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We enjoyed sightseeing in Nassau and strolling the colourful streets. Aside from the beautiful beaches, there are several attractions in the city of Nassau to explore during your visit to the Bahamas, many of them free to visit as well.
Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL shares several popular places in downtown Nassau we stopped at during a day trip to the city. Not only was our day enjoyable, but we also learned some history about the islands!
In addition, for popular guided tours, with over one thousand reviews, to consider in Bahamas:
The Queen’s Staircase
The Queen’s Staircase is a popular place for sightseeing in Nassau that is free and open to the public. Located at Fort Fincastle Historic Complex, it is free to visit.
Historically, the steps were carved by slaves at the time, from limestone, between 1793 and 1794. The pathway and steps were intended to provide the British soldiers access to the fort. Later, the staircase was named in honour of Queen Victoria who ended slavery in the British Empire.
The Queen’s Staircase is a major landmark where visitors can walk the sixty-six steps. At the bottom, there is a scenic short walkway with high stone walls and beautiful vegetation. It is an enjoyable short stop and a great photo opportunity as you explore downtown Nassau.
Shopping
Downtown Nassau has many different types of shops from small local souvenir stores to luxury, high-end shopping.
For luxury shopping, visitors can shop in downtown Nassau on Bay Street. Duty-free shops are also available in Nassau and at the airport, for a variety of goods like clothing, perfume, and alcohol. Duty-free shopping allows visitors to bring goods back to their country without paying tax, up to a certain amount. Therefore, be sure to confirm the personal exemption limit that applies for your country and your declaration requirements.
Nassau Straw Market
Visiting local markets and bazaars on our travels is always enjoyable! We briefly stopped to see the Nassau Straw Market during some free time on our group tour.
Reminiscent of a flea market, the vendors sell a variety of crafts and souvenirs. There are many stalls and booths, and U.S. dollars can be used for payment. Many of the booths sold similar products. However, we did purchase a hand-crafted wooden souvenir here.
Tortuga Bakery and Retail Store
Tortuga is a very well-known brand in the islands known for their rum cakes. We often buy the rum cakes as souvenirs from our Caribbean travels! Therefore, it was a nice surprise to unexpectedly come across the Tortuga store while strolling the streets of Nassau!
The Nassau store baked cakes fresh at this location and offered a variety of Tortuga products. Of course we purchased some delicious rum cakes to take home before leaving!
Location: 10 Frederick Street, Nassau, Bahamas
Website: www.tortugarumcakes.com
John Watling’s Distillery
The Buena Vista historic estate was founded in 1789. These days, it is the home of the John Watling’s Distillery which produces rum!
We enjoyed the short tour which took us around the estate and taught us about the rum production process.
The complimentary tours are offered throughout the day to the public. The tour ended with a free rum tasting for those interested in a sample.
We visited with a group therefore confirm directly if reservations are required for tours, as the distillery is a popular sightseeing stop in Nassau.
Location: Buena Vista Estate, 17 Delancy Street, Nassau, Bahamas
Website: www.johnwatlings.com
Other Popular Tours
Bahamas is a great island with so much to explore and do! Book in advance and explore Viator popular tours in Bahamas!
For popular rum tours, with hundreds of reviews:
Other popular tours to explore:
- Exuma Full-day Experience
- ATV Island Tour (Beach Break+Lunch+Free Pick-up+Drop-off)
We stayed at the all-inclusive Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, for couples. Check out our review and article on the resort here.
Check here for availability and hotels in the Bahamas:
- Sandals Royal Bahamian – all inclusive for couples
- Bahamas hotels and resorts in New Providence
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