Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau features a variety of beaches for every occasion, whether you are looking for a quiet, secluded spot to relax with a book or join the sun-worshippers and people watch – there is a beach activity for everyone.

The sea is filled with bright, colorful coral reefs so snorkeling, swimming, and scuba diving are a must while the resorts offer an array of water sports from jet skiing and windsurfing to sailing, kayaking, and deep-sea fishing. End the day on the beach as you sip cocktails and enjoy dinner under the stars with your toes in the sand.

Aquaventure Water Park at Atlantis Paradise Island is an incredible aquatic park that promises a world of fun for the whole family. Spread over 141 acres, the park features a range of thrilling rides, themed adventures, and fun-filled activities, from Atlantean-themed water towers and high-speed water slides to eleven swimming pools and a mile-long river ride complete with rolling rapids. Aquaventure Water Park is one of the best things to do in Nassau, Bahamas.

Younger kids can enjoy a fantastic children’s water-play fort and more than twenty swimming areas cater to all ages and levels of swimmers. Exhilarating water slides and rides include the iconic Mayan Temple and the pulse-pounding Power Tower, while the river offers surges, waves, and other excitement for tube-riders. Voted one of the best amusement parks in the world, Aquaventure Water Park is a must-do when visiting the Bahamas.

One Casino Drive, Paradise Island, Bahamas, 242-363-3000

Blue Lagoon Island (officially known as Salt Cay) is a spectacular private island that features a tranquil lagoon, great beaches, and an array of water and land-based activities for the whole family to enjoy. Located just three miles from Nassau and easily accessible by boat from Nassau’s historic harbor, the island has everything you would expect from a tropical island, from swaying palm trees, white sandy beaches, and gin clear waters to lush natural vegetation, bright tropical birds, and colorful coral reefs.

Visitors can enjoy a range of water sports, including snorkeling, scuba-diving, water-skiing, fishing, and sailing and the island is home to the dolphins and sea lions of Dolphin Encounters, where visitors can interact with dolphins and sea lions in an all-natural ocean habitat.

Established in 1937 by Jamaican horticulturist Hedley Vivian Edwards, Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Center was the Bahamas’ first zoo and is now home to over 200 animals. Located in the heart of Nassau, the center is spread over more than four acres of lush tropical gardens that are inhabited by a wide variety of mammal, reptile and bird species, including the Caribbean flamingo, the Bahamas’ national bird.

The now endangered Caribbean flamingo was introduced to the island in the 1950's, beginning an extremely successful breeding program that is still in effect today. The center is surrounded by tranquil, restorative gardens, and visitors to the zoo can enjoy close encounters with more than 135 of the center’s collection of animals.

Visitors to the beautiful Blue Lagoon can now enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with sea lions with a Sea Lion Encounter at Blue Lagoon. Operated by Dolphin Encounters, the thrilling encounter gives brave guests a chance to witness sea lions live and close-up in their own all-natural marine habitat, guaranteeing unforgettable and everlasting memories.

After a short orientation and safety chat from professional handlers, visitors stand on specially designed, waist-deep water platforms in the calm lagoon to touch, feel, play, and hug these affectionate marine mammals. Professional on-site photographers will capture the moment for you take away forever. Spaces for Sea Lion Encounters are limited and need to be booked in advance.

Fondly known to Nassau residents as "The Fish Fry," Arawak Cay is one of the best places to immerse yourself in the Bahamian way of life – kick back and relax with a beer, enjoy a traditional Bahamian meal, or chat with the locals. Located on West Bay Street in Nassau, Arawak Cay was built from sand dredged from Nassau’s Harbor in 1969 and is home to an array of authentic Bahamian restaurants who have been serving traditional island fare and colorful drinks to match ever since.

Two favorite places on the Cay are Twin Brothers and Goldie's Enterprises whose fried "cracked conch" and famous Sky Juice (a tasty Bahamian mix of gin, coconut milk/water, sweet milk, sugar, ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg) attract both locals and visitors alike. While conch is the order of the day, Arawak Cay is a great place to try seafood delicacies such as grilled shrimp, lobster tails, and fried snapper.

Established in 2004 by the Clifton Heritage Authority, Clifton Heritage National Park is a 208-acre public park that showcases the historical and cultural legacy of the Lucayans, the Loyalists, and the African civilizations. Located on the westernmost tip of New Providence, Clifton Heritage National Park is packed with spectacular natural landscapes, ranging from coastal wetlands and sandy beaches to rocky shores and ancient dunes.

It also offers an array of activities for outdoor enthusiasts, including hiking and walking trails, wildlife and bird-watching, boating, fishing, swimming, and snorkeling. The park is dotted with a variety of historic stone walls, sites, buildings, and ramparts, such as the Great House, Clifton’s Stone Wharf, Johnstone Well, and the limestone passage of the Stone Steps.

Built in the 1860s and housed in the historic and beautifully restored Villa Doyle, the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas is home to the National Collection of Bahamian Art. While the collection concentrates mainly on Bahamian artists, visitors can also see exhibits of late 20th-century sculpture, ceramics, paintings, photography, textiles, and other mixed media.

Permanent displays are housed on the ground floor of the gallery while the upper floors of the museum showcase the history of Bahamian Art and Visual culture as well as temporary exhibitions of experimental contemporary art practice and contemporary movements. The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas also offers comprehensive community and educational programs, art education workshops, and a free public art library.

Villa Doyle, West and West Hill Streets, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas, 242-328-5800/1

Learn all about the history of piracy in the Bahamas at the interactive Pirates of Nassau Museum. Located in the harbor in the heart of downtown Nassau, the museum is based on a model of the famous pirate ship "Revenge," which visitors enter to explore the dark and mysterious world of pirates. The lower decks of the ship feature a stowed cannon, swinging hammocks, and models of pirates going about their daily business.

Visitors will come face to face with notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read in a beachside shantytown, and a small store sells a range of pirate merchandise to purchase and take home.

King and George Street, Downtown, Nassau, Bahamas, 242-356-3759

Tucked away on the Graycliff Hotel’s historic property in downtown Nassau, Graycliff Chocolatier was the Bahamas’ first interactive chocolate factory and offers a range of chocolate making tours and workshops, and they sell a wide selection of handcrafted chocolates. The famous chocolatier provides a variety of interactive experiences for both children and adults, as well as tasting tours that highlight the chocolate making process from bean to bar.

Make your own cacao masterpieces and learn how to glaze and dip and combine unique ingredients such as mango, lime, and chili with chocolate. Dating back to the 18th century, Graycliff is a magnificent property steeped in history, romance, and glamor, boasting the only five-star restaurant in the Caribbean and one of the largest private wine collections in the world.