Christ Church Cathedral

There has been a church on this site since about 1670, and the building standing now, consecrated in 1837, is the fifth: the earlier ones were destroyed by Spanish raids, hurricanes and one demolition. It became a cathedral in 1861, which under the convention of the time is what raised Nassau from a town to a city. The building is limestone in a plain Gothic manner with a square tower, and inside are stained glass, memorial tablets to colonial officials and shipwreck victims, and a nave that fills for the Sunday morning service. The churchyard holds graves going back to the eighteenth century.

What you actually see

• The 1837 building - the fifth church on a site used since 1670.
• The stained glass - the east window and side lights.
• The memorial tablets - colonial officials and shipwreck dead.
• Sunday service - the nave full, with a strong choral tradition.

When to go

Year-round. It is open daily outside services and is a cool interior in the heat. Sunday morning service is the best time to see it in use; visitors are welcome but should dress accordingly and arrive before it starts rather than during.

Honest expectations

It is a modest parish-scale cathedral and takes half an hour; visitors expecting something on a European scale will find it small. It closes during services to sightseers. The surrounding streets are busy with cruise traffic. There is little interpretation inside.

Nearby

Pirates of Nassau is opposite; the straw market and Bay Street are downhill.