Bahamas

The Bahamas is an archipelago of more than 700 islands and cays located in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the United States and north of Cuba. This tropical paradise is characterized by crystal clear waters, white sands and spectacular marine biodiversity, especially coral reefs and abundant fish species. Culturally, the islands fuse African, European and Caribbean traditions, which is reflected in their festivals, music (such as Junkanoo) and gastronomy.

The British established a formal colony in 1718. In 1967, Bahamians gained a degree of self-government, and finally achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1973, becoming a sovereign nation. Remaining part of the Commonwealth, the Bahamas continues to recognize the British monarch (now King Charles III) as its ceremonial head of state.

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The Bahamas, and especially the island of Nassau, was a haven for pirates during the 18th century, becoming known as the Pirate Republic. Famous pirates such as Edward Teach “Blackbeard”; Charles Vane, “Calico Jack” Rackham and also the female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read – who began their pirate career by disguising themselves as men in order to enlist on “Calico Jack’s” pirate ship – were based in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas is within the Bermuda Triangle, a geographical area located between the islands of Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Florida. This triangle has been famous, mainly since the middle of the 20th century, due to the series of mysterious disappearances of ships and airplanes that occurred in the region, for example:

• Flight 19 (1945): a squadron of five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger bombers. The story was further complicated when a rescue plane sent to find them, a Martin Mariner, also disappeared in the same area, along with its entire crew.

• USS Cyclops (1918): a huge U.S. Navy ship carrying coal and a crew of 309 disappeared without a trace.

• Star Tiger (1954) and Star Ariel (1955): both aircraft disappeared while flying from Bermuda to Jamaica and London, respectively.

• B-24 Liberator (1942): during World War II disappeared without trace in an area near the Bahamas.

I like to cruise from time to time because they apply economy of scale to the holy trinity of relaxation tourism: eating well, visiting interesting places, and entertainment. And all this in an environment of absolute safety and where you have no problem going on a binge of biblical proportions if it happens, because you are an elevator ride away from your cabin. Vacations.

Miami

Miami is a port of departure for numerous cruise ships. Along with Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, they are the main origins of cruises in the Caribbean. With its perfect climate, crystal clear beaches and colonial history, the Bahamas is a preferred destination.

South Pointe Dr in Miami Beach. In that promenade you can see in the little park there are usually groups of people with flags and banners to say goodbye to their friends who are going on a cruise, who see them from on board.

Nassau

It’s one thing to enjoy the fact that on a cruise you have all the logistics taken care of, but it’s quite another to buy excursion packages when you get to port. Do not miss the opportunity to rent a means of transportation -whatever it is- and get lost around exploring at your own pace. It doesn’t matter if it’s a broken scooter that sounds like a tin can and with slightly bent handlebars -and that was the second one I got, “the good one”; the first one stalled while standing still 😅-. Who cares! Let’s explore 🗺️!

Nassau is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas, located on the island of New Providence; it is the political, economic and cultural center of the country.

Downtown Nassau has no special charm -for my taste. It is an area of houses of the usual typology in the Caribbean countries with stores on the first floor from time to time. It is the same type of construction that one can find in the Florida Keys, or in Jamaica, or in the Cayman Islands. What is special – hypnotic – is the color of the water.

When the sky is clear and the sun is beating down, the turquoise color of the water and clear sand in Nassau is breathtaking.

The island of New Providence is about 40 km long and between 7 and 13 km wide, relatively small, but very densely populated. With the motorcycle I went as far as Sandyport Beach, about 10 km. along the coast, and I didn’t see a single uninhabited spot.

By the way, the cruise ship is registered in Nassau. It is common for shipowners to use flags of convenience, which is to register ships in unusual countries and cities because they obtain tax and regulatory advantages – for example, not paying taxes on profits generated aboard the ship.

Queen’s Staircase

The Queen’s Staircase is a historical monument located in Fort Fincastle Park, in downtown Nassau, and was built between 1793 and 1794 by slaves of the British government, in honor of Queen Victoria.

The structure was carved directly into the rock of the hill by slaves, and originally consisted of 66 steps.

Fort Charlotte

Fort Charlotte is one of the most important historical fortresses. Situated on a hill to dominate the harbor area, approximately one mile west of the city center, this fortress was built during the British colonial period.

The fortress was completed in 1791 and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George III of England. It was a response to threats of invasion during the American War of Independence, and its main purpose was to protect Nassau from possible naval and pirate attacks.

Some guns are in a fixed position on the horizontal axis of rotation. That is, they could typically be moved (aimed) by tilting them more or less. Others, less heavy, were mounted on a platform that moved on a semicircular rail, and allowed for easier adjustment of the firing angle.

The fortress was erected using local limestone, a sedimentary rock common in the Bahamas. Being porous, it allowed inscriptions to be made on the walls, which are distributed throughout the fortress. Some are of a military nature, but there are also those made by the soldiers or workers of the fort.

Just on the other side of the fortress wall was a cricket field, reminiscent of the British past. The first I had ever seen. I thought they were bigger.

Great Stirrup Cay

The cruise includes a day on a private cay – yes, one of many private islands in the world – with an all-inclusive resort experience. During the 1980s, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar bought the island – or at least had some sort of agreement with the owners – to use for his operations. Legend has it that it was used not only as a place of rest and recreation for the Medellin cartel, but also as a place to hide drug shipments or conduct secret negotiations.

As it is not a very big cay, it does not have a large infrastructure. Restaurants, restrooms, sheds for kayaks, jet skis, etc.. There is also no port for a cruise ship, of course, so to get there you have to get on a boat service.

Crystalline turquoise waters, fine golden sand, and a splendid sun.

No one can guarantee you that it will make a day like this… but that’s the day it did 🤩.

All the facilities and the beach were immaculate. One might expect to find some dirt on the rocks at the end of the beach…containers, bags and other types of debris get caught in the mini-streams that form. Nothing. All pristine. The water, transparent. Not a bad twig.

So just stop bothering around and let’s have (another) piña colada.

It’s great to travel improvising, and exploring, and those road trips where you don’t know how much more you’ll be able to keep driving and, therefore, you don’t even know in which city you’re going to look for accommodation that night… it’s great to go on an adventure, all hippie and blazingmazing.
But come on, going on a cruise with a set table, lying on the beach with your cocktail and having them give it all to you, it’s not bad at all.