Page 50 - DreamScapes Magazine | Winter 2024/2025

Go Beyond the Beach in
NASSAU & PARADISE ISLAND
BY LISA KADANE
White sand is abundant in the
Bahamas, but after a few days of
beach bliss in Nassau and neigh-
bouring Paradise Island, it’s time
to turn inland and explore the country’s rich
history and food culture. Luckily, there are
tours for that.
Dig up Delicious Cuisine Secrets
In this island nation, not only should conch
fritters be prepared to perfection to wow the
palate, a well-seasoned chicken should be
cooked with spices including thyme, garlic
and tomatoes. These are just two food tips
shared on a restaurant tour around Nassau
with Tru Bahamian Food Tours.
At downtown eateries a local guide
explains the history of dishes like peas and
rice, and drinks like switcha, a Bahamian
twist on lemonade. In between stops, they
share the island’s history as you walk past
heritage buildings painted “conch pink,” a
colour historically made from ground-up
shells of this edible sea snail.
Distill the Truth About Pirates
on a Rum Tour
During the Golden Age of Piracy, from 1690
to 1720, Nassau was a haven for buccaneers,
whose preferred loot was rum. Though the
island no longer supports pillaging, you can
still sample rum—and rum-infused foods
on the Rum Runner’s Passage tour with
Islandz Tours.
Over at Luna Rum Distillery, you’ll enjoy a
selection of flavoured rums such as banana,
and learn how to use them in cocktails. John
Watling’s Distillery, on the historic 1789
Buena Vista Estate, offers traditional rums,
including a pale rum, an amber rum and a
single barrel rum. Fun fact: John Watling was
a 17th-century “gentleman pirate” who
abstained from pillaging on Sundays.
Cook Chowder or Sample
Chocolate at Graycliff Restaurant
More swashbuckling lore awaits at Graycliff
Restaurant, located in a 1740 mansion built
by Captain John Howard Graysmith, a notable
historical figure. Now a hotel and five-star
restaurant, your palate can enjoy elevated
island cuisine served inside the elegant
restaurant or learn how to make it. Executive
chef Elijah Bowe teaches aspiring chefs the
secrets behind signature dishes such as
Bahamian conch chowder and guava soufflé
in interactive cooking classes at the Graycliff
Culinary Academy.
If chocolate is your passion, pop over to
adjacent Graycliff Chocolatier. Discover
how island flavours are blended into deca-
dent confections on The Art of Chocolate
Factory Tour.
“Fort”-ify your Historical
Knowledge
Nassau is home to three forts built to protect
the island. Visit Fort Fincastle on the Dis-
cover Nassau Land & Sea Tour, which delves
into the island’s colonial and pirate past.
Cruise around the Paradise Island Harbour
on a catamaran to see famous sights from the
sea including Hog Island Lighthouse and Fort
Montagu.
Satiated, hydrated and well-educated, you
can end your vacation back where it started—
on a beautiful Bahamian beach.
DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
To help plan your trip to the Bahamas,
including where to stay, eat and what to do,
visit nassauparadiseisland.com
50
DREAMSCAPES WINTER 2024/2025
PHOTOS: NASSAU PARADISE ISLAND