Here is a guide that is drawn from our larger guide to all of the Bahamas. Nassau, the capital city of the islands and a bustling sea port, is a microcosm of Bahamian cultures. It's the largest city on the islands, with a population of more than 150,000, and has long been a center, not only for tourism, but for much of the world's banking. There are more than 400 banks in the city, offering tax shelters to one and all. But Nassau is more than the Bahamas' commercial center. Each year, some two million tourists enter the country through its international airport and a million more arrive by cruise ship and private boat. Most of them stay for at least a day or two. New Providence island, which measures 21 miles long by seven miles wide, offers a diversity of accommodations, from ultra-modern luxury resorts to intimate hotels. There's a wide variety of attractions, from the all-in-one world of the Atlantis International Resort and Casino on Paradise Island, to Crystal Cay Marine Park, deep-sea fishing, diving, walking, swimming, bicycling, driving, windsurfing, parasailing, waverunning, shelling, and snorkeling, to diving beneath the waves in a full-blown submarine. Experience the places you visit more directly, freshly, intensely - sometimes best done on foot, in a canoe, or through cultural adventures like art courses, cooking classes, learning the language, meeting the people, joining in the festivals and celebrations. This can make your trip life-changing, unforgettable. All of the detailed information you need is here about the hotels, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing. But we also lead you to new discoveries, turning corners you haven't turned before. That's what makes our guides unique. Photographs throughout. All the latest information on the best hotels in all price categories, restaurants, dive sites, dive operators, fishing guides and. much,much more. You'll find more information on these islands here than in any other guide. The Bahamas were once the playground of pirates. Modern travelers can find a different kind of adventure here, exploring a shipwreck or beachcombing near a secluded cove.   "This is a highly informative guidebook that reviews both the obvious and obscure. The Bahamas has so much to offer and this book really manages to cover quite a bit. I highly recommend it for someone that wants an insight into each of the islands that make up the Bahamas." -- Globehound  "Now in an updated fourth edition, The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos is a travel guide the 700+ islands of the Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos. Fabulously illustrated with full color photographs on virtually every page, The guide describes the best hotels in different price ranges, restaurants, dive sites, dive operators, tours, fishing guides, historic forts and pirate hideouts, where one can walk through tropical forests or play with dolphins, find duty-free shops with bargains, and much more. An easy-to-use, reader-friendly field guide. Highly recommended for tourists and business travelers alike." -- Midwest Book Review.