Bahamas Tourist Destinations & Attractions
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Shopping
Casinos
Pirate History
Sightseeing
Boat Tours
Restaurants
Surfing
Diving and Snorkelling
Fishing
Golf
The Bahamas is widely known as a tropical vacation destination that combines pristine pink and white sand beaches and amazing diving, fishing, and boating opportunities with delicious Bahamian cuisine and fun, exotically entertaining nightspots, not to mention a wide array of exciting and diverse shopping experiences that the entire family will enjoy!
Shopping in the Bahamas
Bay Street, in the heart of downtown Nassau, is home to many upscale duty-free shops and various straw markets, which can usually be located between Rawson Square and the British Colonial Hilton and on the side streets leading of Bay Street. Located there is the famous Straw Market, which is the largest in the world. It offers visitors a variety of unique Bahamian crafts, straw hats, baskets, and more as well as a taste of the upbeat Bahamian culture. Atlantis Paradise Island is a large Bahamas resort made up of three towers and features the world’s largest outdoor aquarium, great beaches, adventure excursions for the whole family, as well as shops that house all the top fashion designers, house wares, jewelry and more.
The Crystal Court Shops, located inside the Atlantis Paradise Resort carries many top designer brands and offers a great selection of duty-free shopping. Duty-free merchandise has had no import tax added to the price and vendors pass these savings on to the customers. Prices on some duty-free merchandise can be as much as half what they are in the United States and include items such as perfumes, crystal, leather goods, jewelry, fine linens and photographic equipment. For information on duty-free shopping as well as general information on other great shopping spots on The Islands of The Bahamas, stop into Festival Place, located on Prince George Wharf, which serves as a welcome center and is also a great place to find authentic Bahamian souvenirs and craft items. Other destinations worth checking out are the two main shopping areas on Grand Bahama Island, which are the International Bazaar and the Port Lucaya Marketplace.
Casinos in the Bahamas
For those who want to try their luck at a little gambling, The Bahamas is home to some top-rated casinos. The Atlantis Casino, located in the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, is the largest resort in the Caribbean, with more than 50,000 square feet of gaming excitement. Guests can enjoy 800 slot machines and 75 game tables, sports and race betting and a high-energy nightclub. Gamers may also want to check out the Crystal Palace Casino, located on West Bay Street, in the Wyndham Nassau Resort in Cable Beach. Wyndham’s casino features 687 slot machines and a full range of game tables, from blackjack to Caribbean poker to roulette. Sports fans should check out the Sports Book, a large space with 15 televisions and stadium seating for 90 people, or participate in some off-track betting at the Race Book. The casino is open day and night for round-the-clock gaming!
Bahamian Pirates
The Bahamas was once home to many pirates and now contains a museum/pub that pays homage to them and their indelible impression on folk and popular culture. The Golden Age of Piracy was said to have lasted 30 years, from 1690 to 1720, and Nassau was at its heart. It was a tropical pirate paradise, considered the capital of piracy and was known as the capital of piracy. Allegedly the home of the infamous Blackbeard the Pirate, and was said to have attracted the greatest concentration of pirates ever seen in the New World.
The Marlborough Arms Pirate Pub features the Pirates of Nassau interactive pirate attraction in the heart of downtown Nassau. The year is 1716, and your adventure begins as you board a replica of the pirate ship ‘Revenge’ and enter the world of cutlass wielding, bloodthirsty pirates to the sounds of lapping water and rowdy ‘pirates’ celebrating in a nearby tavern. It’s been said that when a pirate slept he didn’t dream of going to heaven but instead to return to his favorite port of Nassau on New Providence Island. Now you can join them when you explore the Pirates of Nassau, a new interactive museum of piracy in the heart of historic downtown Nassau, which also features the Pirate Pub and an aarrgghh-some gift shop. Visit www.pirates-of-nassau.com for more information.
Sightseeing and Cultural & Historical Landmarks
The Bahamas offers tourists many activities for the sightseer, such as The Bacardi Distillery in Carmichael Village. The Bacardi and Co. Ltd. Plant is a popular stop for visitors to New Providence Island. After a free distillery tour, sample the finished product in a variety of mixed cocktails, which are made by professional bartenders that are on staff just for this purpose! You can also check out the docking facility that house tanks that are filled with rum for transport to Europe for bottling and distribution.
Other destinations to check out are centuries-old gothic Christ Church Cathedral on George Street in Nassau and Compass Point Studios, in Love beach, Gambier Village. This studio has been favored by musicians as diverse as AC/DC, The B-52’s, Jimmy Buffet, Julian Lennon, Tricky and Shania twain, to name a few. Other landmarks worth checking out include fort Charlotte, the Fort Fincastle and Water Tower, Government House and the traditional center for government in The Bahamas, Parliament Square.
