Nassau

The Bahamas were home to the Lucayan people, a branch of the Taino, until Spanish slave raids in the early 1500s emptied the islands. English settlers from Bermuda came to New Providence in the 1600s and built a small settlement that was burned by Spanish forces more than once. In the 1690s the English fortified the harbour and named the town Nassau, after William of Orange-Nassau, who had become King William III of England.

The early 1700s brought the era the city is best known for. Weak government, a sheltered harbour and shallow waters that big warships could not enter made Nassau an easy base for privateers and then for pirates. Between about 1706 and 1718 the town was an informal pirate republic, and names such as Blackbeard, Charles Vane and Calico Jack are tied to it, along with Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two of the era's best-known women pirates. It was a rough, short-lived world, and the romance of it has been sold to visitors ever since.

In 1718 the Crown sent Woodes Rogers as governor with pardons for those who would give up piracy and a warship for those who would not. Many pirates accepted, some fled, and a group of the holdouts were hanged. The Latin motto on the Bahamian coat of arms, 'Expulsimus piratas, restituimus commercia' or 'we expelled the pirates, we restored commerce', comes from that time.

The next big change came after the American Revolution, when thousands of British loyalists moved to the islands with their enslaved people, bringing a plantation economy to a poor soil. Slavery was abolished across the British Empire in 1834, and the emancipation shaped Bahamian society, including its music, churches and the Junkanoo festival. In the 20th century the islands profited from blockade-running in the American Civil War, from rum-running in Prohibition and from a rising tourist trade that grew after the Second World War.

The Bahamas gained independence on 10 July 1973, and Nassau stayed the capital. The city has been shaped since by tourism, offshore finance and the arrival of large resorts, of which Atlantis on Paradise Island, opened in 1998, is the most visible. 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.

Nassau's defences were built against Spanish, French and pirate threats, and three forts survive. Fort Fincastle, on the ridge behind the town, was built in 1793 by Lord Dunmore, the governor at the time. He shaped it like a paddlewheel steamer, with a bow and a stern, and a water tower was added in 1928 that gives the best view over the harbour and the cruise port. Fort Charlotte, to the west, is the largest of the three, begun in 1788 with a dry moat and cannon. Fort Montagu, on the east side, dates from 1741 and is the oldest.

The Queen's Staircase is the best-known link between the town and the ridge. Sixty-six steps were cut into the limestone, said to have been done by enslaved workers around 1793 to 1794, and a story links the number to the years of Queen Victoria's reign, though it was cut long before her time. Palms and a small waterfall run beside it, and the walk up takes about ten minutes. It is one of the few shaded, quiet corners in the centre in the early morning.

Downtown is a grid of low buildings in pastel colours around Rawson Square and Parliament Square. The Parliament, the Supreme Court and the old Colonial Secretary's offices date from the early 19th century and are painted a soft pink. The statue of Queen Victoria stands in Parliament Square, and Government House, the governor-general's residence, sits on a hill nearby with a statue of Columbus on its steps, a piece some Bahamians find a poor fit for the country.

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. Nearby streets have small museums, cafés and old houses converted to restaurants, such as Graycliff, which is one of the city's oldest surviving mansions and holds a wine cellar and a cigar shop.

The lesson for visitors is that the old town is small and best done on foot, but only early. The sun hits the pavement by 10:00, cruise groups arrive from mid-morning, and the hill fort is up a slope without shade. 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.

Junkanoo is the Bahamas' great street festival. It takes place before dawn on 26 December and 1 January, when groups of hundreds of dancers in huge painted costumes made of cardboard, crepe paper and glue parade down Bay Street to the beat of goatskin drums, cowbells and horns. Each group, called a shack, spends months preparing, and the parade is judged on costume, music and dance. It is the clearest single expression of the islands' African heritage.

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. After emancipation in 1834 the festival continued, and it grew from a neighbourhood event to a national one. There are museums and shacks that show the costumes, and at some times of year you can watch practice sessions; check locally, since schedules change.

Music and religion sit at the heart of daily life. Gospel and church are central on Sundays, and the sounds of rake-and-scrape, a folk music played with a saw and a goatskin drum, are heard at local events. Goombay, a Bahamian music and dance style, gives its name to summer festivals, and you will hear soca, reggae and calypso from beach bars.

Independence Day, 10 July, marks the 1973 handover and is a public holiday. Emancipation Day, the first Monday in August, marks the end of slavery and is celebrated with events and a day off. Both are good times to see local life, but roads near the centre close and services are reduced.

The straw work sold in the Straw Market is a craft with deep roots, plaited from palm fibre into hats, baskets and bags. Ask where an item was made, since imports fill many stalls, and look for the official Bahamas-made tag if it matters to you. Buying from a stallholder who plaits at the stall is the best way to support the craft.

A few manners make visits easier. Greet people before you ask them for anything, dress modestly in town and in restaurants, and do not wear camouflage clothing, which is illegal for civilians. Ask before photographing people, and give the Bahamian pace of service some patience.

Bahamian food is built on the sea. The queen conch, a large sea snail, is the national ingredient, and you can eat it in five or six ways in a day: raw as conch salad, scorched with hot pepper, cracked and fried, in fritters, in a chowder or in a stew. Conch salad is the most theatrical. A vendor cracks a shell, pulls the animal out, chops it with onion, tomato, green pepper and citrus juice and hands it over within minutes. The best places to see it made are Potter's Cay Dock and the Fish Fry.

