Nassau: Junkanoo Beach Provides Local Experience

After we checked out the Graycliff Hotel property and its cigar factory/lounge, we took the short walk over to Junkanoo Beach for happy hour.

It’s a great alternative to the harbor area where the cruise ships dock: The beach is lined with small, locally-run restaurants and watering holes. Bright colors, big personalities galore – the perfect place to stick out your hand and introduce yourself to the locals.

Quiet and timid during the day, the “strip” fills up as the workday ends and the sun begins to fall and the colors in the sky change. We had a few and then walked back along the beach to the British Colonial Hilton, watching the blue beyond the clouds turn to a purple and orange.

Tomorrow: The story behind the Junkanoo Festival for which the beach is named (complete with yours truly in costume!).