Best Things to Do in New Providence Island, Bahamas

Nassau Public Library and Museum occupies one of the most historically resonant buildings in the Bahamian capital. Constructed around 1798 as the Nassau Gaol, the distinctive octagonal structure on Shirley Street was repurposed as a public library in 1873, making it one of the oldest continuously operating public libraries in the Caribbean. Its unusual eight-sided colonial architecture, complete with thick stone walls, arched doorways, and a circular reading room at its core, immediately sets it apart from every other building in the city centre. The building’s transformation from prison to library is one of the more satisfying reversals in Nassau’s civic history.

Inside, the collection spans Bahamian history, natural science, and general literature, with rare archival materials including old maps, colonial-era documents, and photographs chronicling Nassau’s development from a pirate haven to a modern capital. A small museum section on the ground floor displays artefacts related to local culture, Lucayan indigenous history, and the era of slavery in the Bahamas. The building’s former life as a jail remains palpable in the heavy stonework and narrow windows, lending an atmospheric edge to what is otherwise a welcoming scholarly space. Entry fees are minimal, and the central location makes the Nassau Public Library an easy and rewarding addition to any walking tour of the historic city core. The institution continues to serve both scholars and casual visitors, embodying Nassau’s quiet commitment to preserving its remarkable and layered past for future generations.

The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB) is the country's premier visual arts institution, housed in a beautifully restored colonial mansion on West Hill Street in Nassau that was originally built in 1860 as the private residence of a prominent Bahamian family. The building's graceful two-storey facade, wrap-around verandahs, and tranquil central courtyard provide a distinguished setting for the display and celebration of Bahamian artistic heritage.

The permanent collection focuses on works by Bahamian and Caribbean artists, tracing the development of visual arts in the archipelago from the colonial period to the present day. Amos Ferguson, the celebrated self-taught Bahamian painter whose colourful works on cardboard brought international recognition to Bahamian folk art, is prominently represented, as are works by other significant figures in the national canon. Rotating exhibitions regularly introduce new voices and perspectives, ensuring the gallery remains a dynamic rather than purely historical space.

The gallery is committed to public education and community engagement, offering regular workshops, lectures, artist talks, and school programmes that make contemporary art accessible to all segments of Bahamian society. Its gift shop stocks a thoughtful selection of prints, books, and locally made artisan products. Admission is modest and the gallery provides a genuinely enriching alternative to Nassau's more commercial tourist attractions. Its shaded courtyard cafe offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the old city.

Paradise Island is a glamorous resort destination just across the bridge from downtown Nassau in the Bahamas, transforming what was once a quiet stretch of hog island into one of the Caribbean's most celebrated playgrounds. Separated from New Providence Island by a narrow harbour channel, Paradise Island is best known as the home of the spectacular Atlantis resort complex, but the island offers a diverse range of experiences beyond its famous mega-resort.

The island's beaches are among the finest in the Bahamas, with Cabbage Beach stretching for nearly two kilometres of powdery white sand lapped by clear turquoise water. Calmer waters on the harbour side provide ideal conditions for paddleboarding and kayaking, while the ocean side offers excellent conditions for swimming and people-watching. Numerous beach bars, watersports operators, and casual dining spots line the shore, catering to every mood from active adventure to languid relaxation.

Beyond the beach, Paradise Island hosts the extraordinary Marine Habitat at Atlantis, one of the world's largest open-air aquariums, along with multiple casino floors, world-class restaurants, and a championship golf course. The island's Versailles Gardens provide a tranquil counterpoint to the resort energy, featuring manicured terraced grounds with French cloister ruins imported stone by stone from Europe. A short taxi or water taxi ride from Nassau, Paradise Island is an essential stop on any Bahamian itinerary.

Parliament Square is the political and ceremonial heart of Nassau, a handsome ensemble of pink colonial government buildings arranged around a central garden square in the very centre of the Bahamian capital. Located on East Bay Street, the square was constructed in the early nineteenth century and its Georgian-style architecture reflects the considerable prosperity that Nassau enjoyed during the colonial era, financed largely through trade and privateering.

The three principal buildings surrounding the square house the Senate, the House of Assembly, and the Nassau Public Library, a former circular prison built in 1799 that now holds an impressive collection of historical maps and documents. At the centre of the square stands a white marble statue of Queen Victoria, seated and imperious, surveying the proceedings of the Bahamian legislature with appropriate regal gravity. The square remains an active political space where the Bahamian parliament conducts its business.

For visitors, Parliament Square offers the chance to observe both the architectural legacy of British colonial governance and the living democratic institutions of an independent Caribbean nation. The Supreme Court building nearby, with its red-robed judges and bewigged barristers, provides an additional layer of historical curiosity. The square is surrounded by Nassau's most historic streets, lined with old merchants' houses, churches, and colonial-era buildings that reward unhurried exploration on foot. It is a free and easily accessible central stop on any Nassau walking tour.

