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Arawak Cay, the Junkanoo Summer Festival ~Arawak Cay, the site where
the Junkanoo Summer Festival is held,
has developed naturally as a Bahamian seafood paradise. It
began as a series of makeshift stalls that prepared conch (konk) for customers. Soon, it blossomed into a community of sophisticated
eateries that offer a range of seafood delicacies.
A stroll through Arawak Cay
will reveal seafood delights such as conch salad, scorched conch, conch fritters, cracked conch, grilled shrimp, grilled lobster
tails, and a variety of fish dishes. All are prepared with an elegant blend of spices.
Much of the flavour comes from the addition of limes, which Bahamians
call sour, and hot peppers. Bahamians, traditionally, are lovers of hot and spicy foods.
The hot peppers found in their cuisine are given names such as bird pepper and goat pepper.
So, if you have a low tolerance for the hot spices, be sure to ask for the mild version.
The establishments on Arawak Cay are open seven days per week, from midday to midnight.
~
Ardastra Gardens & Conservation Center ~
More than 300 birds, mammals and reptiles from The
Islands of the Bahamas, the Caribbean,
Latin America and around the world are on display among acres of
lush tropical gardens.
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Bahamas Historical Society Museum ~
This famous
museum emphasizes both the collection and preservation of historic, anthropological and archaeological Bahamian
artifacts with the ongoing exhibit "A Reservoir of History." There
are displays depicting Bahamas history from pre-Columbus to the present, including Lucayan-Taino-Arawak artifacts. Tours
are available.
Open Monday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday 10:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon; Closed Sunday and holidays. Admission: $1:00 for adults, $0.50 for children
5-12 years old.
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Balcony House ~
Market Street
off Bay Street
Nassau, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-302-2621
In the midst
of a bustling 20th century city, step back in time and discover an 18th century architectural gem. This historic landmark is the oldest wooden residential structure in Nassau,
now fully restored as a museum.
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Bay Street ~
This historic
street is Nassau’s main thoroughfare. It leads you past
historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants.
~ Department of Archives ~
Mackey
Street
Nassau, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-393-2175
The
Department of Archives has a microfilm collection of historical
documents dating back to 1600, as well as photograph and oral history collections, a number of maps and plans. Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10
a.m. - 4 p.m. Closed holidays.
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Educulture Tours (Junkanoo) ~
Ivern House
#31 West Street at Delancey Street
P.O. Box N-85
Nassau,
The Bahamas
Phone: 242-328-DRUM (3786), 242-324-5484
Fax: 242-3264-3801
Junkanoo is
the major cultural festival of The Bahamas, celebrated in two colourful
parades on Boxing Day, December 26, and New Year’s Day, January
1. Learn of our centuries-old celebration of life and freedom with a true-true Junkanoo experience by Educulture Tours.
The Junkanoo Workshop is hosted
by veteran educator and Bahamas historian Mrs. Arlene Nash Ferguson. More
than a museum tour, guests will view Junkanoo costume pieces, learn the history of Junkanoo, and even create their own Junkanoo masks and participate in Junkanoo
music. A magnificent hands-on activity for groups of all sizes.
Prince
George Wharf, Bay Street
Nassau, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-323-3182/3
Toll Free: 1-800-Bahamas
Fax: 242-322-7682
Festival Place, located on Prince
George Wharf, was designed by award-winning Bahamian
architect, Jackson Burnside. Its vibrant, colorful design reflects the architectural style
of a Bahamian village and evokes a time when Bahamian artisans and
crafts persons practiced their art and trade in small island communities.
The
Welcome Center provides a truly Bahamian
experience and the opportunity for visitors to purchase quality, authentic Bahamian-made souvenirs
and craft items. With over 45 artisans and trade persons, visitors and patrons can sip
a cup of Bahamian-blended tea while they wait for the finishing touches to be placed on a special
straw bag, a quilt, or a painting by a Bahamian artist. They
can munch on Bahamian sweets and treats, like coconut and pineapple tarts, as they stroll through
walkways and lanes named after magical and inviting towns in the islands: Settlers Way, Andros Avenue, Queens
Highway and Barratarre Way.
Services available at Festival Place
include: a tour desk providing general information on The Islands
of the Bahamas and information on attractions, land and water-based tours; a full-service Post
Office for regular and registered mail, high speed delivery and the sale of Bahamian stamps;
a communications center, offering pay phones, phone cards, Internet kiosks/WiFi , operator service, fax service and telegrams;
transportation information for scooter rental, taxi and ferry boat operations; and hair braiding.
