25 Best Things to Do in Bermuda
Just a couple hours’ flight from New York City and with a time difference of a mere hour, Bermuda is among the most accessible of the North American islands, making it ideal for a long weekend getaway. (It’s often improperly placed in the Caribbean; it’s actually closer to North Carolina, kept temperate by the force of the Gulf Stream.) As your plane descends into Bermuda, the first thing you notice are the deep turquoise waters and sheer limestone cliffs; the next is how you can see the entire island from your window. And despite its jewel-box size, clocking in at 21 miles in length and a mile in width at its widest point, it's home to a varied bounty of museums, shops, restaurants, and, of course, beaches and nature reserves. Here, we break down all the best things to do in St. George’s and the east end, the capital city Hamilton, and the Royal Naval Dockyard and the west end.
Click the link to read our complete Bermuda destination guide.
Editor's note: Given the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hours and accessibility of many places are fluid and subject to change. We advise you to contact businesses directly for updated safety guidelines and hours of operation before visiting.
Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityEAST END
St. George’s, one of three main town centers on the island, was the first established by settlers on the island in 1612. It was a key port city during the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, assisting both the American rebels and the Confederate south in obtaining supplies; in 2000, its rich architectural and military history earned it a spot among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Now, it’s home to several churches and a stunning seaside fort, but it’s not just lodged in the past: St. George’s and the rest of the east end are also home to some of the island’s most pristine outdoor spaces, a handful of iconic restaurants, and a perfumery-cum-tea shop. For a little history and a little modern, there’s no better destination on the island.
Stewart Hall/Courtesy Lili Bermuda PerfumeryrestaurantSweet P at Lili Bermuda Perfumery
$$Twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., Lili Bermuda Perfumery hosts classic English afternoon tea in the gardens of the shop, which is nestled inside the historic Stewart Hall in St. George’s. It's a picturesque spot to indulge in a quintessential British pastime, and all the staples are here: tiered trays of finger sandwiches, tiny cakes, and petits-fours, plus scones with clotted cream, honey, and jam, many of them featuring local ingredients.
Courtesy The Bermuda Tourism AuthorityactivityCrystal & Fantasy Caves
The Crystal Caves of Bermuda, an otherworldly network of caves and subterranean lakes, was first discovered in 1901 by two Bermudian boys who were trying to track down a lost cricket ball. What they eventually uncovered is now one of Bermuda’s true hidden treasures—a cavernous, watery world, complete with centuries-old stalactites and stalagmites. Today, guided tours take visitors deep inside these two Ice Age–era caves where you’ll descend about 120 feet below ground for an unearthly natural experience. A word of caution, though: a tour through the Crystal Caves of Bermuda is not for the faint of heart or for the claustrophobic—the spaces that lead to the caverns are tight. Due to the pandemic, tour group sizes have been limited and the times are subject to fluctuation; the tour operators ask that prospective visitors email in advance.
GettyactivityBlue Hole Park
Bermuda’s west end might be home to some of its most beloved beaches, but its east end boasts some of the island's most pristine green spaces. Next door to the Walsingham Nature Preserve, and just around the corner from Grotto Bay Beach Resort, is the Blue Hole Park, named for the blue hole at its center—a 12-acre destination for swimming, cliff-jumping, and cave exploring. (The swimming hole itself, framed by mangroves and teeming with bright fish, is your final destination.) Entry to Blue Hole is free, and because it’s relatively secluded, it tends to be frequented mostly by locals.
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GettyactivitySt. Peter's Church
When the Town of St. George’s was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, it took its place among the world’s great architectural, cultural, and historic treasures. St. Peter's Church, originally constructed in 1612—the same year the town was founded—is one of the main reasons for the honor, since St. Peter’s is the oldest Anglican place of worship outside the British Isles. Granted the royal designation of “Their Majesties Chappell” by Queen Elizabeth to celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2012, the church is a well-preserved gem in a town brimming with cultural history, and one of the best examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Bermuda.
Rohan Shastri/Courtesy The Bermuda Tourism AuthorityrestaurantBailey's Bay Ice Cream Parlour
$On hot days, you’ll see the crowd on the patio at Bailey’s Bay Ice Cream Parlour before you’ve even parked. Located across the street from the Swizzle Inn, this turquoise-hued dessert destination dishes out homemade ice creams, sherbets, sorbets, and frozen yogurts. While you’re sure to spot some classic flavors, you'll also see island-specific scoops, like Dark n' Stormy and Bermuda banana. They have 26 flavors total and their best-seller right now is vanilla peanut butter crunch. There’s also a selection of decadent ice cream sundaes, layered with fudge, whipped cream, brownies, and more. While samples are still available, due to the pandemic customers are limited to one each and must go outside to eat them. There’s no indoor seating right now.
