Nassau is the largest metropolitan area we’ve visited so far in the Bahamas and it seems to be the wealthiest too. We noticed the cars are larger and newer than on other islands and settlements. We have become used to seeing older compact and mid-sized sedans around the other islands, but Nassau is full of SUVs, full size sedans and late model sports cars. The stores here offer higher end merchandise than we have become used to.

Our marina was right on the main drag, which offered plenty of convenience, but also included lots of road noise: horns honking, engines revving, and sirens blaring. Across the street was a shopping center with the best stocked grocery store we’ve encountered, plus Starbucks, Dairy Queen, Dominoes and Bahamas Subs & Pizza (which appears to be the Bahamian version of SubWay.) Across the waterway from the marina is Paradise Island with Atlantis and many other resorts.

We’ve come to the conclusion that speed limits on the road and no wake restrictions on the water are mere suggestions here. We would observe a clearing in traffic and attempt to cross the street only to be startled by a speeding sports car before we could cross. Throughout the day our boat (and the other boats in the marina) would rock violently from side to side because of the wake from nearby boat traffic.

Our marina was also undergoing renovations to rebuild a restaurant, which means we are awakened each morning with construction sounds (power tools, hammers, and workers conversing.) Construction dust and dirt coated Delphinus during our stay.

Up until now, our view of the Bahamas has been primarily small cities and towns, and even smaller settlements. After our stays in Freeport and Nassau, we have come to the conclusion that we prefer the natural beauty of the undeveloped island communities to the manufactured resorts like Paradise Island. As nice as it was to replenish our stocks with a wide variety of meats, produce and cheeses, we were anxious to leave the noise and congestion behind.

Just a few hours away by sail we dropped anchor behind Green Cay and Rose Island. From here we could still see Atlantis in the distance, but were near an uninhabited island with a beautiful sandy beach. We took the dinghy to Green Cay and walked along the beach. There we met a couple of local families spending the day. They provided background on the cay … it is privately owned, but hasn’t been occupied for many years. One of the families we met visits the cay regularly and has even camped on the beach here. It felt like we were back to the Bahamas we’ve come to know.

Our friends, Rick and Helen, on Symmetry III were anchored nearby and invited us to dinner onboard. Helen made a delicious curried chicken. We had a great evening of food and drink, and planning our next few stops. Pete and Rick have planned boat projects they can work on together. We will probably travel together over the next week or so.

 

Our next cruising ground is the Eluthera Islands. Stay tuned.