New Providence Island Caribbean

New Providence Island, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly one-third of the way down the Bahamas Archipelago (183 mls SE of Miami, Florida and 126 mls SE of Freeport, Grand Bahama) is encircled by the other major Bahamian islands. The International airport is 9 mls SW of the capital Nassau.
Measuring 21 mls by 7 mls, New Providence Island is one of the smaller of the Bahamian Islands, yet it is their heart and hub both commercially and strategically. The visitors here are predominantly American, with most hotels and a whole lifestyle very much to match. Holidays here are relatively expensive, so those British who do visit tend to be middle- to upmarket couples and honeymooners.

The island actually includes two separate islands connected by two bridges. Nassau, the capital city of The Islands Of The Bahamas, is located on the northeast shore of the island of New Providence. Tiny Paradise Island is directly across the bridge from Nassau. Although Nassau / Paradise Island accounts for less than two percent of the land area in The Islands Of The Bahamas, it is the residence for 60 percent of Bahamians.

New Providence is better laid out and probably the resort with widest appeal for British visitors. Cable Beach has brasher nightlife and entertainment. Nassau is a port of call on nearly all Caribbean cruises.

This island, more than other Bahamian islands, has seen a frenzy of activity in the past few years, with hotels being sold, refurbished, renamed and amalgamated. Most offerings on the UK market tend to be at the top end of the range and fairly pricey, there are cheaper hotels and even guesthouses, but you will have to visit independently to utilise them.

Many of the higher-rated operations are run by American chains for American clients, and tend to be large with lots of facilities and activities. All-inclusives are becoming common; few self-catering options.
Visitors staying elsewhere on the island will find themselves in peaceful isolation and mainly reliant on the facilities of their own hotel for entertainment.

Daytime Activities – consist mainly of water-related activities including sailing, water-skiing, parasailing, windsurfing, snorkelling and scuba diving . There are also golf courses, horse riding, tennis and even squash for the energetic types.
Sightseeing – is most notable in Nassau (capital city) which covers Parliament Square and its fine colonial buildings and monuments . Also near the centre are the 18th-century Balcony House, the oldest remaining wooden house in Nassau; Government House, residence of the governor-general; Gregory Arch; and Pompey (slavery) Museum.
Eating Out – Very wide selection of restaurants , from local eateries to haute cuisine, including Italian, Indian, Scandinavian and Chinese. Meat is imported and expensive but fruit is abundant. Fish is the local speciality, especially all possible variants of the large chewy conch. This large mollusc’s beautiful pink shell is actually far nicer than the taste or texture of its flesh, a nondiscretionary “gratuity” of 15% is normally added to all bills.

Other Attractions:

Carriage Tours : Horse-drawn surreys are based at Woodes Rogers Walk. The cost is approximately $10 per person. Maximum passengers: two adults and one child, or three small adults. Horses rest between 1:00pm – 3:00pm during the summer, 1:00pm – 2:00pm during the winter.
Casinos – There are two world class casinos available to Nassau and Paradise Island visitors. Both are open 24 hours a day seven days a week. These Bahamian casinos feature slot machines, craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, Caribbean stud poker, big six wheels and more.
Forts – Nassau’s historic 18th century forts and monuments are popular attractions for visitors to New Providence. Fort Montagu, where the canons have never been fired in battle.