Bermuda
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Bermuda - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Bermuda - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Established in 1898, the Botanical Gardens are filled with exotic subtropical plants, flowers, and trees. The 36-acre property features a miniature forest, an aviary, a hibiscus garden with more than 150 species, and collections of orchids, cacti, fruits, and ferns. In addition to these must-see sights is an intriguing must-smell one: the Garden for the Sightless. Designed primarily for the visually impaired, it has fragrant plants like geraniums, lemons, lavender, and spices, plus Braille signage.
One of the best places to mingle with Onions and, yes, buy a few edible ones is the seasonal Bermuda Farmers' Market, held every Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm, featuring up to 30 vendors who sell only Bermuda-grown, -caught, or -made products. Along with organic produce and assorted home-baked items, goodies like handcrafted soaps and honey derived from the pollen of island wildflowers are for sale.
A pair of 100-foot towers makes it impossible to miss the Clocktower Mall, where the 19th-century building that held the Royal Navy's administrative offices now is home to distinctly Bermudian boutiques—including specialty shops and branches of Front Street favorites. Observant folks will note that one tower features a standard clock, the other a tide indicator. The shops are particularly popular on Sunday because most stores outside the Dockyard area are closed.
This imposing, moat-ringed fortress has underground passageways that were cut through solid rock by Royal Engineers in the 1860s. Built to defend the West End's Royal Naval Dockyard from land attacks, it was outdated even before its completion, but remains a fine example of a polygonal Victorian fort. Even if you're not a big fan of military history, the hilltop site's stellar views and stunning gardens make the trip worthwhile. On Monday at noon, from November to March, bagpipes echo through the grounds as the kilt-clad members of the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band perform a traditional skirling ceremony. Due to one-way streets, getting to the fort by scooter can be a bit challenging. From downtown Hamilton head north on Queen Street, turn right on Church Street, then turn left to go up the hill on King Street. Make a sharp (270-degree) right turn onto Happy Valley Road and follow the signs. Pedestrians may walk along Front Street to King Street.
When locals say they're going to "the beach," they're generally referring to Horseshoe Bay, the island's most popular. With clear water, a 0.3-mile (0.5-km) crescent of pink sand, a vibrant social scene, and the uncluttered backdrop of South Shore Park, Horseshoe Bay has everything you could ask of a Bermudian beach. The Annual Bermuda Sand Castle Competition also takes place here. The undertow can be strong, especially on the main beach. A better place for children is Horseshoe Baby Beach, at the western end of Horseshoe Bay. Sheltered from the ocean by a ring of rocks, this cove is shallow and almost perfectly calm. In summer, toddlers can find lots of playmates. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.
Statuesque banyan trees line the road beyond the gates of Southlands Estate in this sprawling, 37-acre park with rambling gardens and crumbling limestone buildings. Ownership of the estate has changed hands many times since the 1700s, when it was maintained by the ministers of Warwick Parish's Christ Church. Open to the public as a park since 2013, it's an ideal place to explore Bermuda's natural beauty. The winding paths eventually lead you to quiet, secluded Marley Beach along the south shore.
On weekends you can often find lots of children and families at this small yet popular beach. The Astwood Park area is shady and grassy, with a great view of the ocean, making it popular among locals for birthday parties, picnics, and weddings. Though accessible via one of Bermuda's main roads, it's quite secluded; the few benches scattered around the area are a great vantage point to share a romantic evening. If you're bringing kids, watch out for the steep climb from the park down to the beach area. Amenities: parking (free). Best for: solitude; swimming.
On the upper floor of City Hall & Arts Centre, in the West Wing, the Bermuda Society of Arts displays work by its members. Its frequently changing juried shows attract talented local painters, sculptors, and photographers. Art collectors will be pleased to learn that many pieces may also be purchased.
The most rewarding time to visit the Cabinet Building, which was completed in 1841 and remodeled almost a century later, is during the formal opening of Parliament, traditionally held on the first Friday of November. His Excellency the Governor, dressed in a plumed hat and full regalia, arrives on the grounds in a landau drawn by magnificent black horses and accompanied by a police escort. A senior officer, carrying the Black Rod made by the Crown jewelers, next asks the speaker of the House, elected representatives, and members of the Senate chamber to convene. The governor then presents the Throne Speech from a tiny cedar throne dating from 1642.
This gracious white 18th-century house on the grounds of the Bermuda Botanical Gardens is the official residence of Bermuda's premier (though the premier doesn't actually live on the property) and contains art and lovely furniture. Tours of the interior are given Tuesday and Friday noon to 2, except when official functions are scheduled.
After the original Anglican sanctuary on this site was torched by an arsonist in 1884, Scottish architect William Hay was enlisted to design a replacement: true to his training, Hay erected a Gothic-style structure in the grand European tradition. Inside, the clerestory in the nave is supported by piers of polished Scottish granite; soaring archways are trimmed in stone imported from France; and the choir stalls and bishop's throne are carved out of English oak. The pulpit is modeled on the one in Hay's hometown cathedral (St. Giles in Edinburgh), and the whole thing is crowned by a copper roof that stands out among Bermuda's typical white-topped buildings. Despite the European flourishes, Bermuda Cathedral still has a subtropical flair. After all, the limestone building blocks came from the Par-la-Ville quarry, and one of its loveliest stained-glass windows—the Angel Window on the east wall of the north transept—was created by local artist Vivienne Gilmore Gardner. After sauntering around the interior, you can climb the 155 steps of the church tower for a heavenly view of Hamilton and its harbor.
