as fiery Bahamian peppers preserved in lime juice, as well as locally grown pineapples, papayas, and bananas. Join in on a raucous game of dominoes outside many of the stalls. Some stalls are closed on Sunday. There's also a police station and dockmaster's office, where you can book an inexpensive trip on a mail boat headed to The Family Islands. Be aware that these boats are built for cargo, not passenger comfort, and it's a rough ride even on calm seas.
Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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This shady square connects Bay Street to Prince George Wharf and the Nassau Cruise Port. As you enter off Bay Street, note the statue of Sir Milo Butler, the first post-independence (and first native Bahamian) governor-general. The trees on either side of the bust are lignum vitae—the country's national tree. The bright yellow flowers that line the sides of the square are the country's national flower, the yellow elder. Horse-drawn surreys wait for passengers to the east of the square (expect to pay about $30 for a half-hour ride through Nassau's streets). Often overlooked is the nearby Randolph W. Johnston bronze statue Tribute to Bahamian Women, situated at the entrance to the cruise port.
Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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So many artifacts are on display in this small but interesting museum nestled in historic Mountbatten House that you can easily spend an hour wandering. There is a 40-minute guided tour that covers Bahamian history from the days of pirates through the slavery era to the present. One of the best exhibits is the life-size replica of the old Bay Street General Store. By a series of coincidences, the collection box from the country's oldest church ended up in this museum—right across the street from the remains of the very same church.
W. Hill St., Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $18.50 guided tour
