Bermuda

Things to see and do in Bermuda:

Attractions: Hamilton is Bermuda’s capital and a popular sightseeing destination with pretty pastel-coloured buildings along Front Street where you can enjoy a drink overlooking the bustling harbour and watch the world go by.  Other interesting attractions in Hamilton include the Bermuda Aquarium, the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Bermuda Cathedral and Hamilton Fort.  Bermuda’s old capital St George’s dates back to 1612 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with lots of sights to explore including St Peter’s Church, Fort St Catherine and King’s Square.   Other sights to see on Bermuda include: Someset Bridge – reputedly the world’s smallest working draw-bridge; Spittal Pond Nature Reserve; and Bermuda’s most famous beach, Horseshoe Bay with its stunning pink beach and aqua waters.

Events/festivals: Bermuda is not particularly renowned as a party island, but when it comes to cricket, the island goes wild.  Bermuda’s big summer event is the Cup Match – a 2 day public holiday in July/August which sees an important local game of cricket take place, plus island-wide celebrations and parties.  Over the 2 days, almost everything on the island shuts down as people come together to support their favourite local cricket team from opposing sides of the island – Somerset (in West Bermuda) and St George’s (East Bermuda).  Other events over the course of the year are the PGA Golf Grand Slam in October and the World Rugby Classic in November when former international players compete in a friendly tournament.

Sports: Bermuda is a nation hooked on cricket.  From the big summer Cup Match, to the PGA tournament and lots of other local games in between.   Try to catch a game if you can.   Other sports that you can participate in include some fabulous snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and sailing.  For golf lovers, the island boasts 7 PGA golf courses – reportedly the highest concentration of islands per square mile in the world!

Nightlife: People don’t tend visit Bermuda for its nightlife – that said, if you know where to go, you will find some buzzing bars and clubs.  Bermuda’s capital, Hamilton is the place to go if you’re looking for late night venues with a few late bars on Front Street by Hamilton’s harbour.  Many of the larger hotels also offer a range of nightlife from sophisticated wine bars to live music venues.

Eating/Drinking: Seafood is popular in Bermuda with plenty of variety of fresh fish available.  Restaurant menus also often feature Mediterranean and North American cuisine.  The national dishes are Bermuda Fish Chowder and Cassava pie – cooked with egg, chicken pork, nutmeg and sugar.  The national drinks are the rather potent cocktail the ‘Darm and Stormy’ which is a mix of dark rum and ginger beer and the ‘Rum Swizzle’.

Shopping: The best range of shopping on the island can be found on Front Street in Hamilton, where you can find lots of British imported goods, antiques and locally made crafts.

When to go

Bermuda’s climate is sub-tropical, meaning that it experiences hot humid summers and generally mild, warm winters. May to Mid-October is peak tourist season with the warmest temperatures and high humidity between July and October. Bermuda does occasionally get hit by hurricanes due to its location in the Atlantic hurricane belt and was most recently hit in 2014 by Hurricane Gonzalo. Peak hurricane season is between August and October.