Visitors can join in and dance to the live Bahamian music in the indoor square
on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Operating hours are Monday, Tuesday, Friday
and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Fort Charlotte ~
West Bay Street
Nassau,
The Bahamas
If you have time to visit only one fort, see this one. It is by far
the largest and covers 100 acres. Located on a hill overlooking the far west end of the
harbour, Fort Charlotte commands an impressive view of Paradise Island, a good part of Nassau and the
harbour. Built in 1788 by Lord Dunmore, this fort has a moat, dungeons, underground passageways
and 42 cannons, which have never been fired in an act of aggression. Tour guides (working for tips) are happy to give you a complete history of the fort. It
is one mile west of downtown Nassau, just off West Bay
Street.
The entrance fee is $5.00 for Adults, $2.00 for Children (under 12), $3.00 for Seniors.
~ Fort Fincastle ~
Built in 1793, the front of the fort is shaped like the bow of a ship and would have provided a good spot
for a lookout to stand. Its cannons have never been fired in battle. Located
on Elizabeth Avenue, you can reach this fort by way of the Queen’s Staircase a few blocks up from the harbour on East
Street.
~ Fort
Montagu ~
Built in 1741
of local limestone, Fort Montagu is the oldest fort still standing
on the island of New Providence. It
is at the eastern end of Nassau harbour along the waterfront.
~ Garden
of Remembrance ~
Located in the
garden is a stone cenotaph honouring those killed in World Wars
I and II.
Blue
Hill Road & Duke Street (Near downtown)
P. O. Box N-8301
Nassau, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-322-1875, 242-322-1876
Fax:
242-322-4659
Located at one of Nassau’s highest points, this has been the official
residence of the Governor General of The Bahamas,
personal representative of the queen, since 1801. A statue of Christopher
Columbus stands at the front of this building, built in 1830 to commemorate his discovery of
the New World.
Plan
to see the pomp and pageantry of the Changing of the Guard Ceremony, which takes place every other Saturday, and watch the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band
perform. Join the Governor-General’s spouse at a Tea Party on the last Friday of
every month, but be sure to make reservations ahead of time.
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Graycliff Inn and Restaurant ~
West Hill Street - Nassau, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-322-2796
Fax: 242-326-6110
Graycliff is located in an historical mansion built by Captain John Howard Graysmith in the 1740s.
The retired privateer settled in Nassau in 1726 after his ship Graywolf
was scuttled off New Providence. In
1844, it became Nassau’s first inn.
During
the U.S. Civil War, Graycliff served as an officers’ mess for the West
India Regiment and its cellar doubled as a jail for prisoners of
war. Miss Polly Leach, a close friend of the American gangster Al Capone, at one time owned
Graycliff, as well as Lord and Lady Dudley, friends of the Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII).
Graycliff's restaurant has been rated one of the world's 10 best by Lifestyles of
The Rich and Famous and it is the only five-star restaurant in The Bahamas and the
Caribbean region. Royalty, celebrities and the wealthy have
partaken of gourmet food in the historic buildings’ elegant surroundings. The wine
cellar, with some 175,000 bottles, has won Wine Spectators Grand Award. Graycliff produces cigars handmade by cigar rollers formerly of "Cohiba" and also has the best Cuban cigar
selection in the world.
Credit Cards Accepted, Live Entertainment, No Jacket Required, Reservations Required, Smoking Allowed,
Wine/Liquor Available.
~ Gregory Arch ~
When you pass through this stone arch on Market Street,
you cross the line that divides downtown Nassau from the rest of the city. Built
in 1852, the tunnel leads to the community known as Over-The-Hill and the old settlements of Grant’s
Town and Bain Town.
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~ Jacaranda House ~
Parliament
Street - Near East Hill Street (Top of the Hill) Nassau, The Bahamas
Jacaranda is a stately home built in the 1840's by then Chief Justice, Sir George Anderson. When a ship
pulled into Nassau Harbor with a load of stones from Georgia, it was not surprising that Chief Justice Sir George Anderson
went down to the dock and purchased the stones for inclusion in his new home because in those days it was common practice
to use those ballast stones for building purposes.
In the months that followed,
the house slowly came into being at the northwest corner of Parliament and East Hill Streets. The house has a white-painted,
low-pitched shingled roof, with wide latticed verandahs. The south side is covered with the traditional jalousies and quoins,
typical of Bahamian architecture, can be seen as the corners.
