30 Best Sights in New Providence and Paradise Islands, Bahamas

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 a fast-paced game of dominoes, or sample traditional Bahamian fare. You can order small dishes such as conch fritters or full meals at one of the pastel-colored waterside shacks. Try 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 nearby Frankie Gone Bananas are among the most popular spots. Both are known for Bahamian favorites such as fried cracked conch, best washed down with Sky Juice — a sweet but potent gin, coconut-water, and sweet-milk concoction sprinkled with nutmeg. Local fairs and craft shows are occasionally held in the adjacent field.

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.

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.

Whether you're up for an exhilarating rush down a near vertical waterslide or prefer to relax on a calm, lazy river loop, Baha Bay has something for everyone. The 15-acre water park includes a 20,000-square-foot wave pool with intermittent waves reaching up to 5 feet as well as a three-lane surf simulator. There's also a pool area dedicated to younger guests with shallow pools and kid-sized slides. 

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.

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.

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.

Time your visit to this far-flung beach on the island's southwestern shore to catch low tide, when the ocean recedes, leaving behind sandbanks and seashells. It's a perfect place to take the kids for a shallow-water dip in the sea or to sneak away for a truly private rendezvous. Popular with locals, you'll likely have the miles-long stretch all to yourself unless it's a public holiday. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

The small community on New Providence's southwestern coast sits placidly, like a remnant of another era, between Adelaide Road and the ocean. It was first settled during the early 1830s by Africans who had been captured and loaded aboard slave ships bound for the New World. They were rescued on the high seas by the British Royal Navy, and the first group of liberated slaves reached Nassau in 1832. Today, there are two sides to Adelaide—the few dozen families who grow vegetables, raise chickens, and inhabit well-worn, pastel-painted wooden houses, shaded by casuarina, mahogany, and palm trees; and the more upscale beach cottages that are mostly used as weekend getaways. The village has a primary school, a few small grocery stores, and a few restaurants serving native foods.

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.

Hotels, including the massive Baha Mar resort development and the new Goldwynn Resort & Residences, dot the length of this 3-mile beach, so don't expect isolation. Music from hotel pool decks wafts out onto the sand, Jet Skis race up and down the waves, and vendors sell everything from shell jewelry to coconut drinks right from the shell. Access via new hotels may be limited, but join the locals and park at the Goodman's Bay park on the eastern end of the beach. Amenities: parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking.

These large limestone caverns that the waves sculpted over the eons are said to have sheltered the early Arawak people. An oddity perched right beside the road, they're worth a glance—although in truth, there's not much to see as the dark interior doesn't lend itself to exploration. There's a funky chair outside for fun photo ops, and across the street is a concrete viewing platform overlooking the ocean. This has become a popular stop for the myriad jeep and ATV tours, so at any point a large crowd could descend.

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.

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.

It's quite a distance from just about any hotel you could stay at, but for history and nature buffs, this national park, rescued from the hands of developers, is worth the drive. Situated on the site of a Lucayan village dating back to AD 1000–1500, Clifton Heritage National Park allows you to walk through the ruins of slave quarters from an 18th-century plantation. The site can claim ties to pop culture as well because a number of hit movies have been filmed here on land and sea. Book one of the land or sea tours ahead of time—they offer snorkeling out to the Coral Reef Sculpture Garden and a heritage tour for history buffs. Be sure to walk the path from the main parking lot toward the west, where you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the Sacred Space and admire the African women carved out of casuarina wood by local artist Antonius Roberts. Naturalists will enjoy walking along the paths lined with native flora and fauna that lead to wooden decks overlooking mangrove swamps.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This beach got its name after scenes of one of the Jaws movies was filmed on-site. Usually quiet and calm, Jaws Beach is a favorite with local families. On holiday weekends expect larger crowds, who set up grills and loudspeakers. Look out to the right for a glimpse of the glitzy homes that line Clifton Bay within the exclusive Lyford Cay neighborhood. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; sunbathing.

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 free 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. Although the free tour is quite extensive, the experiences such as the rum tasting or bottling your own personal rum are worth booking in advance. 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. 

If you're looking for great snorkeling and some privacy, drive about 20 minutes west of Cable Beach. White sand shimmers in the sun, and the azure waves gently roll ashore. About a mile offshore are 40 acres of coral reef known as the Sea Gardens. Access is not marked; just look for a vacant lot. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; sunset.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Nearly 200 species of exotic palm trees grace the 11 verdant acres appropriately known as The Retreat, which is managed by The Bahamas National Trust. Stroll in blessed silence through the lush grounds of this protected national park, and be on the lookout for native birds. It's a perfect break on a steamy Nassau day. The Retreat hosts the Jollification—the island's unofficial start to the Christmas season—the third weekend in November. Carols, festive food and drinks, a kids' holiday craft center, and local artisans selling native and Christmas crafts make this a must-do event.

Fountains and statues of luminaries and legends (Napoléon and Josephine, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, David Livingstone, Hercules, and Mephistopheles) adorn Versailles Gardens, the terraced lawn at The Ocean Club, formerly the private hideaway of A&P supermarket heir Huntington Hartford. At the top of the gardens stand the Cloisters, the remains of a stone monastery built by Augustinian monks in France in the 13th century. They were imported to the United States in the 1920s by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst. (The cloister is one of four to have ever been removed from French soil.) Forty years later, Hartford bought the Cloisters and had them rebuilt on their present commanding site. At the center is a graceful, contemporary white marble statue called Silence, by Scottish sculptor William Reid Dick. Nearly every day, tourists take or renew wedding vows under the delicately wrought gazebo overlooking Nassau Harbour. The garden is owned by The Ocean Club Four Seasons Resort.