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Things to do guide

The best things to do in the Bahamas

Updated 1 October 2026 · 17 things to do

Pictured: Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar

The Bahamas is about 700 islands spread across a sea so clear it looks lit from below. Nassau, on New Providence, brings forts, colonial streets, a famously lively fish fry and the mega-resort of Atlantis. Beyond it lie the Out Islands: pink sand, empty cays, blue holes and tiny settlements where the mail boat is still the main event of the week.

Most visitors fly into Nassau or Freeport, then pick their pace. Stay on New Providence for resorts, history and nightlife. Hop to Harbour Island or the Exumas for quiet beaches and clear water. Whatever you choose, expect rum, music, island time and some of the best seafood in the Caribbean.

Don't miss

  1. 1Atlantis and Paradise Island
  2. 2The Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle
  3. 3Harbour Island
  4. 4The Exuma Cays
  5. 5Conch salad

Nassau

The capital mixes pastel colonial streets, old forts and a lively waterfront.

  1. The Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle

    Landmark

    The Queen's Staircase carved into the limestone in Nassau
    Photo: Banja-Frans Mulder, CC BY 3.0

    A narrow staircase carved out of solid limestone in the 18th century climbs a shady gorge to Fort Fincastle, a small, ship-shaped fort on a hill above the town. Climb the water tower at the top for a panorama over Nassau and the harbour.

    Tip: Go in the morning, before it gets hot and before the cruise ships arrive.

  2. Fort Charlotte

    Landmark

    Fort Charlotte in Nassau
    Photo: Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The biggest of Nassau's old forts sits on a hill west of the centre, with cannon, moats and dungeons. It never fired a shot in anger, but the views over the harbour make it worth the walk.

  3. The Straw Market

    Market

    Stalls in the Straw Market in downtown Nassau
    Photo: Bluerasberry, CC BY 4.0

    Handwoven baskets, hats and bags, carved wooden pieces and souvenirs, in a big covered market on Bay Street. Bargaining is expected, and the vendors are famously chatty.

  4. Arawak Cay Fish Fry

    Food

    A row of brightly painted shacks on Arawak Cay serving fresh conch, fried snapper, rum punch and sides of peas and rice. It's where Bahamians eat on the weekend, and it's loud, friendly and brilliant.

  5. Junkanoo

    Activity

    The Bahamas' great street festival, with parades of dancers in huge handmade costumes, cowbells, goatskin drums and brass, held in the early hours of Boxing Day and New Year's Day. If you can't make the festival, the Junkanoo museum in Nassau gives a taste.

Beaches and resorts

  1. Atlantis and Paradise Island

    Activity

    Atlantis resort on Paradise Island across the harbour from Nassau
    Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

    The pink Royal Towers of Atlantis dominate Paradise Island, a mega-resort of lagoons, slides, a huge water park and casino. Even if you aren't staying, the water park draws day visitors, and the island has some of the area's best beaches.

  2. Cabbage Beach

    Beach

    A long stretch of pale sand on Paradise Island's north shore with calm water, watersports and beach bars. It's the most popular beach near Nassau, so go early on cruise ship days.

  3. Cable Beach

    Beach

    Baha Mar resort on Cable Beach in Nassau
    Photo: Adog104, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A wide, relaxed beach west of Nassau that's lined with resorts, including the huge Baha Mar complex of hotels, restaurants and a casino. A good choice for a swim, a sundowner and some shopping.

The Out Islands

Get out of Nassau and the Bahamas slows right down.

  1. Harbour Island

    Beach

    The pink sand beach on Harbour Island
    Photo: Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, CC BY-SA 2.0

    A tiny island off Eleuthera with pastel cottages, golf carts instead of cars and a three-mile beach of famously pink sand. The sand gets its blush from tiny coral fragments, and the water is warm and clear. Dunmore Town is great for strolling.

  2. Eleuthera and the Glass Window Bridge

    Nature

    A long, thin island with pineapple fields, quiet beaches and little settlements. At the Glass Window, a narrow bridge, you can see the deep-blue Atlantic on one side and the calm turquoise Bight on the other.

  3. The Exuma Cays

    Nature

    A beach in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
    Photo: Craig Stanfill, CC BY-SA 2.0

    A long chain of cays with some of the clearest, most colourful water in the world. Sail, snorkel, picnic on empty sandbars and explore the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a protected marine area. Most people see it by boat.

  4. Thunderball Grotto

    Nature

    A sea cave near Staniel Cay in the Exumas, famous for its appearance in James Bond films. Snorkel in at low tide to find a hollow lit by shafts of sunlight and full of colourful fish.

  5. Dean's Blue Hole

    Nature

    Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island
    Photo: Ton Engwirda, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

    On Long Island, a vast, deep sinkhole of intensely blue water, sheltered by cliffs and a small beach. It's one of the deepest blue holes in the world, and a favourite with freedivers.

Grand Bahama

  1. Lucayan National Park

    Nature

    The inland blue hole at Ben's Cave in Lucayan National Park
    Photo: EgorovaSvetlana, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A park on Grand Bahama with mangrove trails, limestone caves, a blue hole and a lovely beach at the end. It's the best way to see the island's wilder side.

  2. Port Lucaya Marketplace

    Neighbourhood

    The entrance to Port Lucaya Marketplace
    Photo: Pietro, CC BY-SA 3.0

    A pastel waterfront complex of shops, bars and restaurants around a marina, with live music in the evenings. A relaxed spot for dinner and a drink after a day on the beach.

Eat and drink

  1. Conch salad

    Food

    Conch salad being prepared in the Bahamas
    Photo: Hannah On The Go, CC BY 3.0

    Raw conch, diced with onion, tomato, peppers and lime or sour orange juice, and made to order. It's the Bahamas' signature dish, and it's best eaten at a beachside shack or the Arawak Cay Fish Fry.

  2. Cracked conch and rum punch

    Food

    Tenderised conch, battered and fried until golden, served with lime and hot sauce. Pair with a rum punch or a cold Kalik beer, and settle in.

Where to stay in Bahamas

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in the Bahamas →

Getting around

On New Providence, taxis are the main way to get about, and Paradise Island is linked to Nassau by a bridge. To reach other islands, take a short domestic flight or ferry, or the mail boat. On small islands such as Harbour Island, golf carts and bikes are the norm.

When to go

The dry season, from about December to April, is the most popular, with warm sunny days and cooler evenings. Summer is hotter and more humid, with lower prices. Hurricane season runs from June to November, so check conditions and consider flexible bookings.

Questions about visiting Bahamas

What is the Bahamas best known for?
Powder-white and pink sand beaches, impossibly clear turquoise water, Atlantis on Paradise Island, the Exuma Cays and Junkanoo.
How many days do you need in the Bahamas?
A week gives you time for Nassau and one or two beach days, or a stay on an Out Island. Ten days lets you combine Nassau with Harbour Island or the Exumas.
Which Bahamas island is best?
New Providence (Nassau) is best for resorts and sightseeing, Harbour Island and Eleuthera for pink-sand beaches, the Exumas for boating and Grand Bahama for a relaxed, good-value stay.
What is there to do in the Bahamas with kids?
Atlantis water park, shallow beaches such as Cabbage Beach, boat trips and snorkelling in calm water are popular with families.

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