Jacaranda is owned
by the estate of the late Sir Harry Oakes. It has had a series of owners and a series of names. It has been enlarged and remodeled
and modernized, but it remains basically the same today as it was over 100 years ago. The house, first known as "Anderson
House," passed from the Anderson family to the Williams family, then to the Miller family around the turn of the century.
As the years passed, its name changed from "Anderson House" to "Everton House" to "Jacaranda"
but to some, it is known as "the Old Miller Place." Mr. William Miller, who married Maud Williams, was Surveyor General of
The Bahamas at the time. In 1944 the house passed for a short time back into the Anderson family when it was purchased by
Sidney Farrington, great nephew of George Anderson, and his sisters.
During
World War II Captain Vyvian Drury, who came to The Bahamas as ADC to the Duke of Windsor, purchased the house and it was Captain
Drury who began the first extensive renovations. Where the present dining room is, was at one time the old kitchens. They
were torn down in the late thirties and the new wing built. The late Eunice, Lady Oakes, purchased the property in 1949. In
1965 the owners added the guest house and the pool. It was their intention to make the guest house resemble as much as possible
the kitchen and it was modeled after the kitchen house at the East Hill Club. |
~ Nassau Public Library & Museum ~
Shirley
Street (Between Bank Lane & Parliament Street), Nassau, The Bahamas Phone: 242-322-4907, 242-328-5029
Built in 1797, this octagonal building was formerly the Nassau Goal
(Old World spelling for "jail"). Visitors can have
a look around the small prison cells, which are now lined with books, or examine a collection of historic prints, old colonial
documents, and Arawak artifacts. Free Admission. Hours
are 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
~ Parliament Square ~
To see an excellent example of Old Nassau, go
by the flamingo-pink government buildings of Parliament Square.
Constructed in 1815, these buildings are excellent examples of colonial architecture. The Houses of Assembly, the old Colonial
Secretary’s Office and the Supreme
Court are clustered around a statue of Queen Victoria.
The buildings on the north side of the square face a bust of Sir Milo B. Butler, the first Governor-General
of The Islands Of The Bahamas. Tours
are available when the government is not in session. Parliament Square
is located just across Bay Street from Rawson
Square.
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~ Pirates of Nassau ~
King
& George Streets, P.O. Box N-641, Nassau, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-356-3759 Fax: 242-356-3951
Pirates of Nassau is a world-class pirate attraction in the heart of downtown
Nassau. Experience the true story of pirates in an amazing,
historically accurate,interactive environment, which will entertain, excite and educate visitors of all ages. Pirate themed pub and Courtyard bar and PLUNDER! The
Pirate Gift Shop. Open
Monday-Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
Admission: $12 adults, $6 children. One child under
the age of 12 years is admitted FREE with each paying adult. |
Queen’s Staircase: Nassau’s
most visited attraction. Climb the 65 steps carved out of solid limestone by slaves in
the late 18th century. This 102-foot staircase was named in honor of the 65 years of Queen Victoria’s
reign. Located on Elizabeth Ave.,
off Shirley St.
This Greco-Gothic masterpiece stands high on a bluff overlooking the harbour. A popular spot for wedding ceremonies and is especially beautiful when illuminated at night. Augustinian monks in France originally built the stone structure in the 13th
century. In the 1920s, William Randolph Hearst bought The
Cloisters and had it disassembled and moved to the United States. There
the stones laid in a warehouse for years because the contractors did not have the plans needed to reassemble it. Huntington Hartford, the millionaire developer of Paradise Island,
purchased the structure and reconstructed it on the island in 1962. It is located in the
Versailles Gardens.
"The
Retreat" is a National Park, the
headquarters of the Bahamas National Trust.
One of the world's largest collection of rare and exotic palms grow and flourish in the one-acre
gardens of The Retreat. Most
tropical palms grow under a forest canopy in low light. Native orchids grace the tree trunks.
Red ginger proudly show off their bright bloom. And graceful
ferns fill the natural "pot holes" in which palms are planted. Maps
are available for self-guided tours. Open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The
Water Tower - Located near Fort
Fincastle, at the top of Elizabeth Avenue,
the tower provides a panoramic view of New Providence Island coast to coast. This is the highest point on the island at 216
feet above sea level.
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Versailles Gardens - Stroll
through these spectacular gardens, a popular spot for weddings. Bronze and marble statues --
like a life-sized Hercules sculpted in Greece in the 12th century -- as well as fountains, reflecting pools and waterfalls
are scattered throughout. A lacy gazebo sits high above the boat-filled harbour and a path
takes you to The Cloisters. The Versailles Gardens are on the grounds of the Ocean
Club hotel, but they are open to the public. |
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