GET WILD IN BERMUDA

YOU’LL FIND PLENTY OF EXCITING NATURAL WONDERS HERE, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE BACK.

NO MATTER HOW YOU INTERACT WITH NATURE, Bermuda delivers. From adrenaline junkies seeking new heights to more laid-back activities like bird-watching, experiencing the island’s natural wonders inspires a renewed appreciation for this beautifully unique destination.

Admiralty House Park

Beaches and caves and cliff jumping, oh my! Get your thrill on by leaping from the cliff of your choice into the crystal-blue sea below, then explore the caves and tunnels that once offered discreet passage to British Royal Navy admirals who resided at a grand home here. Admiralty House Park is a great place to sightsee if you’re looking to get away from the crowds and simply appreciate Bermuda’s raw, natural beauty.

Spittal Pond

The Spittal Pond Nature Reserve is a veritable treasure trove of Bermuda wildlife. A bird-watcher’s paradise, the pond attracts up to 500 species, whose distinct songs and frenetic energy make for quite the show. Don’t miss the “checkerboard,” a wide swath of eroded marine limestone where a geological occurrence called tessellated pavement gives it a checkerboard appearance. There’s also a plaque commemorating the first known human visitors to Bermuda — a group of Portuguese sailors who shipwrecked here in 1543, one of whom scrawled the year and the initials “RP,” possibly for King Rex Portugaliae, into a rock.

Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve

Travelling with a group presents certain challenges, especially when each member has their own vacation goals. Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve offers a little something for everyone. Walking trails, including a boardwalk that passes by a restored pond and salt marsh area, allow active travellers to enjoy Bermuda’s natural beauty whilst getting their steps in. The Wildlife Observation Tower provides nature lovers with a vantage point from which to spot migratory birds or even whales if they’re lucky. And there are a handful of beautiful beaches in the area, including Clearwater

Beach and Turtle Bay, where beach lovers can get their fix with soft powdery sands and calm turquoise waters.

Blue Hole Park

Blue Hole Park is home to beguiling natural features created from Bermuda’s marine limestone. Caves, grottoes, and mangroves are framed by a lush forest, making for a serenely beautiful setting. At the blue hole for which the park is named, you can plunge into the deep blue from the cliffs above. The water is cool and crystal clear, and crowds at this site are often minimal. Come for a quick trip to check “cliff-jumping into a blue hole” off your bucket list or stay a while and enjoy the area trails and the 12-acre Tom Moore’s Jungle where the blue hole is located.

Travelling with Intention

If you’re overwhelmed with gratitude for this special place that’s surely provided you with a fabulous getaway, why not return the favour with your time and talents?

The Bermuda National Trust boasts an extensive portfolio of important historic buildings, some of which you’ll likely visit during your trip; and volunteer help is needed in many areas. From nature conservation to gardening to marine or land cleanup, there are plenty of ways to give back with the BNT.

Habitat for Humanity has a proven track record of doing good around the globe, and there’s an active chapter in Bermuda as well. Habitat Bermuda works to improve the living conditions of those who struggle to maintain their homes, resulting in unsafe or unhealthy environments. Neighbourhoods are restored one at a time through renovation and refurbishment projects, and you’re invited to lend a hand.

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Royal Naval Dockyard

On Bermuda’s West End, Royal Naval Dockyard presents a seamless fusion of the island’s history and modernday attractions. Since the 1800s, when the British Royal Navy purchased the 200 West End acres, large land reclamations transformed the area, which was developed by enslaved and free Bermudians, to include a working dockyard, victualling yard, and ordnance depot. Today, Royal Naval Dockyard beckons visitors with vast shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings. Shop at Clocktower Shopping Mall, spend hours frolicking at the Longtail Water Park, and spark a sense of appreciation for Bermudian history, culture, and art at the National Museum of Bermuda. An 18-hole mini golf course, beach club, and an abundance of watersport opportunities round out this lively destination.

