Bermuda MUST Do and See?

[Babygirl5408]

My boyfriend and I are traveling to Bermuda and we were wondering what must sees there are? What beaches are the best for snorkeling? Has anyone done the nighttime snorkel? What are the caves? Which ones are the best? What about the other islands? Is it worth taking a ferry over? If so, what are the must sees there?

Sorry for all the questions but this is out first time there and we want to make the most of it. What would everyone recommend?

[pix]

Hello -

 

If your a risk taker (and an experienced driver) you may want to rent a scooter if the weather is nice. I have done this three times and I love the freedom of being to drive right up to the boat, park and be on my own schedule for two days. Warning - not for first time scooter riders. This way you can see all of the beaches you want. I recommend the beaches north of Horshoe (Jobsons cove) and Elbow Beach (resort but has public area) . This is less busy - most beaches have good snorkeling. I don't believe there is much on the outlying islands. The Crystal caves are small but interesting - nice to visit on a hot or rainy day. This is the only Island I have been to that I highly recommend returning to. It is clean and safe everywhere you go. Try to see as much as you can!!

[gja360]

Pix - Thanks for the advise.. not sure if I will be renting a scooter down there though... lol

[iheartbda]

Bermuda consists of one main island and numerous small islands. There is nothing on the small islands for tourists. Everything to see and do is on the main island.

[grandmaR]

Bermuda consists of one main island and numerous small islands. There is nothing on the small islands for tourists. Everything to see and do is on the main island.

 

That's not correct. Bermuda is a string of islands sort of shaped like a fish hook. I don't know about beaches and I've never made it to any of the caves (maybe next time), but there are a variety of other things to do in Bermuda.

 

None of these are must sees unless you want to see them.

 

At one end of Bermuda is St. George which is where the first settlers were shipwrecked (Shakespeare based "The Tempest" on their wreck). There are a variety of things to see out there

 

1. King's Square with a replica of a pillory and stocks

2. Ordnance Island with the Deliverance, a replica of the vessel that carried the shipwrecked Sea Venture passengers on to Virginia. (admission fee)

3. White Horse Tavern

4. Town Hall which has antique cedar furnishings and a collection of photographs of previous lord mayors. Bermuda Journey, a multimedia audiovisual presentation, is shown here several times a day. (free)

5. Bridge House which was once the home of several governors of Bermuda.

6. Old State House - the oldest stone building in Bermuda, dating from 1620, and was once the home of the Bermuda Parliament. It's the site of the ancient Peppercorn Ceremony, in which the Old State House pays the government a "rent" of one peppercorn annually.

7. Somers Garden -The heart of Sir George Somers, the admiral of the Sea Venture, is buried here. (free)

8. St. George's Historical Society Museum (admission fee)

9. Featherbed Alley Printery

10. St. Peter's Church The present church was built in 1713, with a tower added in 1814. You can wander around the church and graveyard for free.

11. Bermuda National Trust Museum

 

From St. George you can take a van out to Fort St. Catherine which has replicas of the Crown Jewels of England (among other exhibits), and there is a nice beach right beside it which is supposed to have good snorkeling. (We've always been there in November and it has been too cold). St. David's with the lighthouse is also out in that direction.

 

At the other end is the Dockyard which has a Maritime Museum (the Commissioner's house has a wonderful dollhouse with furniture carved out of Bermuda cedar), the Clocktower Mall and a craft shop with all Bermuda manufactured goods

 

In the middle is the capitol of Hamilton. If you are docked at the Dockyard (King's Wharf), you can take a ferry in to Hamilton. Hamilton also has a walking tour and that's where the main bus station is and from there are buses that go all up and down the island. .

 

The walking tour would probably start at

1 The ferry terminal

2. Albouy's Point and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club

3. Bank of Bermuda which has a coin collection

4. The Birdcage (which is where a policeman directs traffic

 

The Birdcage (bird has flown away

 

5. Par-la-Ville Park

6. Bermuda Historical Society Museum

7. Perot Post Office

8. Hamilton City Hall

9. Victoria Park

10. St. Theresa's RC Cathedral

11. Bermuda Cathedral-AKA the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity (which is Church of England)

12. The Sessions House (Parliament Building)

13. Cabinet Building

14. The Cenotaph (memorial to war dead)

15. Fort Hamilton

 

Near Hamilton is the Underwater Exploration Institute, and also the Botanical Garden which has Camden the Governor's house (which has never been lived in by the governor).

 

Between Hamilton and St. George is the Flatts which has the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) which we always try to visit. There's also a little railroad museum, and you can hike or bike (pedal bike - no motors) the railroad trail which goes the whole length of the island except for right around the airport.

