Nassau Capital of the Bahamas
Nassau is the largest city of the Bahamas on New Providence island, the capital and the center of commerce, education, and administration. It’s also one of the popular attractions for those who go on a cruise. It used to be a little village founded by pirates. Today Nassau is a modern city. Its image is a mix of different colored buildings and majestic colonial architecture. The city is famous for its beautiful harbor, tropical breezes, the charming rhythm of drums, nightlife, delicious dishes of local cuisine.
How to get there
Nassau international airport Linden Pindling is the largest in the Bahamas. It is located 10 miles from Nassau city center. It has flights from different cities of the US, Canada, the UK, and the Caribbean.
There’s no public transport. Taxi stands are located at the exit of each terminal: domestic, international, and terminal for flights to/from the United States. The cost of the trip from/to the airport is approximately 20-30 dollars.
Things to do
Nassau offers entertainment to a wide range of interests. There’s a little what everybody asked for Aquaventure Water Park, located on the island of Atlantis Paradise, Castaway Cay Park, museum of pirates, the golden sands of Cable Beach, a variety of entertainment venues, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. During the day you can enjoy the beautiful beaches or play tennis, golf, go diving, yachting and other sports.
Castaway Cay Park for children is a real town where pirates, Disney cartoon characters live, and which provides young visitors with the opportunity to plunge into the world of unforgettable adventures.
The most visited attraction in Nassau is the Queen’s Staircase. The staircase was named after the British Queen Victoria. The Queen’s staircase consists of 65 steps – the same number of years she has been on the throne.
The best view of Nassau opens from the water tower, which reaches a height of 40 meters. Another famous place in Nassau is the Atlantis bridge. From here you can get a better view of the strait that separates New Providence Island and Paradise Island.
It’s also worth visiting the Royal Victoria Garden, which is located in the southern part of Shirley street. A large Botanical garden unites a family of various tropical plants (more than 300 species), collected from all over the world: magnificent orchids, including the rarest species, fancifully entwining trees.
The Bahamian capital’s public library, located in an unusual octagonal building, is another site that is worth visiting. Up to 1879, the building served as a prison. After the last prisoners were released from there, books were installed in the former prison cells. Now one of the rooms of the ex-prison is used as a museum dedicated to colonial times.
Rawson square bordered by two of the most famous streets Prince George’s Wharf and Bay street is the historical center of Nassau. Bay Street is known as a shopping street and also there are a lot of cafes and restaurants on it. During the winter holidays, the annual Christmas carnival is held here.
Another town square, Parliament square, South of Rawson is home to the former colonial administration and the current Parliament of the Bahamas, as well as the Supreme court and the house of Assembly. The beautiful two-story Parliament building with an antique portico is decorated with four columns.
Best time to go
Nassau is located in the Equatorial climate zone and it’s characterized by hot weather throughout the year. The air temperature varies within +20…+32 �C. There are two seasons: wet and dry. The first starts in May and lasts until October, characterized by hot and stuffy weather. The second starts in November and lasts until April, and it can be called more comfortable. In general, the climate of the capital city is very mild, due to the influence of the warm current of the Gulf stream. The coolest month is January when the air temperature drops to 17 degrees with a plus sign, but this only happens during the night hours. During the day, the temperature is + 25 � C. The hottest months of the year are July and August when the average temperature minimum reaches + 24 � C, the maximum reaches + 32 � C.
The minimum monthly precipitation level-within 40 millimeters-is observed in February and March, which are considered the driest in Nassau. But in the wet season, the maximum amount of precipitation on average reaches 150-220 mm/month. At this time begin to blow tropical hurricanes. As for the water temperature in the area of the capital of the Bahamas, in August-October, it warms up to +30 �C, and in the other months of the year, it is kept at +25…+27 �C.
Hotels in Nassau
Atlantis hotel with Aquaventure on Paradise Island is one of the most popular attractions of Nassau. It includes beautiful lagoons, pools, river rides and other entertainment to any taste. The resort was opened in 1968 and originally it was a hotel and a casino. One of the hotel suites was ranked by Forbes as the most expensive room.
There are a lot of hotels in the capital of the Bahamas of the different price ranges, but the average price is a little bit higher than in other places as the hoteliers have to pay government tax. Almost every hotel has a swimming pool and a range of entertainment.
