Departures-side duty free in Terminal C goes dark around 18:00
Bahamas Duty Free sits airside in Terminal C departures, past security and before the gates serving many US and regional flights. It focuses on spirits, cigarettes, chocolates, and a small mix of perfume and souvenirs, mainly calibrated to island-leaving shoppers topping up on rum. Prices on liquor often beat US domestic stores, though not always cheaper than what you find in Nassau proper or at local grocers.
The key catch: Nassau airport blogs and 2025 trip reports agree that duty free in departures, including Bahamas Duty Free in Terminal C, usually closes around 18:00, even when flights leave later in the evening. That means the last wave of shoppers for rum and perfume is often around the late‑afternoon bank of departures, not for the 19:30 or 20:00 crowd.
Regular Bahamas visitors on trip reports say they handle most liquor and souvenir buying in town or at grocery/liquor stores like the ones near Cable Beach, then treat airport shops as backup only. Bahamas Duty Free then becomes the place to top off with one extra bottle of local rum or a sleeve of cigarettes if you have Bahamian dollars to burn before boarding.
If your flight out of Terminal C departs after 18:00, assume Bahamas Duty Free will be shuttered and plan any serious shopping earlier in the day in Nassau; aim to be through security and done here by 17:00 so closing time doesn’t catch you standing in front of a locked gate.