Bahamas
Nassau travel guide
Nassau is a city in Bahamas, home to about 228,000 people.
- Best months
- November to April
- Nearest airport
- NAS14 km · Lynden Pindling International Airport
- Currency
- BSDBahamian dollar
- Time zone
- America/Nassau
- Language
- English
About
About Nassau
Nassau ( NASS-aw) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. It is on the island of New Providence, which has a population of 296,522, 74.26% of the country's total population.
Founded around 1650 by the British as Charles Town, the town was renamed in 1695 to honor the ruling house in the Netherlands (and later England), which ultimately derives from Nassau Castle, Rhineland Palatinate. Due to the Bahamas' strategic location near trade routes and its multitude of islands, Nassau soon became a popular pirates' den, and British rule was soon challenged by the self-proclaimed "Privateers Republic" under the leadership of the infamous Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Nassau
See
- Parliament House
- Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Center
- National Art Gallery of the Bahamas
- Pirates of Nassau Museum
- Fort Fincastle
- James Bond wrecks
- Cable Beach
Do
- Queen's Staircase
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Nassau to stay in
Many of Nassau's hotels are located outside the city core on Paradise Island or Cable Beach.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Nassau
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Nassau are November to April. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; June is the wettest, with about 221 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Nassau: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS), about 14 km from the city centre in a straight line; Andros Town Airport (ASD, 63 km) and Chub Cay Airport (CCZ, 66 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Nassau's Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) is the largest airport in the Bahamas. Most major U.S. airlines have flights to Nassau. There is also some service from Toronto and London. The two most popular Fixed Based Operators (FBO) at Lynden Pindling International Airport are Executive Flight Services and Odyssey Aviation. Air taxi and air charter companies such as Jetset Charter and Monarch Air Group fly a variety of private charter aircraft and jets, from charter luxury Gulfstream's down to economical piston twins for small groups and individuals into and out of Nassau.
Getting around
A water taxi service is an available alternative to a taxi to get to Paradise Island from downtown. It is picked up under the bridge and costs $6 round trip. The water taxi stops operating at 6PM. Minibuses (locally known as jitneys) act as the bus system of Nassau city and New Providence island. Jitneys are found on and near Bay Street. The famous #10 Jitney to Cable Beach loads passengers on George & Bay Streets (in front of McDonalds, across from the British Colonial Hilton). Other jitneys are located on Charlotte & Bay Streets. A bus will typically wait until it's full before departing.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
NAS · Lynden Pindling International Airport
ASD · Andros Town Airport
CCZ · Chub Cay Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Nassau
Eat
Get out of the hotel and try real Bahamian fare. You can get greasy fish, sides and desserts at one of the holes-in-the-wall in downtown Nassau for around $8. On the upscale side, there's no shortage of waterside seafood restaurants where it would be easy to part with $50 for an excellent piece of lobster. Sbarro, McDonald's and Chinese restaurants are mixed in to satisfy the budget diner or someone who has had enough conch.
Drink
Nassau isn't a spring break mecca for nothing. The club scene is nightly and rowdy.
Stay safe
The "Over-the-Hill" area south of downtown is the poorest part of Nassau, and tourists might want to be wary. It is, however, much nicer than "slums" in developing countries, and, indeed, parts of the United States. Some criminals target restaurants and nightclubs frequented by tourists. The most common approach is to offer victims a ride, either as a "personal favor" or by claiming to be a taxi, and then robbing and/or assaulting the passenger once in the car. Take care to ride only in licensed taxis, identifiable by their yellow license plates. Be wary of touts offering goods and services. As in other tourist destinations, some people try to take advantage of visitors.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Nassau: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Nassau?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Nassau are November to April. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; June is the wettest, with about 221 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Nassau?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS), about 14 km from the city centre in a straight line; Andros Town Airport (ASD, 63 km) and Chub Cay Airport (CCZ, 66 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Nassau?
Bahamian dollar (BSD).
Nearby
Destinations near Nassau
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.