Everyone who has heard of the Bahamas knows about the crystal blue waters and white sand beaches. Most people know about swimming with/feeding the pigs while island hopping and Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. These things are all wonderful and I've talked about them in my other blog posts, but here are things to do while exploring downtown Nassau for a day or two, and are good options while stopping over on a cruise.
Visit the Beaches
The best beaches in The Bahamas are on islands away from Nassau and New Providence Island, but they're harder to get to. And in Nassau, the best beaches are on Paradise Island, but if you're not staying there and don't want to spend $200 USD for a day pass there are still many other beaches you can check out.
Junkanoo Beach is just outside of downtown Nassau and is about a 10 minute walk from the cruise port. The beach isn't anything special and it's crowded with people and umbrellas, but If you want to party or have some drinks, it's the place to go. There are a number of tiki bars and restaurants on the beach where you can grab and drink and listen to the blaring music. It is also an option if you want to explore town and just soak up some rays on the beach for a couple hours while on a short stop over from a cruise.
Another option is Goodman's Bay on Cable Beach. This will be about a 10 minute cab or bus ride from downtown Nassau. The beach is much quieter and nicer than Junkanoo Beach and there is less current and waves than the beaches on Paradise Island.
Fish Fry
Grab a drink and try some freshly caught fish at one of the numerous options of restaurants at the Fish Fry, which is about a 5 minute ride from downtown Nassau. At Fish Fry, there are an assortment of restaurants and snack shacks to choose from and this is where you'll find a good mix of tourists and locals alike. Consider trying the Cracked Conch, Conch Salad or Red Snapper.
Pirates of Nassau Museum
Did you know Nassau was once a pirate colony and safe haven: full of brothels, pirate encampments, a port for their ships and a fort that was controlled by the pirates? There have been movies and television shows highlighting this, such as Black Sails. I always like to learn something new while travelling, and this is where you can learn something about the history of Nassau in a fun an interesting way. The museum is pretty small and will only take about a half hour to visit, so it's perfect to visit on a stopover from a cruise. The displays were cool and it only costs $14 to enter.
Queens Staircase
In addition to learning about the pirate history of Nassau, you can stroll over to Queens Staircase. Nassau was once an English Colony and in the early 1800's men of African Descent, whom were apparently free, built the staircase out of limestone as a dedication to the queen. The staircase linked Fort Fincastle to the city of Nassau. Here you can climb the stairs, take a few photos, buy some drinks or souvenirs or even a coconut. It is pretty neat, because while walking the stairs, you feel like you're in a jungle, but really you're right in Nassau. While there, for only a few dollars, you can check out Fort Fincastle too.
Try the Rum Cake
Nassau is famous for a few things: pirates, Atlantis, the Cruise Port, Conch and Rum Cake. There are a number of places where you can get Rum Cake, but try the "Bahamas Rum Cake Factory" it is the original one and the flavours of Rum Cake are endless and delicious. The lineup will be big but it moves quickly. Here you can try flavours such as Banana, Cocount, Irish Cream, Vanilla, Kentucky Bourbon and the Original. They offer free samples too. And, for every 4 individually packed Rum Cakes you purchase, you get a free shot of rum next door at the bar.
Souvenir Shopping
Nassau has the famous Straw Market, which hosts numerous vendors selling hand crafted goods. We tried to cram the activities of downtown Nassau all into one day, which was too much and we were hot so we didn't get a chance to visit, but we walked past it and if we had more time we definitely would have did some souvenir shopping. But if you're like us and are strapped for time, there are numerous souvenir shops with cool things that are reasonably priced throughout downtown.
What to do if Stopping in Nassau on a Cruise?
There is plenty to do in Nassau and it is a lot of fun, so i'd recommend going for at least a few nights. But if you find yourself stopping over for several hours on a cruise you can't do everything! You can choose to purchase a pricey day pass for Atlantis, which is fun, but costly and it'll be the only thing you do in Nassau. You can also book a half day island hopping tour. I did both of these things which were excellent, but i wouldn't want to rush and cram these activities while on a stop over from a cruise.
Option 1
My recommendation would be to take a bus/cab from just outside the cruise port down the coast to Goodman's Bay and rent an umbrella and enjoy a few hours on the beautiful beach. I'd then take a bus back and stop at Fish Fry for a bite to eat. Then I'd stop and grab some Rum Cake and head back to the cruise port. If you have any extra time you can explore the cruise port which has plenty of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.
Option 2
Or if you want to spend more time downtown and explore more, I'd start off at the Pirates of Nassau Museum, then go and purchase some Rum Cake since they are in close proximity. After that, I'd head on over to Junkanoo Beach for a few drinks and some sun. Then take a bus/cab to Fish Fry for a dinner and return to the cruise port and explore a bit before preparing to depart.
You can't really go wrong with whatever you do in Nassau, but the above to options give you a bit of everything and would be less rushed than going on an excursion away from Nassau. As for bussing, the number 10/12 both run from downtown Nassau down the coast past Cable Beach and it only cost $1.50 and is easy to catch. But after 6 pm the busses stop running. Taxis are also an option and will be quicker but more pricey.
Nassau is a lot of fun and if you spend some time there, make sure you check out all it has to offer. But if you're there on a cruise, there are still plenty of cool things to see and do for the day.
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