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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.
Be mindful—the undertow can be strong, especially on the main beach. For families with young children, Horseshoe Bay's western end, known as Horseshoe Baby Beach, is a safer option. Sheltered by a ring of rocks, this shallow cove stays calm, and in summer, little ones will find plenty of playmates. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.
A pair of 100-foot towers make the Clocktower Mall impossible to miss, standing as a must-stop landmark in the Dockyard. In the 19th century, the building stored maritime supplies, and the second floor housed the Royal Navy's administrative offices. Look closely, and you’ll see one tower with a traditional clock and the other with a tide indicator. Today, the warehouse is home to a variety of distinctly Bermudian boutiques, including specialty shops and branches of Front Street favorites. The shops are especially popular on Sundays, when most stores outside the Dockyard are closed.
One of the best places to mingle with Onions—and pick up some edible onions—is the seasonal Farmers and Vendors Market (formerly Bermuda Farmers' Market). Held every Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm, November to June, it features up to 30 vendors selling Bermuda-grown, -caught, or -made products. Alongside organic produce and homemade baked goods, you'll find treats like handcrafted soaps and honey made from island wildflowers.
Running along the harbor, Hamilton's main thoroughfare bustles with small cars, scooters, bicycles, buses, 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 Old Cellar Lane and the Walker Arcade, where you'll stumble upon hidden-away boutiques. If visiting between May and August, on Wednesday evenings Front Street is closed to vehicular traffic to make way for the popular Harbour Nights, which features entertainment, food, and locally made products.
Originally in Hamilton Parish but in historic Stewart Hall since 2005, this perfumery founded in 1928 allows you to learn about the process of making the scents. Although the location has changed, the techniques have not: the perfumery still manufactures and bottles all its island-inspired scents on-site using more than 3,000 essential oils extracted from frangipani, jasmine, oleander, and passionflower.
\nGuided tours are available at 11 am and 3 pm to explain the entire process, and there's a small museum that outlines the company's history. You can wander around the gardens and stock up on your favorite fragrances in the shop. A selection of Lili perfumes and colognes are also available at 59 Front Street in Hamilton and at the Lili Bermuda boutique housed inside the entrance of the National Museum of Bermuda in the Dockyard.
Officially renamed in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II, the manicured grounds of Queen Elizabeth Park (formerly Par-La-Ville Park) are a peaceful oasis amid the hustle and bustle of Hamilton's foot traffic. The public green space originally served as the private garden of postmaster William Bennett Perot (1791–1871), and the 1840s private residence–turned–post office stands to the right of the wrought iron park gates. Today, the winding paths, luxuriant blooms, plentiful benches, and a photogenic Bermuda moongate are popular with people-watchers. The site is also home to the Bermuda National Library and the Bermuda Historical Society Museum. The Bermuda National Gallery has created a sculpture garden in the park by installing several major outdoor works. Enjoy a refreshing cup of iced tea from NovelTea, which sells its inventive, freshly brewed teas from a small stall here with flavors including cherry blossom and crème brûlée, as well as a small selection of tea accessories and the company's packaged loose-leaf teas.
Like something out of a novel, statuesque banyan trees line the crumbling road beyond the weathered gates of Southlands Estate, enticing visitors to follow the path through 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, this small but popular beach attracts families with children. The shaded and grassy Astwood Park area offers great ocean views, making it a popular spot for picnics, birthday parties, and weddings. Though easily accessible via a main road, it feels secluded, and the benches scattered around provide a perfect spot for a romantic evening. If you’re bringing kids, be mindful of the steep climb down to the beach. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude, swimming.
Sent by Queen Elizabeth II with specimens from London’s Kew Gardens, this 22-acre park is home to Bermudian cedars, golden acacias, rare rubber trees, black ebony, and avocado trees. Winding trails and grassy meadows invite you to walk, hike, or spread out for a picnic. Bird-watchers can look for cardinals, rare bluebirds, white-eyed vireos, and lively kiskadees among the branches.
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 can also be purchased.
