Queen's Staircase, Nassau

The Queen's Staircase is a landmark walkway of 65 hand-cut limestone steps rising through a narrow ravine in Nassau, the Bahamian capital. It was carved out of solid rock between 1793 and 1794 by enslaved workers to provide a direct route from Fort Fincastle -- the star-shaped fortress at the top -- down into the town below. The staircase was later renamed in honour of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The ravine walls are lush with tropical vegetation, making it a cool, shaded passage even in midsummer heat. A waterfall feature and small museum at the base provide context on the site's history.