Couples

Doing It All

By Tracy Thompson

There are the kinds of romantic vacations where you never actually leave your room, yes. But consider the romance generated by exotic private excursions, thrilling water adventures and the musky aromas of lush tropical hills and beaches. Getting the idea? Then get packing, because an exploration vacation on Nassau / Paradise Island is designed to put the spring back in your step…and the stars back in your eyes.

If you have half a day, consider these detours:

Get good and stuck in the famous white-powder beaches for a few hours or swim in the see-your-feet turquoise waters of Cabbage Beach. You can also spend a few hours scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, boating, parasailing or windsurfing.

Nothing’s more romantic than a tandem scooter ride along The Bahamas’ heady tropical byways – on the left, of course. Spoon with your honey as you putt along the lush greenery of Royal Victoria Garden, discover the empty beaches of Adelaide Village or explore the island’s mangrove forests and coral reefs.

St. Augustine Monastery, although recently closed as an active spiritual center, is a beautiful getaway high atop Fox Hill, full of long arched porches and lush flora and fauna.

If you have a full day, consider these island highlights:

While you meander through horse-drawn surreys and yield to traffic bobbies in their dress whites and sherbet-hued pith helmets in historic downtown Nassau, note the flamingo-pink government buildings of Parliament Square, the House of Assembly and the old colonial Secretary's Office. The Changing of the Guard at the Government House, every other Saturday, recalls the residual pomp of early English settlers, while the Queen’s Staircase at Fort Fincastle is a must, not built but carved by slaves out of a solid limestone cliff in 1793. The ultimate photo-op of the whole island.

Start off your romantic island trip with a visit to the Hairbraider's Centre, then try the Straw Market, where countless stalls cajole visitors with handmade souvenirs, anything from hats and baskets to carvings and beads. Act like you’ve been there before and barter for that rush mat. Festival Place, in direct wandering distance from the big-boat docks, is an open-air pavilion of shops selling authentic Bahamian arts and crafts, T-shirts and hot sauces. There are also stalls with tour info, a post office, a WiFi kiosk and scooter rentals.

Try Sail Nassau, and hop on board one of New Zealand's former America's Cup yachts. You are the crew – if you want to be. If it’s been a particularly hard day on the island, however, just nuzzle with your sweetie and let the wind rip through your braids as your IAC-class yacht tries to win an America's Cup-style match race off Paradise Island. Definitely something to write home about.