This 17th-century building, owned by the National Trust, was previously home to several of Bermuda's governors—and at least one ghost. Mistress Christian Stevenson, who was condemned as a witch in 1653, proclaimed her innocence at this spot and now seems reluctant to leave it. Other National Trust properties also qualify as "favorite haunts." For instance, the Old Rectory on Broad Alley is said to have a spirit who plays the spinet in the wee hours of the morning. While most of the building is closed to the public, at the Bridge Street entrance, a small gift shop, Confections, sells traditional Bermudian sugar cookies.
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 (or Her) 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 graceful white 18th-century house, nestled within the Bermuda Botanical Gardens, serves as the official residence of Bermuda’s premier (though the premier doesn’t reside there). Inside, you’ll find a collection of fine art and charming furniture. Tours of the interior are available on Tuesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 pm, except when official functions are scheduled—be sure to call ahead to confirm and avoid any disappointment.
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.
Nestled east of Horseshoe Bay, these tiny beaches nearly disappear at high tide. Both Chaplin and Stonehole bays are located along South Shore Park, an area that often experiences strong winds and surf, making the waters too cloudy for snorkeling. If you wander further along the dunes, you'll discover several more peaceful beaches, eventually leading to Warwick Long Bay. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.
On the eastern tip of the island in St. David's, Clearwater is a long sandy strip of beach that's popular with serious swimmers and triathletes, who use it as a training ground. But don't be intimidated: the young and old also flock here to wade in the shallow water, and there are buoy markers that identify where the water becomes deeper.
\nHead a little further along the beach to find serene Turtle Bay, and keep your eyes peeled for turtles! There's also a beach bar, Sunjammers, open during the summer months and selling a variety of sandwiches and tropical drinks, just off the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: partiers; sunrise; swimming; walking.
This public beach is perfect for swimming and bodysurfing, and it's a lovely spot for a late-evening stroll, with hotel lights reflecting on the water. Arrive early in the summer to secure a spot, as it's a popular location. In addition to sunbathers and joggers, locals often gather for pickup football and volleyball. The coral reefs provide some of the safest waters on the island, making it ideal for families. A lunch wagon offers fast food and drinks during the day, but note that there are no public changing rooms and only limited restroom access. Amenities: parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.
The British chose the highest hill in Somerset for this fort, not for the stunning views, but to defend the Dockyard from potential American attacks. Built in the late 1860s and early 1870s, the fort was garrisoned by British troops until World War I, and, ironically, American forces occupied it during World War II. Today, its stone walls are set amidst 22 acres of beautiful gardens, and the view of the Great Sound and Ely's Harbour from the parapet is breathtaking. Be sure to visit the early Bermuda Weather Stone, advertised as a "perfect weather indicator"—a sign nearby solemnly explains all. The fort also offers access to the Bermuda Railway Trail.
Named after its neighboring military fort, Gates has a very small beach that is popular with local families. The park is off Barry Road, not far from Alexandra Battery, a favorite diving spot of St. George's children. It's also near Building Bay Beach, a good spot for snorkeling. From the Gates Fort, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of cruise ships as they navigate the reefs through the Town Cut. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; sunrise.
A reminder of what the island was like in its early days, this blissfully peaceful 44-acre preserve remains an unspoiled open space, save a handful of manicured flower gardens. Pathways with well-positioned park benches wind through the park, 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.
Today it looks rather inauspicious, more a patch of pavement than a leafy common, yet this square is St. George's undisputed center. In a town where age is relative, King's Square is comparatively new, created in the 19th century after a marshy part of the harbor was filled in. Locals frequently congregate here for civic celebrations. Reenactments of historical incidents, overseen by a town crier in full colonial costume, are staged in the square. Check with the Corporation of St. George's for days and times.
While roaming the backstreets, look for Nea's Alley. Nineteenth-century Irish poet Thomas Moore, who lived in St. George's during his tenure as registrar of the admiralty court, waxed poetic about both this "lime-covered alley" and a lovely woman he first encountered here: his boss's teenage bride, Nea Tucker. Though arguably the most amorous, Moore wasn't the only writer to be inspired by Bermuda.
