Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying the first few weeks of spring. It’s gotten off to a slow start here in Ontario, but I’ve been loving the warm-up in temperatures as of late. Fingers crossed, spring is here to stay!
Of course, there are some places where the weather is always warm and pleasant, like the beautiful Bahamas, where Tania and I recently vacationed. Thank you to everyone who’s been following along with my Bahamas posts over the last few weeks – I hope they’ve provided you with some travel inspiration and helpful tips for anyone planning their own trip! Today will be the last post in my Bahamas series. Last week, I shared my favourite tourist attractions on Paradise Island, and today, I’ll be sharing my favourite things to see and do in The Bahamas’ capital city of Nassau. Brimming with art, culture, history and tons of natural beauty, Nassau is The Bahamas’ largest and most popular tourist city. If you travel to Nassau, you’ll probably end up staying on Paradise Island, which is home to most of the area’s hotels and resorts. This leads me to my first point…
Getting To Nassau From Paradise Island
Nassau is practically a hop and a skip from Paradise Island. It’s located just south of the island, connected via two bridges that go over the Nassau Harbour: the east bridge and the west bridge. There are a few different options for getting to Nassau from Paradise Island:
- Take a taxi. Nassau is only a 5-10 minute drive from Paradise Island, so this is the most efficient option. Note that popular rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft aren’t available in The Bahamas. The closest thing they have is an app called Let’s Go Bahamas, however, the easiest thing is to simply ask your hotel concierge to call you a taxi. Based on my research, you can expect to pay about $20-$30 each way.
- Take a ferry. Ferries depart approximately every half hour on the hour from 9am-6pm from the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal. The cost is $7 per person, per way (be sure to bring cash!) and the ride is only about 10 minutes. In my opinion, this is the best way to get to Nassau – it’s cheaper than a cab and definitely the most scenic option.
- Walk. We explored quite a bit on our day in Nassau, so when we realized our wandering had taken us a fair distance away from the ferry dock, we decided to simply walk the rest of the way back to our resort. Depending on where you’re staying in Paradise Island, the walk from downtown Nassau should take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Crossing over the east bridge by foot felt a little weird – there is a sidewalk, but the bridge is most definitely intended for cars – but we got some great views of Paradise Island along the way! If you don’t mind the walk, this is a great way to save money, get your steps in, and do some more sightseeing. However, be mindful – both of cars and of your general surroundings – as the area gets less and less populated the further you get from downtown. I definitely wouldn’t have done the walk alone, so solo travelers should probably skip this one. P.S. Check out this post for the travel safety tips we followed in The Bahamas.
Here are a couple of photos from our boat ride to Nassau…
…and our walk back to Paradise Island across the bridge.
Below is a photo I took at our resort; that tall bridge you see in the distance is the one we walked over!
Things To See & Do In Nassau
Once you’ve arrived in Nassau, there’s plenty of fun attractions to explore! Here are some of my best recommendations…
Shop for handmade goods at the famous Straw Market. If you take the ferry from Paradise Island, the Straw Market is the first thing you’ll see when you dock in Nassau. With its vibrant facade and larger-than-life sculptures at the entrance, the 37,000-square-foot building is hard to miss! The Straw Market has been in existence since the 1940s and has more than 400 vendors selling handwoven straw bags, baskets and other handmade crafts. Straw weaving is a traditional Bahamian art, and has been practiced on the islands for hundreds of years. The original market burned down in 2001, and ten years later (following Hurricane Irene) was replaced with the large modern building that stands there today. In addition to handwoven straw goods, vendors sell everything from clothing, accessories and home goods to traditional dolls, wood carvings and conch shell jewelry. An excellent place to pick up an authentic Bahamian souvenir – and support local while you’re at it!
Learn about rum production at John Watling’s Distillery. This small-batch craft distillery operates out of the historic Buena Vista Estate, which was built in 1789 and sits on two acres of gorgeous tropical gardens. The distillery offers complimentary tours every 20 minutes. Visitors are greeted with a free pina colada sample (both Tania and I agreed it was the best we’d ever had!) and then taken on a tour through the beautifully restored estate, which is filled with antique furniture and artwork dating back over three centuries. After touring the house, visitors are led into the storehouse, where you can watch the distillers bottling rum by hand. It was so cool to watch this small-batch process in operation – it’s truly an art! The tour ends at The Red Tavern, where you can enjoy a tasting or a cocktail, or purchase bottles of rum from the Buena Vista Shop.
Indulge your sweet tooth at The Bahamas Rum Cake Factory. Rum isn’t just for drinking, and a trip to The Bahamas wouldn’t be complete without treating yourself to some rum cake! This iconic bakery was founded in 2000 by George Bates, a UK transplant who got so many compliments on his original rum cake recipe that he decided to open a shop and start selling them. Over the years, the brand became so popular that it’s now recognized by The Bahamas at the country’s official rum cake. In addition to their original recipe, they sell rum cakes in every flavour imaginable: from chocolate, caramel and red velvet to coconut, pineapple and key lime. They even have a pumpkin spice version for my fellow basic fall girls! After tasting some free samples of their most popular cakes – original and pineapple – we couldn’t resist buying some to take home. The “baby cakes” (which feed 1-2) are $7 each, but we took advantage of their special offer and got four for $22.50. The cakes are vacuum-sealed so they’ll last a long time (the ones we bought don’t expire until 2025) and they make great gifts!