In a secluded area east along the dunes from Horseshoe Bay, these tiny adjacent beaches almost disappear at high tide. Like Horseshoe Bay, the beach fronts South Shore Park; it often experiences a strong wind and surf, so the waters may be too cloudy to snorkel. Wander farther along the dunes and you can find several other tiny, peaceful beaches before you eventually reach Warwick Long Bay. Amenities: parking (free). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.
Set back from the street, City Hall contains Hamilton's administrative offices as well as two art galleries and a performance hall. Instead of a clock, its tower is topped with a bronze wind vane—a prudent choice in a land where the weather is as important as the time. The building itself was designed in 1960 by Bermudian architect Wilfred Onions, a champion of balanced simplicity. Massive cedar doors open onto an impressive lobby notable for its beautiful chandeliers and portraits of mayors past and present. To the left is the Earl Cameron Theatre, a major venue for concerts, plays, and dance performances. To the right are the civic offices. A handsome cedar staircase leads upstairs to two upper-floor art galleries, or you can take an elevator. Mondays to Fridays join the free Discover Hamilton walking tour led by the effervescent Town Crier, Ed Christopher.
Swimming and bodysurfing are great at this beach, which is bordered by the prime strand of sand reserved for guests of the Elbow Beach hotel on the left, and the ultra-exclusive Coral Beach Club beach area on the right. It's a pleasant setting for a late-evening stroll, with the lights from nearby hotels dancing on the water. If you're planning a daytime visit during summer months, arrive early to claim your spot, as this popular beach is often crowded. In addition to sunbathers and joggers, groups of locals gather here to play football and volleyball. Protective coral reefs make the waters some of the safest on the island and a good choice for families. It's possible to rent chairs, umbrellas, and other gear from the hotel-owned beach facility, but it can be quite expensive. A lunch wagon sometimes sells fast food and cold drinks during the day, and Mickey's Beach Bar (part of the Elbow Beach hotel) is open for lunch and dinner, though reservations are useful. Amenities: parking (free); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.
The British chose the highest hill in Somerset for the site of this fort, built in the late 1860s and early 1870s, not for the lovely panoramas but to defend the flank of the Dockyard from possible American attacks. British troops were garrisoned here until World War I, and American forces were, ironically, stationed at the fort during World War II. Today its stone walls are surrounded by 22 acres of pretty gardens, and the view of the Great Sound and Ely's Harbour from the parapet is unsurpassed. Be sure to check out the early-Bermuda Weather Stone, billed as a "perfect weather indicator." A sign posted nearby solemnly explains all. There is also access to the Bermuda Railway Trail.
Running along the harbor, Hamilton's main thoroughfare bustles with small cars, motor scooters, bicycles, buses, the occasional horse-drawn carriage, and sometimes hordes of cruise-ship passengers. The prime attractions here are the high-class low-rise shops that line the street, but be sure not to overlook small offshoots and alleyways like Chancery Lane, Old Cellar Lane, and the Walkers Arcade, where you'll stumble upon hidden-away boutiques.
A reminder of what the island was like in its early days, this blissfully peaceful 44-acre preserve remains an unspoiled open space, except for a few flower gardens. Pathways with well-positioned park benches wind through it, affording some wonderful water views. If you continue along the main path, you'll reach rustic Heydon Chapel. Built in the early 1600s, it's Bermuda's smallest church. Weddings can be arranged by prior appointment.
Along with some of the last remaining stands of native Bermuda palmetto and cedar, this 25-acre reserve—virtually untouched since presettlement times and jointly owned and preserved by the Bermuda National Trust and the Bermuda Audubon Society—contains a mangrove forest and grassy savanna. These unspoiled habitats can be explored via a boardwalk with interpretive signs describing the endemic flora and fauna. When lost in the cries of the native and migratory birds that frequent this natural wetland, you can quickly forget that bustling Hamilton is just minutes away.
To some, this rather austere 1840s structure is simply a place to mail a letter, but to stamp collectors the Perot Post Office, named for Hamilton's first postmaster, is a veritable shrine. William Bennett Perot (1791–1871) was certainly a genial fellow: he would meet arriving steamers, collect the incoming mail, stash it in his beaver hat, and then stroll around Hamilton to deliver it, greeting each recipient with a tip of his chapeau. But it was his resourcefulness that made him most famous among philatelists. Tired of individually hand-stamping outgoing letters, Perot began printing stamps in 1848. Of the thousands he produced, only 11 still exist—and several of those are owned by Queen Elizabeth. If you'd like to get your hands on one, be prepared to dig deep. In 2005, a Perot-era one-penny stamp sold at auction for a record-breaking $244,000.
Next to the Perot Post Office is the Queen Street entrance to pretty Queen Elizabeth Park (there's another entrance on Par-la-Ville Road), which was officially renamed in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II. Once postmaster William Perot's private garden, it has winding paths, luxuriant blooms, plentiful benches, and a photogenic Bermuda moongate. Long popular with people-watchers, it is now the site of the Bermuda National Library and Bermuda Historical Society Museum, too. The Bermuda National Gallery has created a sculpture garden in the park by installing several major outdoor works. On summer Saturdays you will find Gombey dancers entertaining visitors here.
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