Nassau, the capital city of The Bahamas, is located on 21-mile-long New Providence, our 11th largest island. Nassau’s main harbor is protected by Paradise Island. The harbor attracted settlers in the early days, particularly pirates. In fact, Nassau’s population consisted mainly of pirates until 1718, when The Bahamas first Royal Governor, Woodes Rogers expelled them, restored order and built Fort Nassau. The Bahamas for centuries adopted Rogers’ motto, “Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia,” which means, “Pirates Expelled, Commerce Restored.” Now, 212,000 people call New Providence Island home, with a large portion of them residing in Nassau.
Blackbeard (Edward Teach), a notorious pirate, played a big role in the city of Nassau's history. The British Colonial Hilton hotel was built on the site where he lived at Old Fort Nassau (circa 1697), which also has a replica of his former well.
New Providence is home to Adelaide, Fox Hill, and Gambier—three historic villages settled by liberated slaves in the 1800s. They still maintain their rich African heritage, and cultural and sightseeing tours can be arranged on demand.
This 11-acre property, headquarters of The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), houses one of the largest private collections of rare and exotic palms in the world — about 170 species. It is one of four national parks on New Providence Island.
Formerly called Vendue House, the building is now named for courageous slave, Pompey, from The Exumas. Built sometime before 1769, it became a museum in 1992, featuring a permanent exhibit on the African experience in The Bahamas.
1.800.224.2627 Copyright © 2019 The Islands Of The Bahamas Privacy Policy
