1 destination · 10 things to do

Bahamas

Nassau is the capital of The Bahamas and the gateway to some of the clearest water on the planet, a pastel-painted harbour town of colonial forts, rum distilleries and conch shacks, joined by bridge to Paradise Island and the vast Atlantis resort. Most visitors come for the sea, and they are right to: within an hour of Prince George Wharf you can snorkel coral reefs and shipwrecks, wade with sea turtles, swim beside pigs on Rose Island, meet dolphins on Blue Lagoon Island, or ride a powerboat south to the Exuma Cays for the famous swimming pigs, iguanas and sandbars. Back on land there is more history than people expect, from the Queen’s Staircase, cut from limestone by enslaved labourers in the 1790s, to the flamingos of Ardastra Gardens and the fried fish and conch salad of the Arawak Cay Fish Fry. This guide shows which trips are worth booking, which ones sell out, how Atlantis day passes really work, how to get around between downtown, Paradise Island and Cable Beach, and where to stay, from a Four Seasons hideaway to a good-value suite steps from the water park.