Pedaling Through Paradise
Do you want to know more around the history of this beautiful island? I highly recommend booking a cultural tour of downtown Nassau to experience the world famous tourist attractions in the Bahamas. My experience was very informative and checked many of the boxes I had. 8/10 recommendation and placed my stamp of approval on money being well spent! Definitely will want to experience this again.
Touring Nassau is manageable enough to explore on your own, but during my stay we opted to have a personal guide and ride around on bikes through downtown. Our tickets were purchased through Dilly Dally Bike Tours for $75pp and total bike ride was 3 miles back and forth. It lasted 4 hours and was easy to moderate biking. Two suggestions: 1.) Book the earlier time slot as the day can get very hot and 2.) Make sure you apply and re-apply sunscreen often – the sun is no joke!.
Here are the points of interests which was a part of the tour along with some cool factoids.
The 66 steps of Queen’s Staircase
The Queen’s Staircase was our first stop and in hindsight was an important attraction to visit. The 66 steps were carved from massive limestone rocks and placed by slaves between the years of 1793 and 1794. Legend has it this staircase was a direct way from Fort Fincastle to the city. One cool fact to note (and you may notice while walking up) – even though its call the “66 steps”, there are only 65 accounted for. Reason being, the path leading up to the steps has been paved and the lower step is hidden under the asphalt.
The Water Tower & Fort Fincastle
As mentioned above, The Queen’s Staircase leads to Fort Fincastle, which was built in 1793 from polished limestone. The fort is in the shape of the front of a ship whicb was built to protect the historic city of Nassau and its port.
Directly behind the fort is the Water Tower which was built several years later in 1928. The main reason for the tower was to maintain water pressure on the island. It is the tallest building on Nassau and actually has a winding staircase with over 200 steps. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to climb it, as there is no public access.
West Hill Street
Directly right next to the Heritage Museum is the most famous West Hill Street. This popular street has the oldest hotel in Nassau which has been standing since 1740. The “villa vibes” of only 20 rooms and suites sits on the third largest wine cellars in the western hemisphere. You might run into Jay-Z + Beyonce if you are lucky! :-). Additionally, on West Hill there are tucked away chocolate and wine shops where you can taste and purchase if your taste buds guide you to do so. All were very tasty in my opinion. 🙂
The Graycliff Cigar Company is also a part of this popular area where witnessing first-hand master rollers at work is a cool experience in itself. Our guide mentioned during our tour there is also an opportunity to take a Cigar Rolling Lesson or a Cigar and Rum pairing session which is very popular.
If the Bahamas has been on your bucket list for some time, Im here to say “Book the trip, Friend!”. Ensure hurricane season is not on the horizon when visiting and try to find time to visit the local shops in town. There is so much history in this small island where you may learn something new based on where you go. I haven’t even discussed anything food-related, but know everything I tasted was fresh and delicious.
