"Nassau - Capital of the Ba ..." a Nassau Travel Page by Willettsworld

Nassau, on New Providence, is the capital of the Bahamas and features a mixture of neocolonial 19th century buildings and modern hotel resorts. It's the main point where caribbean cruise ships stop and spring breakers party.

Nassau was first visited in 1648 when William Sayle and his party of Eleutheran Adventurers briefly landed. The island became known as Sayle's Island, but his party didn't settle. The first settlement on the island, known as Charles Town, was built in 1666 and featured a series of dirty streets which were lined with brothels and taverns. In 1684 the Spanish sacked the town and it's population fled to the American colonies. The town was then rebuilt and renamed Nassau in 1695. Nassau was attacked again in 1703 by a combined Spanish and French force. After this period, the British built forts such as Fort Nassau and Fort Charlotte and peace ensued. The town's most important governor, Earl Dunmore, arrived in 1787 and took control by building many of the fine buildings that are still evident today.