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GettyactivityUnfinished Church
For a brief time in the late 19th century, townspeople wanted something new and shiny—they wanted to replace the then-dilapidated St. Peter’s Church. The town began to erect a new church, but squabbles over money, plus a healthy dose of local drama, led the project stall out after the roof was erected in 1897. (The roof blew off in a freak storm roughly 30 years later.) Now, the Unfinished Church looks like the picturesque ruin of a house of worship—and not one that was simply never finished—with arches of limestone bricks and a carpeting of scratchy Bermuda grass. Parts of the church are currently closed due to safety concerns, but you can get a sense of its ghostly atmosphere even from the outside.
Chris Burville/Courtesy Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & ZooactivityBermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, a trio of attractions in Flatts Village, couldn’t possibly be a better place to bring the kids for a half-day of island-inspired exploration. The sprawling waterside facility has three distinct permanent components: the aquarium, where you’ll peruse tanks filled with fish and other marine life (like the 140,000-gallon North Rock tank, which mimics a local reef system and houses sharks, tuna, and barracuda); the zoo, which features animals found in island ecosystems around the world; and the natural history museum. See more on our favorite Bermuda museums, here.
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Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityactivityWalsingham Nature Reserve
In the early 19th century, the Irish poet Thomas Moore spent three months in Bermuda. His name is now used colloquially to describe the Walsingham Nature Reserve, known to most locals as Tom Moore’s Jungle. The 12-acre expanse of forests, caves, and secret swimming holes is one of the island’s loveliest, most secluded nature walks, offering an intimate look at all the things you might see on a more established tour (like Crystal Caves). Networks of paths with trees arching overhead lace the reserve, ushering you deeper into Bermuda’s natural landscape. Walsingham is home to a modest mangrove forest, their roots protruding from the saltwater like claws, as well as less trafficked subterranean caves. But best of all is the adjoining Blue Hole Park, with its mid-sized sinkhole named for the dark-blue tone of very, very deep water.
GettyactivityFort St. Catherine
Bermuda is well-known for its stone fortifications, and Fort St. Catherine is among the island’s most impressive. Set on a hilltop overlooking the spot where English settlers first crashed upon Bermuda’s shores in 1609, this mighty military structure was originally constructed in 1614 as a much smaller fort built by the island’s first governor, Richard Moore. And while what you’ll see today is largely an expanded version, completed in the 19th century, the imposing fortress is an excellent example of Bermuda’s military architecture—not to mention an ideal spot to snap some gorgeous sunset pictures of the island’s craggy coastline.
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Susan Correia/Courtesy Swizzle InnrestaurantSwizzle Inn
$$Bermuda has two national drinks: the Dark n’ Stormy, made with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and ginger beer, and the Rum Swizzle, a not-so-sweet punch originally invented at the Swizzle Inn when it opened in 1932. In those days, the Bailey's Bay dive bar was a converted 17th-century roadhouse that served potent rum drinks and Bermuda fish chowder. Nearly 90 years later not much has changed; in fact, graffiti from decades of customers is still scribbled all over the walls. Anything goes, which is why patrons are encouraged to “Swizzle Inn and Swagger Out.” It’s impossible to find a bar or restaurant in Bermuda that doesn’t serve Rum Swizzles, but you can’t leave the island without trying a taste of the original.
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HAMILTON
Hamilton, the island’s capital city (referred to by most locals as, simply, “town”) is the business and financial hub of Bermuda, populated with pastel-colored office buildings (this is still Bermuda, after all). But that’s not to say there’s a dearth of leisure activities downtown: That’s where you’ll find fresh, contemporary boutiques, some of the country’s best restaurants, and a handful of cultural sites. Wander down Front Street, lined with brightly hued buildings (zoned at a maximum of two stories to preserve the waterfront skyline), or venture farther into town—wherever you’re at, here are the best things to see in Hamilton, Bermuda.
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Courtesy The Island ShopshopThe Island Shop
Pink traditional cottages, blue watery landscapes, green indigenous lizards: They've long been the muse of local artist Barbara Finsness, whose hand-painted, island-inspired sketches appear on just about everything sold at The Island Shop in Bermuda shopping hub Queen Street. You’ll find her designs on Italian ceramics, linen pillows, lucite trays, melamine kitchenware, and accessories galore, including aprons, bags, scarves, and silk ties. If you don’t feel like schlepping home a bunch of pottery on your return flight, pick up a print—the store sells several depicting the artist’s favorite island landscapes.
