One of the most popular cruise ports where resort vacationers never feel crowded out.

Although most of the larger hotels are located outside of Nassau itself, at Cable Beach and on Paradise Island, Nassau remains the Bahamas' heart and soul.

Nassau still stays at the center of it all since the grand old city offers the best shopping and the most interesting sightseeing.

Nassau has more historic monuments than all the other Bahamas islands combined. For instance, although many islands claim a link with the legendary Blackbeard the pirate, Nassau served as his headquarters until his death in 1717.

Nassau's huge Straw Market on Bay Street is one of the Bahamas' most famous landmarks. It offers an endless supply of straw hats (great for protection from the sun), baskets, purses embroidered or plain, and carved wooden sculptures.

Many of the big items, particularly baskets, look tempting but consider how you will have to transport it home, unless you're on a cruise.

New! Junkanoo Parade photo gallery featuring the Bahamas' biggest celebration of the year, held on Nassau's Bay Street.

Incidentally, Bay Street near the cruise ships is the best place to start a tour of Nassau in the most pleasant way possible, by horse drawn carriage.

In busy Nassau, a good place to gain a look into local Bahamian life is Potter's Cay, on the Nassau side of the bridge that leads to Paradise Island . Potter's Cay, home port for the local conch (pronounced "konk") and commercial fishing fleet.

It's one of the easiest places to meet Bahamians who are not the usual hotel employees and shop keepers. But be polite and do ask permission before taking any pictures.

To sample local food, try Fish Fry, a cluster of beachside restaurants located on Arawak Cay across from Fort Charlotte.

Most customers are locals, so you're sampling real Bahamian dishes like conch chowder and conch salads, fried fish and boiled fish, peas and rice, tasty johnnycakes and lobster. Usually most popular with visitors are the luscious conch fritters, though the fresh conch salad made right in front of you is far better.

Wash them down with good local Kalik beer or, if you're feeling adventurous, the concoction known as Sky Juice, a blend of gin, coconut juice and condensed milk. Two will send you flying in no time; thus the name.

Major Attractions

Scuba Diving

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