Visit the historic Christ Church Cathedral. This Anglican cathedral was the very first church in The Bahamas. Established in 1670, it’s been rebuilt several times, but its current iteration has been standing since 1841. I love visiting notable churches whenever I travel, as I find them to be excellent reflections of the unique cities and cultures they call home. From Rome’s ornate cathedrals to Scottsdale’s Adobe Mission, churches are such a great representation of an area’s unique aesthetic, culture and history. Nassau’s Christ Church Cathedral is no exception: its unlike any other church I’ve ever visited, and it definitely has that Bahamian vibe. Its bright white walls are adorned with colourful – yet minimalist – stained glass windows that let in tons of natural sunlight, giving the space an ethereal feel. Gothic wrought iron chandeliers hang from the vaulted mahogany ceiling, and the walls are lined with tablets detailing the lives of Nassau citizens during the 1800s. I have to say… I think this is hands-down the most beautiful church I’ve ever visited! It just feels so bright, warm and welcoming – and really quite contemporary, despite its historic roots.
Admire the vibrant art and architecture of downtown Nassau. Isn’t it funny how the further south you go, the brighter everything tends to get? And I’m not just talking about the sun! From the pastel art deco buildings of Miami to the vibrant cliffside villages of the Cinque Terre, I always marvel at the flamboyant use of colour that seems to be unique to these warm-weather destinations. Coming from Toronto – where you rarely see a building that isn’t grey, black or brown – it’s so refreshing! I feel like Dorothy leaving her black-and-white world and stepping into the glorious technicolor of Oz. One of my favourite things to do in Nassau is simply stroll around downtown, and admire the beautiful buildings in all their radiant hues. There’s public art aplenty too – you’ll find lots of beautiful sculptures and murals!
Snap a Barbie-worthy photo at Nassau’s pink government buildings. Following my thoughts above, this is just another reason why I love The Bahamas… I mean, can you imagine any Canadian parliament building being painted pastel pink!? (Side note: I’m not hating on Canada here – you all know I love my country, and of course there’s our weather and other practicalities to consider – but sometimes I do wish we were a little less afraid of colour!) Nassau’s Government House – circa 1801 – stands on a 10-acre estate on Mount Fitzwilliam, and is the official residence of the Governor General of The Bahamas. Of course, it’s gated and guarded by security, so you can’t get too close to it – but it’s stunning and definitely worth snapping a shot from the street!
And while you’re at it, don’t miss Parliament Square! Built in the late 1700s and early 1800s by Loyalists from North Carolina, the square is home to three historic government buildings: the House of Assembly, Senate Building and the Supreme Court of The Bahamas – all of which are still in operation today. The buildings are British Colonial-inspired, painted pastel pink and adorned with charming green shutters. In front of the Senate Building is a marble statue of Queen Victoria, erected on May 24, 1905 in honour of her birthday.
Sip wine, sample chocolate, and even hear a ghost story or two at Graycliff. Similar to Paradise Island’s Atlantis, Graycliff is one of those destination hotels that’s a must-visit attraction, regardless of whether you’re staying there or not! The Graycliff mansion was originally built in 1740 by Captain John Howard Graysmith, a notorious Caribbean pirate. It served as the headquarters for the U.S. Navy in the late 1700s, before opening as Nassau’s first inn in 1844. It’s gone through various iterations and owners since then – including serving as a private residence for British royalty (and one rich Canadian couple!) – but its current owners purchased it in 1973 and turned it into the landmark hotel it is today. In addition to its luxury accommodations, the hotel boasts a five-star restaurant, chocolate factory, winery, cigar shop and history museum (that also offers ghost tours!) We enjoyed a wine tasting at Bahama Barrels – Nassau’s first and only winery – before heading across the street to the chocolate factory, which looks like it was decorated by Willy Wonka himself. The factory offers behind-the-scenes tours for $10, and you can also enjoy some free samples of their gourmet chocolates, which are almost (almost) too pretty to eat. Don’t leave without snapping a photo of their colourful umbrella installation!
As you can see, there’s no shortage of fun things to see and do in Nassau! Whether you’re into art, culture, history, food or shopping, there’s truly something here for everyone to enjoy. If you’re planning your own trip to Nassau and have questions about any of the places we visited, feel free to send me an email – I’m always happy to provide recommendations and advice whenever I can! I hope you’ve enjoyed following along with my Bahamas trip over the last few weeks. Next week, I’ll be taking y’all a little further north, back to my beautiful home country of Canada – specifically to the city of Calgary, where I recently went on a work trip. Stay tuned!
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