GettyactivityBermuda Botanical Gardens
The Bermuda Botanical Gardens are a 36-acre park originally founded in 1898 to protect the island's endemic trees and plants. Thanks to that mission, this lovely green space is filled with tall Bermuda cedars and hearty palmetto trees, whose leaves were once used to make thatched roofs for houses and churches. The park is also home to tropical plants and trees from all over the world, including mighty banyans from India. Consider bringing the kids here, too—the hedge maze makes for an excellent spot for them to get (safely) lost; the banyan trees are a blast to climb on; and the nautically inspired playground, built for the America’s Cup village, is a blast.
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Courtesy Walker ChristophershopWalker Christopher
Much more than a fine jewelry store, Walker Christopher Goldsmiths shows off the art of goldsmithing; after all, the majority of its heirloom pieces are handcrafted onsite by a master jeweler. You won’t find any name-brand necklaces here; rather, this small Hamilton shop specializes in one-of-a-kind baubles that will turn heads. Many of its creations are fashioned from antique coins and shipwreck treasures once found at the bottom of Bermuda’s waters.
GettyactivityBermuda National Gallery
If you’ve spent the day exploring Hamilton’s shops and boutiques, it’ll be hard to miss the Hamilton City Hall and Arts Centre, the gleaming white building on the north end of town. First opened in 1960, the structure is the seat of the municipal government; it's also home to the Earl Cameron Theatre, Bermuda’s main stage for prominent musical and theatrical productions. But the real draw is the Bermuda National Gallery on the second floor, where you’ll find the Watlington Collection with masterpieces from Gainsborough, Reynolds, and Murillo; the Bermuda Collection with paintings and decorative arts dating back to the 1600s; and the African Collection with masks, figurines, and sculpture.
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Courtesy Devil's IslerestaurantDevil's Isle
$$If you didn’t know any better, you might think you’d just wandered into a trendy Brooklyn hotspot, what with Devil's Isle's cozy sidewalk seating, hanging Edison bulbs, exposed metal ducts, and rough-hewn high-top tables meant for communal dining. Its lineup of wholesome dishes—think, a Nourish Bowl, overflowing with local leafy greens, fermented fennel, grilled zucchini, and coconut oil–roasted beets, and local catch from Bermuda—is largely sourced from local farmers. This is no small feat, as farm-to-table restaurants aren't easily accomplished in remote Bermuda.
AlamyactivityWarwick Long Bay
Clocking in at roughly a half-mile, Warwick Long Bay is named for—duh—its length. Though it's next to Horseshoe Bay Beach, it’s a far more secluded, rugged beach-going experience, rarely drawing the crowds of its better-known neighbor. The beach itself is set like a peach-hued jewel against green-and-brown scrubs laced with walking trails and towering limestone formations. If you’re looking to snorkel or swim, hit Jobson’s Cove, one of several smaller coves at the beach’s western end.
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Courtesy Bermuda Underwater Exploration InstituteactivityBermuda Underwater Exploration Institute
No Bermuda museum is as glitzy, modern, and innovative as this 41,000-square-foot discovery center on the outskirts of the city of Hamilton. Dedicated to exploring Bermuda’s vast underwater world, the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) features three floors of exhibits, many playfully interactive, making it perfect for families with young kids or anyone interested in learning more about the island’s diverse marine environment. BUEI has an enormous collection of gold doubloons, intact artifacts, and priceless treasures from the sea floor, in addition to one of the largest shell collections in the world. Make sure to test out Blue Echo, a small theater-like dive simulator that recreates a plunge to 12,000 feet.
Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityrestaurantArt Mel's Spicy Dicy
$It would be unwise to visit Bermuda without sampling the local delicacies, and for most Bermudians, a fried fish sandwich—fish pon bun—is one such delicacy. You’d be hard-pressed to find a pub around the island that doesn’t offer some riff on the sandwich, but for the real deal, make your way to Art Mel’s Spicy Dicy, a (way, way) back-of-town outpost dishing out one of the finest sandwiches on the island. Even chef Marcus Samuelsson, who has his own restaurant on the other side of town, still considers Art Mel’s signature offering a stellar bite.
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Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityWEST END
Until it went out of use in 1995, just a few years after the end of the Cold War, the Royal Naval Dockyard was the United Kingdom’s largest naval base in the Atlantic. Today, it’s better known for its tourist attractions: shops like Dockyard Glassworks and the Bermuda Rum Cake Company, Dolphin Quest and Snorkel Park, and a sampling of pubs. And where the east end of the island is home to Bermuda’s best nature reserves—Walsingham and Blue Hole Park—the west end is where you’ll find its most iconic beaches and some of its finest dive shops. Read on for our picks of the best things to do west of Hamilton.
GettyactivityHorseshoe Bay Beach
Pause, for a moment, to conjure an imaginary Bermuda beach in your head. Once you’ve got it, you’re probably looking at Horseshoe Bay Beach, one of the island’s most iconic—and most trafficked—stretches of pink sand, located in Southampton Parish. It's so indelibly Bermuda that it’s also where the island hosts its biggest beach party of the year: Beach Fest, the hedonistic extravaganza that kicks off the cricket tournaments over Cup Match weekend each July.
