Our first stop in the Bahamas was the capital, Nassau for a couple days before we left for the out islands. We stayed just west of the city center near Junkanoo Beach, seen here. It's a perfectly lovely beach unless you're also spending time on the outer islands and the amazing beaches they have there. There are a bunch of good local restaurants near the west end of the beach.

Looking the other direction from our hotel we could see the cruise port. Despite being the largest city in the Bahamas, Nassau is still relatively small and the skyline is dominated by the cruise ships and the occasional casino.

The government center of Nassau is a collection of pastel colonial style buildings in a palm-lined central square. This is the supreme court of the Bahamas.

Above the government area on a small hill is Fort Fincastle - closed during the time of our visit. It sits on the highest point in Nassau. In 1793 it was decided to build an easier passageway to the fort from the city which is where this picture was taken.

Slaves dug a stairway into the limestone hill. It's known as the queen's staircase now (or the 66 steps if you're a local). This is an easy walk from the cruise port so it's pretty crowded while the ships are in port. In the evening the whole area becomes much quieter.