Fort Montagu

Fort Montagu is the oldest surviving fort on New Providence, built in 1741 to a design by the military engineer Peter Henry Bruce, guarding the eastern entrance to Nassau harbour where a shallow bar allows only small vessels through. It is compact, a single squat structure of local limestone with a handful of cannon on the platform and a couple of rooms beneath. Its one moment came in 1776, when it was briefly occupied during a raid that was among the first operations mounted by the newly formed American navy, and it was taken without a fight. It sits in a small park beside a public beach where Nassau swims.

What you actually see

• The 1741 fort - the oldest on the island, in local limestone.
• The gun platform - cannon facing the eastern harbour entrance.
• Montagu beach - the public beach beside it, used by Nassau.
• The harbour bar - the shallow entrance the fort was built to watch.

When to go

December to May is the dry season. Any time of day works; the fort is small and open, with no ticket or hours. Early morning brings Nassau swimmers to the beach beside it, which is a good time to see the place as locals use it.

Honest expectations

It is very small and takes twenty minutes; there is no museum, no interpretation beyond a plaque and no staff. Maintenance is minimal. It is worth combining with the beach beside it rather than making a special trip. Unofficial guides sometimes attach themselves to visitors.

Nearby

Montagu beach is alongside; downtown Nassau is fifteen minutes west.