Our first port day, and we were off the ship early. We headed straight to Bay Street to explore the “city,” which I say in quotes because downtown Nassau is small. You can walk most of it in a morning.
Bay Street and the street vendors
The first thing we saw? An RBC. Of all things to greet two Canadians in the Bahamas. There were Canadian banks everywhere, which makes sense once you learn how big offshore banking is here.
I picked out a pair of shell earrings from one of the vendors, and we ended up chatting with a few of them as we wandered. Then Justin got roped into playing a steel drum with one of the local musicians, and the vendor followed it up by playing Für Elise and “Under the Sea” for us. Not what I expected from my first ten minutes in the Bahamas, and maybe my favourite part of the day.
We walked back to the ship for drinks and a quick snack before our afternoon land and sea tour.
The land tour: pink buildings, Fort Fincastle and the water tower
We started at Parliament, the pink government buildings Nassau is known for. Our guide told us pink was the cheapest paint back in the day, so government buildings stayed pink, and law enforcement buildings are painted a pastel green. Once you know it, you start spotting them everywhere.
Next was the old water tower and Fort Fincastle. The guide explained the tower once supplied the capital with fresh water, and that today water is brought in from other islands. With roughly 700 islands and cays in the Bahamas, there’s a lot of island-hopping behind everyday life here. He also told us about the pink sand beaches out on the Out Islands, and a protected island no one is allowed to set foot on because it’s a nesting ground for green sea turtles.
The Queen’s Staircase
Below Fort Fincastle is the Queen’s Staircase, carved out of solid limestone in the 1790s by enslaved people, often cited as around 600 of them, to create a route down from the fort. It was later named in honour of Queen Victoria, whose reign is tied in Bahamian memory to the end of slavery.
Standing at the bottom looking up, it’s beautiful, and it’s heavy. Both things are true, and I think it’s worth slowing your pace there to take in what it took to build. Be careful of the “tour guides” at the top of the staircase. You don’t need one to walk around.
I’ll also admit I didn’t know the Bahamas was a Commonwealth country until we got there. As a Canadian, that felt like something I should have known.
The sea tour: mansions and a glass bottom boat
Then we got on a boat and cruised the coastline past some unbelievable waterfront mansions. Our guide pointed out one he said had belonged to Mary Kay.
Partway through, we did a slightly chaotic boat swap in the middle of the water onto a glass bottom boat. We were sent down below into a hull lined with glass panels, and I’m not going to pretend I was calm about it. It felt like the glass could give at any second.
It didn’t, and it was worth every nervous minute. We cruised through protected waters where swimming isn’t allowed, and the water was so clear we could see the coral reef below us. And three sea turtles.
Our guide told us the government helps reefs grow by sinking old planes and ships, which become coral habitats over a few years. He also credited the clarity of the water to the lack of heavy industry on the islands. Whatever the full science, it was refreshing to see a place take protecting its natural resources this seriously.
Conch fritters, Kalik and rum cake
The guide had two non-negotiables for us: conch fritters (pronounced “konk”) and Kalik, the Bahamian beer. We found a restaurant with a second-floor balcony and ordered both. Kinda reminded me of Takoyaki (Japanese Octopus balls). The beer and the fritters were an excellent match.
On the walk back we grabbed rum cake from Blackbeard’s, the piña colada and the original. Both were so good.
Watching Nassau disappear
The husband was asleep the second we got back to the cabin. So I grabbed a drink, went up on deck, and watched the ship pull away from Nassau past the old lighthouse at the tip of Paradise Island.
A small city, a long day, and so much more than I expected from a port stop.
Wander gently.
Quick tips for a Nassau cruise port day
Get off the ship early. Bay Street is right by the port and easy to walk before it gets busy.
Book a tour that combines land and sea if you want the history and the water in one afternoon.
Try conch fritters and Kalik at least once.
Bring cash for the street vendors.