Beyond The Pier: Nassau

Nassau is one of the Caribbean’s most popular cruise ship ports, and on any given day there are at least three mega-liners docked at the pier, disgorging thousands of people into the duty-free shops along Bay Street, the water park at Atlantis, or the talcum sands of Junkanoo Beach. But venture a little further afield you’ll get a better feel for the island’s culture and, most likely, have a lot more fun. Whether you’re in Nassau just for the day or chilling for a week, check out these suggestions. Sandy Toes’ Rose Island tour is a full- or half-day excursion from Paradise Island to a white-sand islet nearby. One all-inclusive price covers drinks and a buffet lunch, plus kayaking, snorkeling and live entertainment. From $59.

You’ll explore a seldom-seen side of the city on the Bahamas Segway and Beach Experience, which takes riders along the casuarina-fringed trails of a 210-acre estate out near the airport. It only takes about 10 minutes to master the Segway, and the 90-minute tour ends with a swimming stop at Paradise Beach, where scenes from Casino Royale were shot. From $65.

About 15 minutes from the pier at Cable Beach, peruse (and purchase) the art at Nettie’s Different of Nassau, a guesthouse/restaurant/cultural center hybrid run by the captivating and plainspoken matriarch Nettie Symonette.

Conversation with her is a colorful as the island-inspired acrylics she paints and sells in the gallery on-site.