Nassau Lighthouse

I took this photo from the top deck of the cruise ship when we were docked.

This is the oldest lighthouse in the Bahamas and probably the oldest in the West Indies.It is located at the western end of Paradise Island (formerly Hog Island) and marks northwest entrance to Nassau Harbor. The lighthouse was constructed around 1817.

It has a light that still flashes today to guide ships into the harbor. A white light flashes every 5 seconds and when the conditions are dangerous for entry the light changes to red.

This lighthouse is a welcoming site to cruise ships entering the harbor.

This photo shows the tugboat guiding the cruise ship into Nassau harbor. A cruise is a wonderful way to see the Bahamas. The ship we were on was the Carnival Sensation. It stopped one day in Freeport, Bahamas and a second day and night in Nassau Harbor. The Nassau stop gave you time to enjoy a daytime tour of Nassau and also experience the nightlife in Nassau.

This photo shows the marketplace that you enter when you first exit the cruise ship.

Nassau is home to over half of the Bahamian population and has a very active downtown area.

The busiest portion is on Bay Street right after you exit the port. This area has a wonderful old straw market place where locals sell their wares. In this area you can bargain for items like handmade dolls and baskets, along with a wide range of souvenir items. I bought my granddaughter a cute little Bahamian doll while we were there.

The Bay street area is also home to many restaurant, clubs and boutiques.

A great way to see the downtown area is on a horse drawn carriage ride. These are available right at the edge of the port leading onto Bay street.

This photograph was taken as the cruise ship was entering the dock. You can see the docks and the hotels in the background.

The large hotel in the background is the Atlantis hotel and casino. It looks like a wonderful place to stay. Along with the casino and beaches it features live entertainment, a lazy river ride, multiple pools including a childrens pool, a theatre, a library and a marine habitat.

In the marine habitat you can walk through tunnels and observe sharks, stingrays, moon jellies and more. You can also watch daily fish feedings..

You can find out more about Atlantis at Atlantis.com

Photo of Nassau Hotel.

The Crystal Cay lighthouse is off Long Cay near the entrance to Nassau. This lighthouse has an Art Deco type appearance.

This photo was taken as we were approaching Nassau harbor on the cruise ship.