Cable Beach

Cable Beach takes its name from the submarine telegraph cable that first connected the Bahamas to Florida, landing here in 1892, and it has been the island's resort strip since the middle of the twentieth century. It faces north across the sheltered side of New Providence, so the water is generally calm and shallow a long way out, which suits families in a way the Atlantic beaches do not. Several kilometres of pale sand run past the hotels, with public access at points along West Bay Street. The old Sandyport area at the western end has canals and a marina, and Goodman's Bay just to the east is where Nassau itself goes to swim.

What you actually see

• The calm shallow water - sheltered on the north side of the island.
• Goodman's Bay - the local beach at the eastern end.
• The Sandyport canals - the residential marina district west.
• Sunset - facing northwest along the strip.

When to go

December to May is the dry high season. Weekday mornings are quietest. Goodman's Bay is busiest at weekends with Nassau families. Water sports operate along the resort stretch through the day.

Honest expectations

It is a resort strip, and the stretch in front of the hotels is heavily worked by vendors and jet ski operators; jet ski hire in Nassau has a poor safety record and repeated disputes over damage charges. Development along the strip has been uneven, with a large closed hotel complex that has sat unfinished for years. The beach narrows in places after storms.

Nearby

Downtown Nassau is fifteen minutes east; Fort Charlotte is on the way.