As far as sightseeing excursions, a trip to The Bahamas wouldn’t be complete without a ride on the Bahamas Fast Ferries in Potter’s Cay, Nassau. If your trip to the Bahamas has you confined to one island, consider a Bahamas fast Ferries trip. The company runs a regular daily schedule of trips to several other islands, including the Eleutheras, Andros, the Exumas, Sandy Point, and Abaco, aboard their three state-of-the-art cruisers. If you have an open day in your trip, by all means book a Dayaway trip. The package includes hotel transfers, transportation to and from idyllic Harbour Island, a Bahamian lunch, a historic walking tour of the Island’s main sights, and plenty of time for lounging on the famed pink sand beach. For more information call 242-323-2166.
Boat Tours of the Bahamas
You may also want to experience the Flying Cloud Catamaran Cruise, at the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal, Paradise Island. The Flying Cloud, a 57-foot catamaran, sets sail for entertaining and exciting trips around Nassau Harbor. The half-day sail/snorkel adventure lasts about 3-1/2 hours, and features a high-speed sail to Rose Island where you can swim in the crystal-clear ocean, snorkel around a nearby coral reef or just lounge on the beach. The evening sunset cruise offers a romantic view of the harbor and the city lights. All trips include round-trip hotel transfers, all necessary equipment and instruction. Call 242-363-4430 for cruise times and reservation information.
Restaurants on Eleuthera Island
Restaurants in Eleuthera Island combine
traditional Bahamian flavors with continental cuisine
offering a variety of seafood, steak and fish dishes.
Click here to read more about the many great restaurants oin Eleuthera Island
Fishing in and around Eleuthera
The Eleuthera Islands present some of the best deep-sea sport fishing experiences in the Bahamas, with numerous charters and guides at the ready to take new and experienced anglers on a trip they won’t soon forget. If you’re looking for bonefishing, flats, fly or deep-sea fishing, Eleuthera has it all. It is considered a premium sport fishing destination with an abundance of dolphin or mahi-mahi, wahoo, swordfish, sailfish, tuna, white and blue marlin, bonefish, and a slew of other gamefish. The bonefish is especially popular, particularly with anglers who forgo traditional saltwater tackle for the challenging sport of fly-fishing. Click here to read more about fishing in Eleuthera and around the Bahamian islands
Surfing in Bahamas & Eleuthera
Eleuthera is known for having some of the best surfing spots in the Bahamas. The impressive breaks, beach accessibility, surf shops, and year-round warm, clear water make it a popular destination for vacationing surfers. Click here to read more about surfing in Eleuthera and all around the Bahamas
Diving and Snorkelling around Eleuthera Island
Eleuthera and Harbour Island, which make up the Out Islands, are recognized as one of the world’s best places for snorkeling and scuba vacations thanks to it’s great visibility, warm waters, copious sea life and great shore diving. With literally thousands of small islands, there is a diverse range of deep sea sites worth exploring.Click here to read more about diving and snorkelling spots, shops, and resources in Eleuthera island
Bahamas Golf Adventures
Bahamas golf has a little something to offer for players of all handicaps, including several 18-hole championship courses. Golf course designers have taken advantage of the islands’ natural beauty to create breathtaking fairways and impeccable greens while players are able to practice their sport year-round courtesy of consistently sunny blue skies and all around beautiful weather.
Golf in Eleuthera – Check out the Cotton Bay Club Golf Course in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. A secluded, 450-acre resort, Cotton Bay features 18 holes, par-72, 129 bunkers, 13 water hazards, and 7,000 yards. It is the only Bahamas golf course designed by the world-renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. Best of all, it is open to the public! In 1989, this course was voted one of the 31 best golf courses in the world. However, the course is definitely rough around the edges, which may change with the development of Cotton Bay. It still maintains it’s top-flight grandeur, and is truly a breathtaking oceanfront course. For more info, call 242-334-6068.
Not to be missed: The Four Seasons Resort Emerald Bay Golf Club, located in the Exumas, opens onto the waters of Emerald Bay and is widely considered a world-class course. The par-72, 18-hole course was designed by Greg Norman, the famous golf architect, who also created six oceanfront holes. The course has been described as challenging, yet adaptable, so that it appeals to golfers of various skill levels. Call 242-366-6800 for more information on this exquisite, oceanfront course.
Other Bahamas golf courses include the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island, an 18-hole, par-72 course that features the world’s largest sand trap and water hazards (mainly the Atlantic Ocean) on three sides, and has been endorsed by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. For an exquisite, panoramic ocean view, play the par-3 14th hole. Call
242-363-6682 or visit www.oceanclub.com for more information.
The Reef Course, in Grand Lucaya in Grand Bahama Island, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 2000. The course boasts 6,920 yards of link-style greens. Call 242-373-1333
Crown Plaza Golf Resort & Casino at the Royal Oasis, on Grand Bahama Island, offers two golf courses: Emerald Golf Course and Ruby Golf Course. Both are par-72, with rolling, sandy terrain. Call 242-350-7000
Cable Beach Golf Club, just west of downtown Nassau on Nassau/Paradise Island, is a world-class par-72 facility known for it’s long holes (be sure to bring your driver). Golf fans can play all 18 holes or 9 holes-the back half is much tougher than the first. As with most Bahamas golf, count on challenging holes here and competition from stiff breezes blowing off the water. Call 242-327-6000

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