Eastern Caribbean & The Bahamas: St. Thomas & St. Maarten

Fort Christian

Built 1672, this Danish fort served as courthouse, jail, and church — often simultaneously. The oldest standing structure in the USVI.

🕒 Mon–Fri 9am–3pm

Emancipation Gardens

Where Danish rule ended in 1848. Now: a conch shell blower and a Liberty Bell replica — shaded, free, and easy to find after the ship.

🕒 Open daily

St. Thomas Synagogue

Sand floor, 1833 chandeliers, and 190+ years of active service — the oldest continuously operating synagogue under the US flag.

🕒 Mon–Fri 9am–3pm

99 Steps

103 steps, not 99 — the name was never corrected. This 18th-century Danish stairway offers the best harbor views in the historic district.

🕒 Open daily

Blackbeard's Castle

A 17th-century watchtower the pirate supposedly used as a lookout — unverifiable, irresistible, and with panoramic harbor views.

🕒 Daily 9am–5pm

Frederick Lutheran Church

Congregation founded 1666, making it the oldest active Lutheran congregation in the Western Hemisphere. The current building dates to 1793.

🕒 Mon–Fri 9am–4pm

Magens Bay Beach

Ranked among the Caribbean's best beaches for decades. One calm, sheltered mile — shallow enough to wade out fifty yards. Admission charged.

🕒 Daily 6am–6pm

Paradise Point Tramway

A gondola rises 697 feet above the harbor in seven minutes. Rum punch at the top costs extra; panoramic views of the Virgin Islands do not.

🕒 Daily 9am–5pm

Mountain Top

Claimed home of the original banana daiquiri — impossible to verify, not worth disputing. The views of 20-plus islands are unimpeachable.

🕒 Daily 8am–5pm

Drake's Seat

Where Sir Francis Drake reportedly watched the Spanish fleet. Now a roadside overlook — the view is still extraordinary, the bench is free.

🕒 Open daily

Coral World Ocean Park

Walk-under reef tank, sea turtle encounters, and an undersea observatory. Better than a snorkel for guests who left their gear on the ship.

🕒 Daily 9am–4pm

Coki Beach

The most accessible snorkeling on St. Thomas — reef starts at the shoreline. Busy on ship days; that's the only kind of day you'll have.

🕒 Open daily

Fort Charlotte

Nassau's largest fort took three governors and several decades to build — dry moat, drawbridge, dungeon — yet never fired a shot in anger because no enemy ever bothered to attack. The irony is very Bahamian.

Queen's Staircase

Sixty-six steps carved from solid limestone by enslaved workers in the 1790s, tucked in a shaded ravine a short walk from downtown. Free, relentlessly photographed, and somehow still worth doing.

Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre

The flamingo — national bird of the Bahamas — marches on command here at scheduled shows, which is charming or slightly concerning depending on your views of flamingo dignity. Nassau's only zoo, and worth the ticket.

🕒 Mon–Sat 9:00–16:30

Fort Fincastle

Built in 1793 in the shape of a paddle-wheel steamer, Fort Fincastle sits on the hill directly above the Queen's Staircase — do both in the same trip. The harbour views from the top are worth more than the fort itself.

National Art Gallery of The Bahamas

Bahamian art from colonial times to now, inside the Villa Doyle — a fine 1860s mansion that works better as a gallery than it ever did as a private home. Small enough to finish in an hour; good enough that you won't rush.

🕒 Tue–Sat 10:00–16:00

Atlantis Paradise Island

A Caribbean mega-resort built around the Atlantis myth — waterpark, casino, and enough faux-ancient architecture to confuse a classicist. Non-guests can explore the public lobby areas and casino; the waterpark requires a day pass at significant expense.

Government House, The Bahamas

The Governor-General's official residence: a pink colonial mansion atop a hill, flanked by a statue of Columbus and a changing-of-the-guard ceremony on the first Saturday of each month. Admired freely from the street on any other day.

Bahamian Parliament Building

Parliament Square: pink colonial buildings from 1815, a statue of Queen Victoria looking appropriately unamused, and the working legislature of an island nation. A short walk from the wharf, and free to admire from the outside.

Nassau Public Library

Built around 1800 as an octagonal prison, Nassau's public library traded the cells for shelves and kept the ironwork. A five-minute detour that earns its place on any downtown Nassau walk.