Downtown in Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau stands as the capital and commercial center of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. About seventy percent of the Bahamian population resides here. Nassau, formerly known as Charles Town, was founded in 1670 by British settlers. At one time, the colony became a pirate haven and this history is well documented in the Pirate Museum in downtown. Today, a major portion of the economy is supported by tourism. As a popular cruise port, Downtown Nassau sees thousands of visitors daily. The nearby Paradise Island is home to the popular Atlantis resort.

A popular walk through the colorful downtown area includes visiting The Queen's Staircase, Fort Fincastle, Junkanoo Beach, and of course shopping in the commercial center. I've visited Nassau twice and have done these things exactly twice. The first time around, the shops were busy. This most recent time, a lot of the doors had shuttered for the shops. However, there was a big development happening near Junkanoo Beach. Visit the Tortuga Gift Shop downtown for a taste of the delicious rum cake.

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Travel
Downtown Nassau, Nassau, The Bahamas
Coordinates: 25.0782° N, 77.3405° W

Cost & Admission
Free, always open.

Food
Local restaurants.

Activities
Walking, exploring, shopping, eating.

Tips
Island time is not New York time at all. The first time we tried to order burgers and conch fritters from a local restaurant, it took an hour for our appetizers to arrive and we didn't stick around long enough for the burgers because we were limited by the cruise time. If you're staying in a resort and have all the time in the world, go for it. If you're there via cruise, skip the sit down eateries.

There are a lot of vendors that will sweet talk you into purchasing something. Do keep an eye out for your belongings and practice safety while traveling. Mostly they are doing what they have to do to make a living.