When's the best time to visit the Bahamas?+
From mid-December to April, when it's dry, temperatures sit around twenty-seven degrees and humidity is low. This is peak season, with the highest prices. Note that the Bahamas lie further north than the Caribbean, so it's cooler here in winter than most people expect — in February the sea is twenty-four degrees. From May to November it's warmer, but that's hurricane season, peaking in September. The best compromise is May and November.
Do I need a visa for the Bahamas?+
No, Czech citizens don't need a visa and can stay in the Bahamas for ninety days. The passport must be valid for the entire stay, and a return ticket is required. Before traveling, you fill out the electronic Bahamas Travel Health Visa form. Anyone connecting through the United States also needs an ESTA registration even for a mere transit — something many travelers forget.
Is Nassau safe?+
Tourist zones — Cable Beach, Paradise Island and Bay Street during the day — are safe. New Providence does have high crime in the Over-the-Hill neighborhoods south of downtown, and a tourist has no business there, day or night. After dark downtown, stick to main streets and take a taxi for shorter distances rather than walking. The most common problems visitors run into aren't muggings, though — they're thefts from unlocked rooms and rented jet skis where invented damage shows up after you return them. Avoid jet ski rentals entirely in Nassau.
Where should I stay in Nassau?+
Cable Beach is the most convenient choice: the island's longest continuous beach, large resorts, and a twenty-minute bus ride downtown. Paradise Island has the prettiest beach, Cabbage Beach, and the Atlantis resort with its aquariums — it's the priciest option and best for families with children. Downtown Nassau is cheaper, but you have to travel to reach the water, and on days when cruise ships are in port it's impossible to move through.
How do I get around Nassau cheaply?+
By shared minibuses called jitneys, which run numbered routes from downtown to Cable Beach and the Fish Fry and cost a dollar and a quarter. Flag them down from the roadside and pay the driver when you get off; tourists use them too. They don't run after dark, though, or to Paradise Island. For Paradise Island, a water taxi runs from the harbor for a few dollars and is faster than crossing the bridge.
What's the currency, and should I bring dollars?+
The Bahamian dollar is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar, and both currencies are used interchangeably — you can pay with US dollars anywhere and will get change in Bahamian dollars. So it's enough to bring US dollars. Cards are accepted without issue at resorts and larger businesses; at the Fish Fry and small shops, pay cash.
Where's the best place to eat in Nassau?+
At the Fish Fry on Arawak Cay, a cluster of colorful shacks west of downtown that serve Bahamian food and draw locals. Conch salad is made fresh in front of you, and it's best wherever locals are lining up — skip the storefront signs and follow the line instead. In the evening and on weekends there's live music. Pay cash. Resort restaurants cost several times as much.
When is lobster season?+
Caribbean spiny lobster fishing is only permitted in the Bahamas from August to March, and outside that window you won't find it fresh — whatever's on the menu from April to July came from the freezer. Similarly, conch, the national ingredient of the Bahamas, is subject to quotas and its population is declining. For the best seafood, come between August and March — though that overlaps with hurricane season.
