Nassau Facts
Fact 1: Nassau was already recognized as a strategic fortification by a notorious band of seafaring travelers long before it became an international resort destination. Caribbean pirates spent long periods of time on the island, using it as a sort of base to contrive plans, hide ill-gotten booty and intercept ships.
Fact 2: A popular movie location, New Providence Island has been the site of many a filming. Parts of the James Bond flicks Thunderball, Never Say Never Again, For Your Eyes Only and Casino Royale were filmed on location in and around Nassau, including a bar at what is now the British Colonial Hilton and several submerged sites around the island, which you can visit with one of the local scuba dive companies.
Fact 3: Back in the Prohibition days of the 1920s, Nassau served as a base for bootleggers and rumrunners. Prince George's Wharf, one of Nassau's most famous landmarks, was built during this era specifically to accommodate the number of boats smuggling liquor into the States. Today, the Wharf accommodates ships of the cruise liner variety.
Fact 4: One of Nassau's most interesting attractions is The Cloister, which is the remains of a 14th-century French monastery. During the 1920s, newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst bought the ruins and had them delivered to the United States where they remained in storage. In the ‘60s, the ruins were moved to New Providence Island where they were reassembled and now attract thousands of tourists each year.
Fact 5: Completed in 1922, the British Colonial Hotel was built on the original site of Fort Nassau (circa 1695). For several decades it was considered Nassau's premier resort before falling into neglect. Fortunes turned for the better when Hilton purchased the property in the late '90s. Today, guests can still see evidence of the old fort on the hotel grounds.
Fact 6: Nassau has often been referred to as "Little Switzerland" due to its number of offshore banks that lie beyond the jurisdiction of United States claims courts. At one time, the number of internationally based banks exceeded 400. In recent years, however, the Bahamas have passed laws to limit the secrecy and privacy of these banks in an effort to deter money laundering.
Fact 7: The ghosts of pirates past still hover over New Providence Island, and none is more visible than the specter of Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard. Thanks to myth and legend, however, fiction often gets confused with fact. One such example is Blackbeard's Tower on Eastern Road, which is said to have been built by the notorious pirate as a lookout. Historians have since proved that the tower was built long after Blackbeard's death.
Fact 8: Fort Charlotte was constructed in the late 18th century to serve as a strategic fortification guarding the western entrance of Nassau Harbor. Built by Lord Dunmore, it's the largest fort in the Bahamas. Ironically, Fort Charlotte never saw action. Today it serves only as a popular tourist venue. The fort was named, incidentally, after George III's wife, Charlotte.
Fact 9: They were wildly popular in their native Nassau long before they made it big anywhere else, but in 2001 the Baha Men won a Grammy for their song "Who Let the Dogs Out."
Fact 10: For students of history – as well as the macabre – the old Eastern Cemetery off Bay Street is a popular attraction. The open, grassy grounds hold the remains of pirates, criminals and other rogues who were executed during Nassau's early days.
