Top things to see and do in Nassau

A classic, the three-day Bahamas cruise from Miami. Three nights on the ship, two island fevers and in between the romance of the ship. Or so. Well, if you’re already in Miami and have enough time, this experience is a good one. But beware: a Bahamas cruise is not the same as a Bahamas cruise. Depending on the cruise line – Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC, Carnival… the island destinations differ – after all, there are over 700 islands to choose from.

We chose Royal Caribbean, with a first stop in Coco-Cay and a second stop in the capital of the Bahamas, Nassau (the island is called New Providence).

The entrance to the port of Nassau did justice to the factor of ship romance. Sunrises on the sea are simply unique.

Historic Nassau

In the morning we wanted to discover the historic heart of Nassau and plunged into the colorful harbor turmoil. Soon we found ourselves in the middle of a quirky mix of island charm, colorful colonial buildings and places steeped in history. The alleys are pretty, but a bit characterless, as most of the buildings contain tourist shops and hardly anyone lives in them. One of the most visited sights in the centre is the 65-step Queen’s Staircase, which was carved out of the solid limestone by slaves in the 16th century. Once at the top, it is only a stone’s throw to Ford Fincastle, from where you can enjoy a good view over the city.

Another fort, Fort Montagu, is located just outside the city. We also noticed that you are shown around inside the forts. My objection that we had little time and would rather explore the site ourselves was ignored. Maybe I should have tried more forcefully.

Our program also included a trip to the Adastra Gardens, which is famous for its flamingos. Honestly folks, don’t do it. The visit is only worthwhile if you like trained birds. That’s not the case with me.

In the afternoon we set off on foot towards Paradise Island. The 6.5 km long and 800 m wide island is located off Nassau and is connected to the city by two bridges. On top of it is the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort – a huge and seemingly glamorous hotel complex including various theme parks and water landscapes. A short walk through the public part of the complex, including a burger and ice cream stop, was enough for me and we were gone again. For other people, the visit to the water park is the highlight of the cruise.

Back to Nassau we took the water taxi. If there’s one thing you should definitely do in Nassau, it’s this! During the crossing, which runs along the shores of Paradise Island, entertaining information about New Providence and Paradise Island is told.

Maybe you’ll notice, Nassau and I didn’t really become friends. I lacked a tangible character. On the one hand, a very exciting colonial history and national pride, and on the other hand, this artificial chic tourism (which doesn’t seem so chic to me). Doesn’t quite fit together yet.

Here is an overview of the most important information about Nassau