Pirates of Nassau is a dedicated interactive museum at the corner of King and George Street in Nassau, bringing to life the extraordinary era when the Bahamian capital was one of the most notorious pirate havens in the Atlantic world. During the early eighteenth century, Nassau served as the base for legendary pirates including Blackbeard, Charles Vane, Calico Jack, and female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, operating from its harbour to raid shipping across the Caribbean and beyond.

The museum recreates Nassau as it appeared around 1716, when the pirate republic was at its peak, through life-size dioramas, authentic replica vessels, sound effects, and theatrical displays that immerse visitors in the dangerous and colourful world of golden age piracy. Highlights include a walk-through reconstruction of a pirate ship complete with cannon deck, an atmospheric recreation of Nassau's tavern district, and detailed exhibits on the famous pirates who made this city their home port.

Interactive elements throughout the museum engage visitors of all ages, with historical artefacts, weapons, and period documents displayed alongside interpretive panels that balance entertainment with genuine historical scholarship. The museum is relatively compact but impressively detailed, typically requiring about an hour to explore thoroughly. Its central location on one of Nassau's most historic streets makes it a natural stop on a walking tour of the old city. For history enthusiasts and families alike, Pirates of Nassau provides excellent value and genuine insight into a pivotal chapter of Caribbean history.

The Queen's Staircase is one of Nassau's most poignant historical landmarks, a remarkable flight of 66 steps carved entirely by hand from solid limestone between 1793 and 1794. Located on Elisabeth Avenue in Nassau, New Providence Island, this extraordinary feat of manual labour was accomplished by enslaved workers using simple tools, each step representing one year of Queen Victoria's reign — a retrospective tribute applied when the staircase was named in her honour.

The staircase was originally constructed to provide soldiers stationed at Fort Fincastle above with a sheltered access route to the town below, the tall limestone walls on either side providing protection from the elements and from potential attack. Today the lush tropical vegetation that has grown along its walls transforms the passage into a cool green corridor, its stone surfaces softened by ferns, mosses, and overhanging tropical plants that create a magical atmosphere quite unlike anything else in Nassau.

At the base of the staircase, a small market area offers local crafts and refreshments, and interpretive plaques explain the historical context of both the construction and the enslaved people who built it. A waterfall feature has been added to enhance the natural ambience. The staircase connects directly to the path leading up to Fort Fincastle, making a combined visit to both sites a logical and rewarding excursion. The staircase is free to visit and provides genuinely moving insight into Nassau's complex colonial past.

Rose Island is a secluded private island paradise located just a short boat ride from Nassau in the Bahamas, offering the kind of pristine, uncrowded beach experience that many travellers dream about finding in the Caribbean. The island stretches across several kilometres of uninhabited shoreline fringed with swaying palms and lapped by some of the clearest, most vividly coloured water in the entire archipelago. Its shallow sandbars and coral formations make it a snorkeller's delight.

Unlike the busier resort beaches of Paradise Island or Cable Beach, Rose Island maintains a wonderfully unspoiled character. Day-trip operators from Nassau bring small groups to the island for beach barbecues, snorkelling excursions, and sailing adventures, but numbers remain manageable enough to preserve the feeling of having discovered your own private hideaway. The surrounding waters teem with tropical fish, spotted eagle rays, and occasional sea turtles.

The island's natural environment includes coastal scrub vegetation, nesting seabirds, and the kind of undisturbed coastal ecology that has largely disappeared from more developed Caribbean destinations. Sunset from Rose Island, with the Nassau skyline glittering faintly across the water, is a genuinely memorable sight. Whether you arrive for a full-day excursion with a picnic or an afternoon snorkelling trip, Rose Island delivers a taste of the Bahamas at its most beautiful and peaceful.

The Straw Market on West Bay Street is Nassau's most famous shopping destination and a vibrant centre of Bahamian craft culture, where generations of local artisans have gathered to sell handmade goods beneath its distinctive covered market roof. After a fire destroyed the original structure in 2001, the market was rebuilt and reopened in 2010, and today it houses hundreds of stalls offering an extraordinary range of handcrafted souvenirs and artisan products.

The market takes its name from the intricate straw weaving tradition that has been practised in the Bahamas for centuries, a skill brought from West Africa by enslaved people and maintained as a living art form by Bahamian women across generations. Woven bags, hats, baskets, and mats remain the market's signature products, ranging from simple everyday items to elaborate pieces that represent considerable artistic skill. Beyond straw goods, vendors offer carved wood sculptures, printed fabrics, shell jewellery, and a wide range of Nassau-themed keepsakes.

Shopping at the Straw Market is an interactive experience as much as a commercial transaction. Vendors are typically outgoing and friendly, welcoming conversation and patient with browsers. Bargaining is expected and part of the fun — prices are generally negotiable, and good-natured haggling is considered normal practice. The market's waterfront location adjacent to Nassau's Prince George Wharf makes it a natural first stop for cruise passengers stepping ashore, and its covered structure provides welcome shade during the heat of the day.