The Fish Fry at Arawak Cay is a row of casual seafood places facing the water, popular with locals on weekends. A plate is usually cracked conch or fried snapper with peas 'n' rice, a Bahamian side of pigeon peas and rice, plus coleslaw and fried plantain. Drinks include Kalik and Sands lagers and sky juice, a mix of coconut water, condensed milk and gin. The atmosphere is loud and friendly at dusk, and the sensible way to go is by taxi both ways.

Breakfast is another key food. Boiled fish and grits is a peppery fish stew served with grits, and stew fish, johnnycake and sausage are local favourites. Baked macaroni and cheese is a side dish at most meals, and guava duff, a rolled pudding with a sweet sauce, is a common dessert. Coconut tart and rum cake are the sweet souvenirs.

At the top end, Graycliff and resort restaurants on Paradise Island serve fine dining with local fish and lobster. Spiny lobster has a season, roughly August to March, and it is illegal to take or serve it out of season, so if you see it out of season, ask where it was caught. Grouper and snapper are common, and lionfish, an invasive species, is a sustainable choice on some menus.

Prices are high because most food is imported. A plate at the Fish Fry costs US$15 to 25, a fine-dining meal US$50 to 130 and a coffee US$4 to 6. Check the bill for a service charge of 15 to 18% before you tip.

For health, eat conch salad fresh from a busy stall, drink bottled water if the taste of tap water bothers you, and take the usual care with raw food in the heat. If you have a dietary need, say it early: vegetarian options are limited outside resorts.

The Bahamas are about 700 islands and cays spread over a shallow bank of limestone, and Nassau is the doorway. New Providence itself has beaches on the north and west shores: Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island, Junkanoo Beach by the cruise port, Cable Beach and Love Beach to the west. Beaches in the Bahamas are public up to the high-water mark, though resorts control the access paths, the chairs and the water-sports.

Water is the main draw, and safety matters. The sea can look calm and still carry rip currents when the wind is up. Check the flags and lifeguards, and swim near others. Use licensed water-sports operators only, and agree the price and rules in writing before a jet-ski, parasail or banana-boat ride; disputes and injuries do happen. Wear reef-safe sun cream and never step on or take coral.

Beyond Nassau the closest boat trips are Rose Island and Blue Lagoon Island, about 25 to 40 minutes by boat, with beaches, snorkelling and sea life. Farther out, the Exuma Cays are a chain of small islands famous for clear water, sandbars and the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, reached by plane or fast boat in a long day. Eleuthera and Harbour Island have pink-sand beaches and a slower pace, and Andros holds blue holes and the world's third-largest barrier reef system.

The weather sets the calendar. December to April is dry, sunny and busy. Summer is hot and humid with a hurricane season from 1 June to 30 November, peaking from August to October. Storms can close ports and airports for days, so a flexible booking and travel insurance matter. Check forecasts at least a week ahead and follow official guidance.

The islands are also on the front line of climate change. Sea level rise, stronger storms and coral bleaching are national concerns, and the memory of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, which devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama, is fresh. Some tours and lodges support recovery and conservation, and a visit that spends money with local operators helps.

For a short stay, choose one sea day: a morning at Cabbage Beach, a boat to Rose Island or a flight to the Exumas, and keep the rest of your time for Bay Street and the Fish Fry.

Nassau has one rhythm: the arrival of ships. On a busy day, several large cruise ships are in port, and thousands of visitors reach Bay Street by 09:00. By 10:30 the Straw Market is crowded and the pavements are full. If you are staying in the city, check the port calendar, go early, and use the middle of the day for the beach, the pool or an indoor lunch. If you are on a ship, decide your one or two stops in advance and use a licensed operator.

The main risk to visitors is petty crime and hard-sell offers, plus crime in some neighbourhoods away from the tourist areas. Take licensed taxis and agree the fare from the rate board, keep your phone and bags close, and do not walk between clusters at night. Government travel advice for the Bahamas notes crime in some areas of Nassau, particularly Over-the-Hill neighbourhoods south of downtown, so go there only with a local guide.

Water-sports and street offers are where most complaints arise. A hair-braiding session, a free rum punch or a jet-ski ride can come with a bigger bill than you expected. Agree the price first, use hotel-recommended operators and say a firm thank you and no if you are not interested. Do not accept rides or tours from unlicensed people at the port or the airport.

There are some legal points worth knowing. Camouflage clothing is banned for civilians, firearms and ammunition are heavily restricted and a forgotten bullet in a bag can mean arrest, and drug laws are strict. Cover up in town, shops and restaurants; swimwear is for the beach. Drive on the left if you rent a car, and be extra careful at roundabouts.

The money side is easy: the Bahamian dollar is at par with the US dollar and both are used everywhere. Cards work in hotels and restaurants, and cash is best for stalls, jitneys and tips. Service charges of 15 to 18% are common, so check bills. Hotels may add resort fees and taxes, so read the total.

With those habits, Nassau works well as a short, easy stay: a morning on Bay Street, a hill fort at 08:00, a beach day and a dusk dinner at the Fish Fry, with a taxi booked for every long leg. Keep the last morning simple and the bag already in the car.