 

Other possible things to see are the smallest drawbridge in the world, Spittal Pond (which is a national park), glass blowing, perfume making, two lighthouses, and several forts

[iheartbda]

That's not correct. Bermuda is a string of islands sort of shaped like a fish hook. I don't know about beaches and I've never made it to any of the caves (maybe next time), but there are a variety of other things to do in Bermuda.

 

 

Yes, Bermuda is a string of islands but I was merely trying to point out to the OP that the small islands have nothing for tourists. They seemed to think there were things to do on some of the other islands and needed to take a ferry there. None of the things you have listed are anywhere but the main island.

If you want to get technical St. George's Parish is connected by a causeway. The OP was most likely thinking it was like the Bahamas where they needed to go from island to island.

[grandmaR]

Yes, Bermuda is a string of islands but I was merely trying to point out to the OP that the small islands have nothing for tourists. They seemed to think there were things to do on some of the other islands and needed to take a ferry there. None of the things you have listed are anywhere but the main island.

If you want to get technical St. George's Parish is connected by a causeway. The OP was most likely thinking it was like the Bahamas where they needed to go from island to island.

 

St. George and St. Davids and Somerset and Ireland are islands in the chain as your map clearly shows. Just because they are connected by bridges and causeways (built originally for the RR) that doesn't mean that they are not islands. I've never heard the larger land mass referred to as the 'main island'.

 

People use ferries to get from one island to another in Bermuda (more than in the Bahamas really where mostly there are just mail boats). The Bermuda ferries do not go to smaller islands without tourist attractions. While you can uses buses or scooters, you can certainly also use the ferries to get to various islands. I use the ferry to go from the Dockyard to Hamilton and back, and also to get to Somerset. During the summer you can even get a ferry from Hamilton or the Dockyard to St. George.

[iheartbda]

St. George and St. Davids and Somerset and Ireland are islands in the chain as your map clearly shows. Just because they are connected by bridges and causeways (built originally for the RR) that doesn't mean that they are not islands. I've never heard the larger land mass referred to as the 'main island'.

 

My original post was not necessarily incorrect.:)

 

I'm not trying to get into an argument, just trying to clear up some misconceptions the OP seemed to have. My using the term "main island" was for the benefit of the OP since they seemed to think there are numerous islands and they might need a ferry to get to any of them.

 

I was not saying that St. George was not an island, just pointing out even though it's connected by a causeway, the OP would not need a ferry to get there, of course depending on where they are.

 

"It comprises 150 small islands, which collectively total just 21 sq miles. The eight largest islands are connected by causeways and bridges to form a continuous fishhook-shaped land mass that stretches 22 miles in length and averages less than a mile across. Bermudians tend to treat these eight islands, which comprise 95% of the country's land mass, as a single geographic entity and commonly refer to it as simply 'the island.' Only about a dozen of the other islands are inhabited."

[Jungle Jane]

Iheart, you sound like you know a lot about Bermuda, I take it from your previous posts that you've been there many times? Whatever recommendations you have I'll take them. I would mainly be looking for great beaches and water activities, not into viewing pics of dead old men or seeing where they're buried, no ruins, no snore museums, just outdoor stuff. I am trying to talk my hub into cruising there with me for our 10th anniv.

Thanks!

[Fish1313]

My husband and I have been to Bermuda 4 times--once we cruised and the other times we flew and stayed directly in a resort.

In my opinion--Pittman Snorkeling is the best. We have gone with him every single time we have gone to Bermuda and he is just amazing. We call him the "Crockodile Dundee of Bermuda". Very interesting and informative.

Another MUST do is the Swizzle Inn--becareful though--if your on a moped, you can get seriously hurt. I would strongly recommend taking a cab to and from the Swizzle Inn--the drinks are awesome but are pretty powerful.

If you are interested in snorkeling off the beach--just pick a beach, any beach. They are all wonderful and pretty much all have parrot fish close to shore for viewing. We personally like to the smaller more private beaches but they do not have any rentals--the only beach with rentals that I am aware of is horseshoe--worth going to but little crowded for our taste.

Have a wonderful time and go with Pittman--you will not be disappointed.

[janetz]

Iheart, you sound like you know a lot about Bermuda, I take it from your previous posts that you've been there many times? Whatever recommendations you have I'll take them. I would mainly be looking for great beaches and water activities, not into viewing pics of dead old men or seeing where they're buried, no ruins, no snore museums, just outdoor stuff. I am trying to talk my hub into cruising there with me for our 10th anniv.

Thanks!

 

 

Hey Jane! :D

Three of my fav's...

 

Snorkeling, www.jessiejames.bm

 

Beach-We love them all...http://bermuda-online.org/beaches.htm

 

Drinking-

http://www.swizzleinn.com/

 

 

 

:D :D :D