Audio walk · Nassau
Bay Street, Rawson Square & the Straw Market
Put your phone in your pocket and walk. Your phone reads each stop aloud, then waits while you walk to the next one; tap “I've arrived” to carry on. Everything it says is written out below, so the walk works without sound too.
- 3 stops
- about 5 min of listening
- about 9 min between stops
- Cluster guide
3 stops · about 5 min listening · about 9 min between stops
Before you start
Voice and speed
The script is in English. On-device voices keep working with no signal once this page is open or saved.
Transcript
Everything the tour says, in order. Read it instead of listening if you prefer.
Before you start
Welcome to the Bay Street, Rawson Square & the Straw Market audio walk in Nassau. 3 stops: Straw Market, Rawson Square and Parliament Square and Christ Church Cathedral. Morning cluster: Rawson Square, the Straw Market and Christ Church Cathedral before the cruise crowd; flat, little shade.
Bay Street between the port and Government House (approximate box). Underfoot: narrow pavement; slope: flat; shade: low.
Nassau is a small harbour town on a small island that has been a pirate base, a colonial port, a rum-running hub and now a cruise and resort destination.
Before you start: Vendors approach visitors: a polite 'no thank you' is enough; agree any price before a braiding or photo. Keep your eyes on the street, and pause the audio before you cross a road.
1. Straw Market
Stop 1 of 3: Straw Market.
Go in the morning for baskets and hats before the ships fill it; bargain calmly; leave bags at the hotel.
The straw work sold in the Straw Market is a craft with deep roots, plaited from palm fibre into hats, baskets and bags. By 10:30 the Straw Market is crowded and the pavements are full.
Check that goods are made in the Bahamas if that matters: look for the official tag. Crowded when several ships are in port; quiet on ship-free days. Cover up in town; beachwear stays at the beach. Go before 09:30 when few ships are in port. Say hello and ask the price; agree it before you pick up an item. Carry small US bills; change is often in Bahamian dollars. Agree a price before a braiding or photo. Walk from Bay Street and go early. Buy after a first lap; prices differ between stalls.
Walk:Next, stop 2: Rawson Square and Parliament Square. It's about 5 minutes on foot, about 250 metres to the west. Route: Walk (little shade). The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
2. Rawson Square and Parliament Square
Rawson Square
Stop 2 of 3: Rawson Square and Parliament Square. Locally, Rawson Square. Arrival point: Walk from Bay Street or the cruise port.
The civic heart of Nassau, a few minutes from the cruise port: pink government buildings, a statue of Queen Victoria and a shaded bench; a free 15-minute stop before or after the Straw Market.
For a visitor, the old town is easy to read at a small scale: the harbour, the government buildings around Rawson Square and Parliament Square, the cathedral and the hill fort behind them. Downtown is a grid of low buildings in pastel colours around Rawson Square and Parliament Square. A morning route of Bay Street, Rawson Square, the cathedral and then a taxi to the fort works well, followed by a swim or a rest in the afternoon.
Do not photograph police or guards without asking. Crowded when ships are in port; quiet after 16:00. Cover up; beachwear is for the beach.
Walk:Next, stop 3: Christ Church Cathedral. It's about 4 minutes on foot, about 500 metres to the east. Route: Walk (little shade). The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
Rawson Square and Parliament Square: hours, tickets and rules →
3. Christ Church Cathedral
Stop 3 of 3: Christ Church Cathedral. Arrival point: Walk up George Street from Bay Street.
The Anglican cathedral on George Street, a short walk from Bay Street: a quiet stop of 15 to 30 minutes with stained glass and a shaded churchyard; check opening hours and dress modestly.
Christ Church Cathedral, on George Street, is the seat of the Anglican Church in the Bahamas and dates in its present form from the 19th century. The origins go back to the era of slavery, when enslaved people were given a few days off at Christmas and used them to celebrate with music and masks.
Cover shoulders and knees; do not enter during a service unless you are attending. Quiet most of the day; services and weddings close it to visitors. Cover shoulders and knees. Open hours change with services; if it is closed, the churchyard and the street are still worth a look.
End of the walk
That's the end of the Bay Street, Rawson Square & the Straw Market walk. To carry on, Queen's Staircase & Fort Fincastle is about 8 minutes away (taxi up the hill). To carry on, Paradise Island & Cabbage Beach is about 15 minutes away (taxi over the bridge).
Built from this site's place pages, walking times and city deep dive; nothing is added that isn't on those pages. Opening hours, prices and rules change: check each place page before you go. Walking times are typical (median) and assume a steady pace.