Worth Traveling For: Nassau’s Most Notorious Pirate May Have Never Checked Out

Blackbeard apparently has a terrible checkout policy. According to Nassau folklore, the infamous pirate’s headless ghost is still searching for his missing head, with mysterious offshore lights and phantom ship sounds adding to his alleged afterlife itinerary.

For local travelers seeking a spooky-season escape, Nassau & Paradise Island puts centuries of pirate lore within easy reach. Nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau generally take about an hour, with JetBlue and Bahamasair among the regular options.

Nikia Deveaux-Christie, a history-making Bahamian Olympic swimmer, lifelong Nassau resident and director of marketing for the Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board, shared her favorite local ghost story with Browardist. 

Here is her exclusive account:

“If I had to pick one Nassau ghost story, it would definitely be Blackbeard. Because before Nassau was known for beautiful beaches, resorts and cocktails, we were very well known for something else, and that's pirates. And one of the most infamous was Edward Teach, better known around the world as Blackbeard. Now, Blackbeard was very real. He's not a story we made up. He's not folklore. As you know, he sailed these waters during the early 1700s aboard his famous ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, and his name and the name of the ship became larger than life.

History states that Blackbeard eventually left Nassau and was killed elsewhere. But according to the folklore here in Nassau, his ghost did not get the message. They say he still has some unfinished business in Nassau, and there are many tales of Blackbeard's ghost still lingering around the city, particularly near the area where old Fort Nassau once stood. That is the very spot where the beautiful and historic British Colonial Hotel stands today.

And apparently Blackbeard is not a particularly quiet ghost. He's not someone you think you may have seen in the shadows, or where you just feel a presence. Legend has it, he has been a loud ghost that makes himself known. People have told stories over the years of strange sounds coming from the water after dark: creaking like an old wooden ship, something that sounds like cannon fire out in the distance. And the most famous are these mysterious lights offshore that some people still call Teach's Lights.

Of course, that doesn't mean that every strange light you see in Nassau Harbour is Blackbeard. But that is the story that has been passed down from generation to generation. So, if you see some lights out there that can't be explained, and you don't see any boats anywhere, then it's most likely Blackbeard on the Queen Anne's Revenge, coming to settle some business in Nassau. When Blackbeard was eventually killed, he was beheaded. And every good ghost story needs a little drama, so the legend around these parts says his headless ghost is still wandering around looking for his missing head. Which means he's been searching for about 300 years. 

Imagine walking along the harbor late at night. Everything is quiet. You hear the water, maybe a boat creaking somewhere in the distance. And now you're going to remember this story. Suddenly every shadow looks suspicious, every light you're wondering about. And that is what I love about stories like this. 

Nassau is so bright, so colorful and beautiful during both the day and night. But there's this completely different layer underneath it, according to folklore, because we have this incredible pirate history: old forts, old streets, historic buildings, and all of these stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. 

And of course, Blackbeard is not the only ghost story around Nassau. We have so many stories tied to some of our old forts and historic estates, like John Watling’s Distillery, at the Buena Vista estate: unexplained footsteps, rocking chairs that move when there's no wind and nobody's around, strange figures, eerie sounds, and that unmistakable feeling that you might not be quite as alone as you thought.

So yes, Nassau is a paradise. So much so that apparently a few people, and pirates, never quite left.”

Back in the land of the living, you can build a Nassau outing around the places behind the tales. At John Watling’s Distillery on the Buena Vista Estate, you can tour the grounds and learn about rum-making traditions, then make time for a cocktail. Construction on the estate began around 1789; its old buildings and harbor views supply plenty to admire while keeping an eye out for the alleged apparition.

For stone corridors with serious atmospheric swagger, there’s Fort Charlotte, Nassau’s largest fort, whose underground passages and dungeon have inspired reports of unexplained sounds. Pair Fort Fincastle with the nearby Queen’s Staircase, or visit Fort Montagu, the oldest fort still standing on New Providence, built in 1741. 

The British Colonial Hotel also offers a connection to the story, occupying the former Fort Nassau site associated with Blackbeard’s ghost. These are historic sights to explore during spooky season; the supernatural accounts remain local folklore.