On our recent Very MerryTime Cruise on Disney Dream we were able to take a private tour of Nassau with Cheryl’s Bahama’s Private Taxi and Tours. We wanted to spend a few hours on the island, sight seeing and learning about the history of the islands. As homeschoolers this was a perfect opportunity to use our vacation time as a learning opportunity and we considered it a field trip of sorts 🙂
POSING BEFORE WE HEADED OUT OF THE PORT, INTO THE CITY (PHOTO TAKEN BY MY BLOSSOMING PHOTOG, JORDAN!)
We boarded a minibus and spent close to 3 hours with our tour guide, Fenwick, driving around the city and visiting many interesting and popular sites. One of our first stops was the Cloisters on Paradise Island. The Cloisters are located in the Versailles gardens of the One and Only Ocean Club. This 12th century cloister was built by French monks but purchased by gazillionaire Huntington Hartford and was literally dismantled in France and shipped to the Bahamas to be rebuilt, stone by stone. I remembered visiting this breathtaking site as an early teen on a vacation with my family many years ago, and I was excited to set foot on the property again.
PRIVATE HOMES AND BEAUTIFUL FOLIAGE/FLOWERS ON PARADISE ISLAND
We were not disappointed. Though we didn’t stay long we were able to take many pictures and just breathe in the warm sea air, losing ourselves in the beauty of our surroundings. The weather that day was absolutely perfect- breezy and warm, but only in the upper 70s to low 80s. The clear skies were perfect for capturing these moments.
BREATHTAKING SEA VIEWS AND SURROUNDINGS AT THE CLOISTERS
After the Cloisters and driving around Paradise Island a bit we drove through the nearby Potter’s Cay which is a local area with an open fresh market, post office, and small, private owned restaurants located right at the base of the bridge connecting Nassau and Paradise Island.
POTTER’S CAY WITH VIEWS OF PARADISE ISLAND BRIDGE
We stopped at a local rum cake bakery to sample the varieties they offered. The cakes are baked “in house” and we were able to peek into small but professional bakery within the shop.
HERE WE FOUND SOME OF THE MOST DELICIOUS RUM CAKES WE’VE EVER TASTED AND NEARBY WE PASSED LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS GATHERING FOR INSPECTION
We next drove on to Fort Montague Park which was on the water. Here we found a lovely clear beach and just off shore we could see a local regatta of sail boats preparing for the race.
LOVELY FORT MONTAGUE PARK AND BEACH
HIDING AWAY IN THE MAXI TAXI FOR A QUICK SNACK TIME…
Next we found ourselves at the the Graycliff Chocolate Factory. I really like the modern boutique feel to this shop and the chocolates were incredible.
LOVELY DISPLAY AT THE GRAYCLIFF CHOCOLATE FACTORY
NOT SURE IF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOMEONE FAMOUS (OR INFAMOUS) BUT THE GIRLS WERE TICKLED TO BE SITTING NEXT TO A LIFE SIZE PIRATE
Our last stop was Fort Charlotte. For a small entry fee ($1.08 per adult) we were able to tour the large fort and even had a complimentary tour guide to take us through and offer us more history. It was a great learning experience for the girls, fostering conversations about history, colonialism and international relations (heavy stuff for 3rd graders but interesting nonetheless).
JORDAN BEGGED FOR A PIC HERE AT THE ENTRANCE TO FORT CHARLOTTE
IT WAS A SHORT TOUR BUT THE PROPERTY IS VERY WELL KEPT AND INFORMATIVE!
FROM THE LOFTY HEIGHTS OF THE FORT WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE ISLAND AND COULD EVEN SEE THE PORT AND CRUISE SHIPS IN THE NEAR DISTANCE…
HEADING BACK TO OUR LOVELY HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN NASSAU’S PORT
After Fort Charlotte we headed back into downtown Nassau to end the tour at the port. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Fenwick and Cheryl’s tour company and would certainly book our next tour with them. There was so much to see in Nassau that we only skimmed the surface! We had such a great day but we were super excited to visit Castaway Cay, the following day….
You can find my travelogues from the first and second days of our Disney VeryMerryTime Cruise through these links:
Disney VeryMerryTime Cruise Travelogue Day One
Disney VeryMerryTime Cruise Travelogue Day Two
Have any of you been on a Disney cruise or to Nassau and, if so, what did you do or see during your stay that was the most memorable? If you’d like more information about Disney cruises in general you can find more details here.
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