Mark Twain wrote about it in The Innocents Abroad, and his exclamation "You go to heaven if you want to; I'd rather stay in Bermuda" remains something of a motto in these parts. Two 20th-century playwrights, Eugene O'Neill and Noel Coward, also wintered—and worked—on the island. More recently, former Bermuda resident Peter Benchley took the idea for his novel The Deep from the ships lost offshore.
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.
This eye-catching Italianate edifice, erected in 1819, is where the House of Assembly (Bermuda's lower house of Parliament) and the Supreme Court convene. The Florentine towers and colonnade, decorated with red terra-cotta, were added to the building in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The Victoria Jubilee Clock Tower made its striking debut—albeit a few years late—at midnight on December 31, 1893. Bermuda's Westminster-style Parliament meets on the second floor, where the Speaker rules the roost in a powdered wig and robe. (The island has approximately 14 times as many politicians per capita as Europe or North America, so maintaining order is no small feat.) Sartorial splendor is equally evident downstairs in the Supreme Court, where wigs and robes—red for judges, black for barristers—are again the order of the day.
Call first to find out when parliamentary sessions and court cases are scheduled. Tours can be scheduled for 10:30 daily, except on Fridays, when Parliament is in session. You're welcome to watch the colorful proceedings: bear in mind, though, that visitors, too, are required to wear appropriate attire.
The history of the park goes back centuries: after sailing to Jamestown and back in 1610, Sir George Somers—the British admiral charged with developing the Bermudian colony—fell ill and died. According to local lore, he instructed his nephew Matthew Somers to bury his heart in Bermuda, where it belonged. Matthew sailed for England soon afterward, sneaking the body aboard in a cedar chest, and eventually buried it near Somers's birthplace in Dorset.
\nAlthough it can't be proven that Matthew actually carried out his uncle's wishes, it's generally believed that Admiral Somers's heart was indeed left behind in a modest tomb at the southwest corner of the park. When the tomb was opened many years later, only a few bones, a pebble, and some bottle fragments were found. Nonetheless, ceremonies were held at the empty grave in 1920, when the Prince of Wales christened this pleasant, tree-shrouded park Somers Garden.
Popular with Somerset locals, this peaceful beach sits on Bermuda’s quiet northwestern tip, far from the bustle of Hamilton and the bigger tourist spots. True to the area’s laid-back rural vibe, it’s a low-key place that’s great for bird-watching and gentle walks. Undeveloped parkland buffers the beach from the light traffic along Cambridge Road, adding to the sense of seclusion. The main stretch of sand is long by Bermuda standards—nearly a quarter mile end to end. While the bay is exposed to the occasional north wind, the water is usually calm and shallow, making it a good pick for families with young swimmers. Just note that the bottom can be rocky in places, so water shoes are a smart idea. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.
One of the larger north-shore beaches has water deep enough for a serious swim, although part of the beach has been taken over by the guest-only chaise lounges and umbrellas of the newly built St. Regis Bermuda Resort, which overlooks the beach. If and when you get beach-bummed out, head over to the military fort next door, for which this beach is named.
\nA quick tour of the structure will be a welcome break from the strong sun, as there is little shade along the beach. For a romantic evening, enjoy a beautiful alfresco meal at BLT Steak—the dining option at the St. Regis. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming.
In a place famous for manicured lawns and well-tended gardens, St. David's Island feels comparatively wild; nevertheless, the real highlight is—quite literally—St. David's Lighthouse. Built in 1879 of Bermuda stone and occupying the tallest point on the East End, this red-and-white-striped lighthouse rises 208 feet above the sea, providing jaw-dropping views of St. George's, Castle Harbour, and the reef-rimmed south shore. Although the lighthouse itself isn't accessible to the public, this is a great place to spot humpback whales passing through Bermuda's waters in April and May. St. David's is also the site of L.F. Wade International Airport, the main gateway to Bermuda.
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