 HEAD TO HAMILTON ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS IN THE SUMMER SEASON FOR HARBOUR NIGHTS, WHERE GOMBEY DANCERS, LOCAL ARTISANS, AND STREET FOOD VENDORS PAIR UP TO OFFER THE BEST OF BERMUDA.

BERMUDA’S BUSTLING CAPITAL

City of Hamilton

Front Street in the heart of Hamilton is a hub of activity, where colourful building façades and colonial architecture make the perfect backdrop for those Insta-worthy vacation snaps. Along this waterfront thoroughfare, you’ll find upscale fashion and jewellery shops, souvenir stores, and some of Bermuda’s best bars and restaurants. Front Street and Reid Street are your one-stop shop for Bermuda shorts, luxury watch brands and fine gems, designer fragrances, cashmere knitwear, and Goslings rum, amongst other quintessential Bermuda mementos. Be sure to head to Hamilton on Wednesday evenings in the summer season for Harbour Nights, where Gombey dancers, local artisans, and street food vendors pair up to offer the best of Bermuda.

Crown Point

Vacation Photography

Tel: 705-0804 www.crownpointbda.com

Let Crown Point help you capture the memories and adventures whilst you’re on vacation in Bermuda by hiring one of their skilled local photographers. Their concierge will help plan your shoot, choose the right photographer whose style you connect with, and suggest some of the most beautiful spots islandwide. Their photographers specialise in shoots for family vacations, honeymoons, babymoons, proposals, girls’ weekends, romantic getaways, and more.

INSIDER’S GUIDE

The Crystal Caves Of Bermuda

8 Crystal Cave Rd. Hamilton Parish Tel: 293-0640 www.caves.bm

Stunning natural beauty is on display more than 140 feet below the earth’s surface, where stalactites and stalagmites have been forming for millennia. Visitors can choose to encounter the Crystal Cave, the Fantasy Cave, or both. In the Crystal Cave, stateof-the-art lights glitter off the natural rock and visitors cross a beautiful lake via a pontoon bridge that rises and falls with the tides. Meanwhile, the Fantasy Cave shows off a completely separate display of amazing rock formations.

FAMOUS HOMES & HIDEAWAYS CRUISE

Check in at Island Tour Centre Dockyard Watersports Centre

Royal Naval Dockyard, Sandys Tel: 236-1300 www.winsomebermuda.com

Join the friendly and highly entertaining crew of the MV Excellence on a two-hour journey and learn about Bermuda’s culture and experience breathtaking beauty that you will only see from the water. Cruise along the shoreline, view charming pastelcoloured colonial homes steeped in history, and sneak a peek at the lives of the rich and famous Bermuda residents in the exclusive neighbourhood called “Millionaire’s Row.” On this very popular tour, you will listen to humorous personal stories about life as an islander and enjoy live entertainment from Captain Jamie, who will serenade you on the return cruise, leaving you wanting more.

The Lili Bermuda Perfumery

Stewart Hall

5 Queen St., St. George’s Tel: 293-0627 / 800-527-8213 www.lilibermuda.com

The Lili Bermuda Perfumery is an internationally recognised couture perfume house that is open to visitors. Lili Bermuda fragrances for men and women, which capture the essence of Bermuda, are created on property at Stewart Hall in St. George’s and are sold in their retail stores at Stewart Hall and their Lili Bermuda store in Hamilton. The line is sold exclusively in Bermuda and makes a crowd-pleasing gift for loved ones upon your return home. The store and adjacent history room in St. George’s are open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the summer, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the winter.

Masterworks Museum Of Bermuda Art

Botanical Gardens

183 South Shore Rd., Paget Tel: 299-4000 www.masterworksbermuda.org

Masterworks is Bermuda’s only purpose-built museum and is home to over 1,600 works of Bermuda-inspired art, including famous names such as Winslow Homer, Albert Gleizes, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Every month, a cross-section of local artists displays their works in shows. The Arrowroot Gift Shop is home to a variety of local artisans’ handiwork, available for purchase. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.