How do you want on a slushy and cloudy day, at least for a day, plunge into the warm ocean waters and soak up the sun! Fortunately, modern man is free in his movements and can go to any paradise on the planet. Recently, Russians, already fed up with the resorts of Turkey, Egypt and Thailand, are in search of something new and exotic. It will be able to give them the capital of the Bahamas - Nassau. The island on which this beautiful city is located has long been a stronghold of piracy and robbery. But let's talk about everything in order.
A game of geographical names: what are you, Nassau?
If you start looking on the map of Nassau and are very careful, you will most likely find two geographical objects with exactly the same names, but they are only located in different parts of the world. In one case, we are talking about the capital of the Bahamas, but in another Nassau - an island in the Pacific Ocean. The latter also deserves a detailed description.
Nassau - an island lost in the ocean
In the Pacific Ocean there are a lot of lost archipelagos that have not changed their appearance for many centuries. It is in this category that Nassau belongs. The island is part of the Cook Islands group and has amazing pristine beauty. It is almost completely overgrown with coconut trees, which are the only income of a few local residents.
One of the features of the island, the natives consider its shape. The fact is that Nassau has practically no bays and lagoons - it is completely open to storms and winds. This greatly complicates the life of the islanders, who constantly fall under the destructive effect of cyclones and typhoons. After each revelry of the elements, they have to restore almost completely destroyed houses.
Island Description
Nassau is very small, it is more correct to call it an atoll, and not an island. It is only 1200 meters long and 800 meters wide. The shape of a regular slightly elongated oval ensured Nassau the absence of lagoons, which, in turn, significantly complicates the approach to the atoll. On all sides it is surrounded by coral reefs. In some places, their width exceeds one meter.
A few years ago, the construction of a convenient harbor was actively discussed, which would give impetus to the development of tourism on the island, but the significant cost of this project hinders its implementation.
Many tourists would like to spend their holidays in secluded Nassau: the climate on the atoll has a lazy and relaxing holiday. The average temperature is kept at around 25 degrees year round, which would be very comfortable for vacationers. However, you will not see tourists on Nassau. There is absolutely no infrastructure on the island for this, and at present, the development of this industry on the atoll is not expected.
Island history
Initially, the atoll was inhabited, natives from the nearby island of Pukapuk settled on it. It is worth noting that now Nassau belongs to the population of this atoll.
Europeans discovered the island only at the beginning of the 19th century, but it did not make much impression on them. Over the course of 70 years, Nassau was periodically rediscovered by the French, British, and captains of whalers.
At the end of the 19th century, the atoll was occupied by the Americans, later it came under the jurisdiction of the British Empire, and only in the middle of the last century the inhabitants of Pukapuk bought it.
Nassau population
According to the latest data, only 70 people live on the atoll, more than half of them are school-age children. All the islanders live in a single village, which did not even come up with a name. As we already mentioned, frequent typhoons cause significant damage to the homes of islanders, so they make their houses as simple as possible, the roofs of these huts are made of palm leaves and branches, which allows you to quickly recover them after another hurricane.
In the middle of the last century, a school was opened in Nassau. It still works, which is very convenient for locals who do not need to leave their possessions in order to get an education.
Can I buy tours to Nassau? Unfortunately not. At best, if you come to the Cook Islands, you will be able to get to the atoll with the help of local residents as a guest. But staying here overnight is unlikely to succeed - the islanders do not favor foreigners too much.
But what about the capital of the Bahamas, because we spoke about it at the beginning of our article? Take your time, we will tell you now about another Nassau.
Nassau City: Description
The capital of the Bahamas is located on the island of New Providence. The city covers almost the entire territory and is the cultural center of the Bahamas. The total area of the island is approximately 20 square meters. km, on which the most beautiful villas, excellent harbors, entertainment centers and magnificent beaches are located. All this is available to tourists day and night.
The city itself is reminiscent of the construction of prim England. And this is not surprising, because for a long time the island was under British rule. Most of the buildings date back to the 19th century, many of them are historical monuments.
In recent decades, the city has replenished with modern entertainment centers and casinos. The newly built area of Cable Beach is striking in its vibrant signs and an abundance of people, because it is here that Nassau's entire nightlife is concentrated.
History of the city
In the XVII century, it was the British who laid the city here, but in those days it bore the proud name of Charles Town. Although with such a beautiful name, he existed for several years, and already in the 90s of the XVII century it was renamed to Nassau. Under this name, the city developed further.
It is worth noting that his story is very rich in events. For a long time, New Providence was the main base of pirates of the Caribbean. They hid their ships in numerous bays and enjoyed life in drinking establishments.
For many years, the British, Spaniards and even Americans fought for power over the city. Nassau saw many bloody battles and deaths, until the British crown was established on it. But at the end of the XIX century, the island became very interested in Americans. They began to come here on vacation, and during the Prohibition period, many smugglers smuggled alcohol through Nassau.
Now the city is the capital of tourism in the Bahamas, vacationers bring to the budget up to half of all incoming funds. Nassau is developing rapidly, the city quickly adapts to the needs of vacationers, which is very valuable for them.
When can I go on vacation to the Bahamas?
The climate of Nassau is subequatorial. This is very conducive to the development of tourism, the average temperature rarely drops below 25 degrees. In winter (February, March), the tourist flow decreases a little, but Russians can relax at this time of year. Indeed, by our standards, a water temperature of twenty degrees is quite acceptable for swimming.
In the summer, hurricanes and typhoons are often in the Bahamas, so this is not the best time to relax. The high season in Nassau begins in September and lasts until February.
Nassau City: Attractions
Usually small islands do not have a lot of attractions and monuments, but the capital of the Bahamas does not belong to this category. So, what can be advised to tourists who come to Nassau? What to see first?
As a rule, guests are sent to Parliament Square. Here is a large monument to Queen Victoria and almost all buildings of the colonial era. They are distinguished by a special architecture and character.
Among the many museums in the Bahamas, the most popular is the Pirate. It is dedicated to that period in the history of the island when the power of reckless corsairs was established on it. The exhibits of the museum are very interesting, periodically the collection is replenished with new finds.
Ancient forts designed to protect Nassau from the water are also of great interest to tourists. Many vacationers enjoy visiting the aquarium, which contains all the inhabitants of the underwater world of the Bahamas.
Excursions in Nassau have a different focus. They are divided into historical and entertaining. The first category includes inspection of the British heritage of the island. But the entertaining excursion program includes various sports, boat trips and, of course, visits to night entertainment venues, of which there are a great many in Nassau.
Beach area of the island
Nassau's beaches are beautiful and varied, but most tourists prefer to spend their time on Paradise Island. This small piece of land, literally covered with snow-white sand, is located very close to Nyu Providence and even connected to it by bridges. The most luxurious hotels are located here, and you can find a lot of interesting activities to make the day go as fun and intense as possible.
The most popular resort on Paradise Island is called Atlantis, and is often compared to Las Vegas. Once it served only as a haven for local fishermen, but in just two decades it has turned into a luxurious and fashionable resort.
Direct flights do not fly from Russia to Nassau, but with the help of transit routes, our compatriots will also be able to enjoy the contemplation of the beauties of the Bahamas and explore all the sights of their capital.