The Best Things to Do in the Bahamas
Collected by AFAR Editors , AFAR Staff
This archipelago of more than 700 islands, most ringed with pink sand beaches and crystal-clear shallow water, offers diversions above and below the water: diving into shipwrecks, touring rum distilleries, exploring the architectural relics of British colonial rule, dancing at a fish fry, and shopping the boutiques of Harbour Island, among them. Find luxury—and simplicity—in your Bahamas vacation.
Photo by Victor Korchenko/age fotostock
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Centre
P.O. Box N-4882, Nassau, The Bahamas
The only zoo in the Bahamas started as a tropical garden and nature preserve in the 1950s. Over the years, Ardastra evolved, adding a conservation center for Caribbean flamingos and a small zoo containing birds, reptiles, and mammals. The...
Andros Barrier Reef Expedition
Fresh Creek, The Bahamas
Experience the thrill of scuba diving and snorkeling around the Andros Barrier Reef, the third-largest living organism on earth. The 190-mile-long reef starts out along the east coast of Andros, so it's easily accessed. Swim out—the reef is...
Photo courtesy of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Balcony House Museum
Market St, Nassau, The Bahamas
The oldest wooden home still standing in Nassau, Balcony House is named for the long, second-floor balcony that stretched across the front of the home. Historical maps suggest that the house could date as far back as the late 18th century, during...
Born Free Fishing Charters
Nassau, The Bahamas
The waters of the Bahamas offer thrilling sportfishing, with many of the ocean's biggest and most challenging game fish just offshore. Whether you're looking to fight a mighty blue marlin, land a yellowfin tuna, or hook a mahi-mahi for...
Photo by Jane Sweeney/age fotostock
Carleton Point, Treasure Cay
Treasure Cay Road, Treasure Cay, AB-22134, Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas
Carleton Point is the historic site of the first settlement on Treasure Cay Beach, where 600 Americans loyal to the British migrated in 1783, at the end of the American Revolutionary War, preferring to live in the British-controlled Bahamas rather...
Photo by Dennis MacDonald/age fotostock
Christ Church Cathedral
George St, Nassau, The Bahamas
Nassau's Christ Church Cathedral sits near the site of the first church built in the Bahamas. The original church, built in 1670, was called the Parish of Christ Church, and it was destroyed by the Spanish just 14 years later. After a few...
Photo by Burnett & Palmer/age fotostock
Dean's Blue Hole
Long Island, The Bahamas
Nestled inside a protected cove on the coast of Long Island, Dean's Blue Hole is an unusual natural wonder. From the shore, it looks like a round patch of blue water surrounded by turquoise green. That's the result of a massive...
Educulture Junkanoo Museum
Studio I Site, W Bay St, Nassau, The Bahamas
Junkanoo is one of the Bahamas' most colorful traditions, a more than 200-year-old street celebration and parade, like Carnival with a Bahamian twist. It takes place during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. But visitors...
Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park
The Exumas are a stunning archipelago of remote islands and cays strung between Nassau and Long Island, and around a dozen of these tiny islands are protected within the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Established in 1958 as a...
W Bay St, Nassau, The Bahamas
Fort Charlotte sits a mile west of downtown Nassau, on West Bay Street, where its perch atop a hill offers a strategic vantage point overlooking the harbor. Today, this defensive position affords visitors excellent views of both Nassau and...
Photo by Russ Rohde/age fotostock
Flying Cloud Catamaran Cruises
Paradise Beach Dr, The Bahamas
A trip to the Bahamas is all about being on the water, and a sailing catamaran is a great way to explore the islands and savor the ocean breeze. Charter the spacious 57-foot Flying Cloud catamaran and take a sailing excursion to secluded...
Photo by Michael Runkel/age fotostock
Fort Fincastle and Queen's Staircase
Elisabeth Ave, Nassau, The Bahamas
One of the smaller forts in the Bahamas sits right at the heart of downtown Nassau. Fort Fincastle was built from cut limestone atop Bennett's Hill to defend Nassau from pirates. One of the most notable features near the fort...
Honeymoon Harbour Beach
Just south of Bimini, tiny Gun Cay is the site of Honeymoon Harbour Beach, a remote and beautiful stretch of shore that's accessible only by boat. Bimini Undersea offers trips to the beach, where you can lounge on the sand and snorkel in the...
Photo by Dan Burton/age fotostock
James Bond Shipwrecks
For many scuba divers, one of the most iconic spots in the Bahamas is the underwater area where a cargo ship and a prop airplane were used in underwater scuba scenes for Sean Connery–era James Bond movies. Located off the...
National Art Gallery of the Bahamas
West & West Hill Sts. W Hill St, Nassau, The Bahamas
The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas occupies the historic Villa Doyle, a colonial-era home from 1860, at the corner of Hill and West Hill streets, across from the U.S. Embassy. The gallery offers a unique look at Bahamian history and...
Photo by Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation
Explore the history and impact of slavery in the Bahamas with a visit to the Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation. Located in downtown Nassau, the museum is in the historic Vendue House, which dates from the mid-1700s and was used as a market...
Stuart Cove's Shark Adventure
Stuart Cove's has long been a fixture in Nassau, well known for its long-running shark diving encounters. The Shark Adventure dive is a must for any scuba diver excited to get up close with wild reef sharks. The excursions include two dives....
Photo by Rick Gomez/age fotostock
Tropic of Cancer Beach
The longest beach on Little Exuma is a stunning stretch of powder-white sand that is officially called Pelican Beach but more commonly called Tropic of Cancer Beach because it sits directly on the Tropic of Cancer latitude line—the dividing...