New Providence and Paradise Islands: Places to Explore

Cable Beach and Western New Providence

From downtown Nassau, West Bay Street follows the coast west past Arawak Cay to the Cable Beach strip. If you're not driving, catch the #10 jitney for a direct ride from downtown. This main drag is lined with hotels and is about to be completely transformed by the Baha Mar group. A small straw market and a roadside daiquiri stall round out the area's offerings, outside of the resort and beaches.

Immediately west, the hotel strip gives way to residential neighborhoods interspersed with shops, restaurants, and cafés. Homes become more and more posh the farther west you go; Lyford Cay—the island's original gated community—is home to the original 007, Sean Connery. Hang a left at the Lyford Cay roundabout and eventually you'll come across the historic Clifton Heritage Park, the local brewery where Kalik and Heineken are brewed and bottled, a new upscale resort development whose financiers include golfers Ernie Els and Tiger Woods, and eventually the sleepy settlement of Adelaide.

The loop around the island's west and south coasts can be done in a couple of hours by car or scooter, but take some time for lunch and a swim along the way. Unless you're being taken around by a taxi or local, it's best to return to Cable Beach along the same route, as internal roads can get confusing.