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AlamyactivityBermuda Railway Trail
Throughout the middle of the 20th century, before cars were widely available on the island and destinations were connected by paved roads, a nearly 22-mile-long railway extended from one end of Bermuda to the other. It traced a route along the water from St. George’s to Sandys Parish, shepherding passengers across the island from 1931 to 1948. In 1964, 18 miles of the railway reopened as a mixed-use running, biking, and horseback riding trail; more than 20 years later, in 1986, the Bermuda Railway Trail was consecrated as a national park. All told, it's a free, lovely way to get a high-angle view of the coastline and surrounding waters.
Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityshopDockyard Glassworks & Bermuda Rum Cake Company
The Royal Naval Dockyard is home to the eponymous Dockyard Glassworks and the Bermuda Rum Cake Company, an odd couple housed in an old warehouse-looking building on the west end of the island. Opened in 1999, Glassworks sells glass art objects ranging from tiny tchotchkes to impressive translucent serving dishes, all blown in the studio on the premises. Adjacent to the glassblowing facility, the Bermuda Rum Cake Company whips up traditional Bermudian rum cakes—made with Goslings rum, naturally—in sometimes eclectic flavors, like loquat (a citrus fruit that grows on the island) and “Tea Time,” a fruit-studded cake soaked in cherry and apricot brandies. Though in pre-COVID-19 times, visitors to the studio could see artisans at work during daily glassblowing demonstrations, the furnace is on hold during the pandemic.
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Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityshopWadson's Home Farm Market
Tom Wadson, the man behind Wadson’s Farm in Southampton, first set trowel to soil in 1976. Since then, he’s raised a variety of fruits, vegetables, and livestock while hewing to sustainable farming practices on his 30-acre farm on the west end of Bermuda. It’s also where he hosts a year-round farm stand, selling whatever’s in season (as well as some can’t-miss souvenir t-shirts)—ranging from plump strawberries to zucchinis, to the only sweet potatoes available on the island. If you’re staying in an apartment with a kitchen, opt for a whole chicken and some fresh produce to whip up a home-cooked, sustainably- and locally- sourced feast.
Courtesy Blue Water DiversactivityBlue Water Divers
Bermuda is known as the shipwreck capital of the Atlantic, and for good reason. Some estimates put the number of wrecks along the reef surrounding the island at around 300; new ships are continually being discovered—and are continually being scuttled, expanding the underwater geography off the island’s coast. To navigate the vast scope of shipwrecks in Bermuda, there’s no better outfit than Blue Water Divers, the longest-running PADI dive center on the island. BWD, under the guidance of divemaster Chris Gauntlett, offers two-tank morning dives year-round and one-tank afternoon dives when there’s demand for it, at some of Bermuda's best dive sites. Each dive begins with a traditional dive briefing—what to expect, what to look out for, depths, and dive times—and, if you’re lucky, ends with some homemade cake served (elegantly) out of a plastic tupperware container (in non-pandemic times, anyway).
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Courtesy Bermuda Tourism AuthorityactivityHartley's Undersea Walk
Somewhere between scuba diving and snorkeling, there’s helmet diving: a strange hybrid of the two that originated in Bermuda and has since been replicated on other tropical islands—at least, that’s according to Hartley’s Undersea Walk, the main helmet diving operator on the island. How it works is this: You don a heavy helmet, equipped with a hose piping in fresh air, descend a ladder roughly 10 feet underwater, and walk around on the ocean floor, browsing the various curious fish who arrive to bid good day. Captain Greg Hartley, the owner and boat captain with whom you’ll be touring, has been doing this for more than 30 years, and he’ll eagerly explain what creatures you might expect to see on your dive before sending his tourees off to take the plunge. It’s not the most authentic look at Bermuda’s underwater landscape—many of the fish have been trained to know that tour arrivals mean food, and they’re pretty tame as a result—so this is better as a primer to the island’s local species than it is as the whole tutorial.
GettyactivityGibbs Hill Lighthouse
Once you’ve conquered the hill leading up to Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, a cast-iron lighthouse built in 1844, you’re only part of the way to your ultimate destination. The view from the top of the hill itself is great, but the one from the top of the lighthouse’s 185 steps is even better: a panorama over the whole of the island, stretching east from Hamilton to Dockyard in the west, and from the Little Sound in the north to the South Shore and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. At the base of the lighthouse, in what used to be the lighthouse keeper’s quarters, a solid restaurant from the team behind Rustico in Flatts dishes out a varied menu of sandwiches, salads, and pizzas.
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