Day Trips in Nassau

One of the Most Visited Ports of the Caribbean

Oh Nassau, I've visited it several times on many cruises and I still have not quite made up my mind about whether I like it or not.  I've certainly had some fun in Nassau, although no as much as my favorite ports.  So I think for Nassau I am just going to chat about my times there letting my readers decide whether Nassau is a worthwhile port. 

Enjoying my private snorkeling tour in Nassau, Bahamas.

The last time I was in Nassau, a mere few weeks ago, I decided to break with my norm of wandering around Nassau and actually try a sure excursion.  I choose one of my favorite water activities snorkeling.  Our cruise ship the Norwegian Getaway offered two different hour and a half snorkeling trips for a little over $40, thinking we could get a better deal off the ship we decided to wait until getting on land to find a snorkeling excursion.  It was a rainy day and many of the typical snorkeling excursions were cancelled, but we found an excursion booth that found a ferry captain who agreed to take us out for $40 each after dropping off some tourists at Paradise Island.  So we didn't save any money, but we did get a prime snorkeling location all to ourselves.  

We had the ferry boat all to ourselves for our snorkeling trip.

Immediately after jumping into the water we were completely swarmed by vibrant fish.  Fearless would be an understatement for this school of striped swimmers that followed us for a bit as we explored the reef before heading off on their own again.

So many fish swarmed us when we dove into the water near Nassau.

Beyond the initial swarm of fish as we entered the water, the reef continued to entertain us with a giant hermit crab (with a shell the size of a football), vibrantly purple coral, plenty of striped grouper, and an elegant eagle ray.  

A hermit crab with the shell the size of a football.

The coral reef abundant with fish.

A purple coral like none I've ever seen before.

The clarity wasn't the best, although clear enough to see the bottom.  There was also no where to stand as the water was always over 10 ft deep.  If these facts aren't enough of a deterrent, I would recommend this activity for Nassau visitors, although I recommend going through the ship for those who have trouble climbing steep unsteady ladders.  We did not have the easiest ladder to climb to get back onto the ferry.

A grouper hides under some coral.  They were abundant on the reef.

The coral platform island adjacent to our snorkeling location.

An eagle ray which passed by as our snorkeling ended.  Look at that tail!

The eagle ray swam so close to us.

On previous visits to Nassau we typically ventured around the island on foot, passing on organized excursions.  Downtown Nassau is typical of many other cruise ports, with lots of bars and shops selling jewelry, rum cakes, t-shirts with prints of the Bahamas and bottles of liquor.  The folks of Nassau have tried to set their shopping apart with their "World Famous Straw Market", which earned its namesake from vendors who originally sold items (hats, purses, etc.) made of straw.  Now vendors in the market sell mostly non-straw items like t-shirts and rum cakes, making it much like every other shop in the area.  Not much for shopping ourselves, we usually have found some other way to entertain ourselves.

The ferry dock in Nassau near the cruise port.

One of the typical ways in which we entertain ourselves when visiting  a new area is by sampling and touring local breweries, distilleries, and wineries.  Nassau too has a local rum distillery a short walk from downtown, although the day we visited it was so hot, the slightly uphill stroll felt like summiting Mount Everest, if Mount Everest was in the desert.  The John Watling's distillery can be found by turning inland from the Señor Frogs and following the signs.  A bit of a disappointment, with only aging on site (no active still) and expensive rum (compared to everything else on the island), the distillery was good for a half hour's entertainment and a cool down in the air conditioning.

The Nassau Government House (House of Parliament).

One of our first on foot excursions in Nassau was a four mile round trip walk to a fort east of downtown Nassau.  Having found the fort in a park on google earth a few days before our trip, we stepped off our cruise ship, turned left and walked seemingly forever past the Nassau Government House, marinas, and an industrial district until the fort came into view.  Fort Montagu is a tiny fort the size of a house, whose sole purpose was to fend off Spanish invaders with its four cannons in the 1700s.

A small fort a few miles east of the cruise dock on Nassau.

The fort was locked, and we were unable to enter.  Encircling the fort and viewing what we could from the exterior took little more than 30 minutes.  However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a festival and sailing regatta going on in the near by park.  Wandering around the vendor booths selling food and Kalik beer, I had what I think is the most authentic of experiences on the island.  No one tried to braid my hair or sell me a bunch of trinkets I didn't want, constants in downtown Nassau.  So we found a bench and enjoyed the breeze and the view for awhile with a cold drink before heading back to the ship and downtown.  

Some fish mongers selling red snapper we passed on our trek to Fort Montagu.

The small fort had a pier extending from it into the water.

In all Nassau is just okay.  I enjoyed my snorkeling excursion, but it's also not an excursion I'm dying to repeat.  The distillery doesn't actually have a still, and the best adjective describing Fort Montagu is cute.  Inevitably I'll end up in Nassau again as many Caribbean cruise itineraries include this port.  Maybe next time I'll find the activity that blows my mind away with exhilarating fun.  Then again, it is Nassau, so maybe not.