What activities can imagine yourselves participating in on a Bermuda visit? Bermuda’s quiet pink-sand beaches, abundant palm trees, and pastel-colored houses make this scenic and serene island an ideal place for couples. Standard activities to pursue include swimming, snorkeling, playing golf, boating, and tennis. Below are ten more activities that make it worthwhile to brush the sand off your feet, slip on a pair of flip-flops, and explore Bermuda.
1. Explore Hamilton
Photo courtesy of Fairmont HotelsBermuda’s largest town features candy-colored buildings facing a scenic harbor. The charming architecture and setting invite a stroll. In addition to being the place to take a horse and buggy ride, sip the island’s signature drink, the Dark ‘n Stormy, and enjoy spectacular views of the harbor, Hamilton is also the island’s center for shopping activities. Here you can stock up on Bermuda shorts if you so desire. Front Street is home to the department stores A.S. Cooper & Sons, Gibbons Co., and an outpost of the British chain Marks & Spencer. Hamilton restaurants include British, Caribbean, Indian, and Chinese eateries. On Wednesday nights during the summer, the Harbour Nights festival features local arts and crafts, dancers, and street food.
2. Take to the Seas
Photo by Vincent J. Sardone.The clear, turquoise waters surrounding Bermuda are irresistible, and there’s no better way for a couple to enjoy them than on off-coast activities. Fantasea Bermuda, the island’s largest water sports company, offers catamaran cruises; glass bottom boat tours, including one of Bermuda’s famous shipwrecks; kayak tours; and expeditions for snorkeling, scuba diving, and Snuba, a cross between the two that enables snorkelers to breathe underwater.
3. Raise a Tennis Racquet
Photo by Susan Breslow Sardone.The tiny island of Bermuda prides itself on having 80 tennis courts, making tennis one of its most popular land activities. Most of the large hotels have courts that are free for guests and available to others for a fee. Another option is the Government Tennis Stadium (aka. W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium) outside of Hamilton, a public facility with 3 clay courts and 5 Plexicushion courts. Many facilities require “proper tennis attire,” so be sure to pack your tennis whites.
4. Rent a Scooter
Bermuda is as well known for its scooters as it is for its shorts. Renting mopeds (suitable for one person only) or scooters (which can accommodate two people) is a great way to get from place to place while enjoying the spectacular water views that appear at every twist and turn. (Another reason to tool around on two wheels is that visitors aren’t allowed to rent cars.) Rental companies such as
Oleander Cycles and
Eve’s Cycles will deliver scooters to your hotel. This is one of those activities where helmets are required. Note that driving is on the left and ever-increasing traffic and narrow, winding roads make this a pastime for those with an adventurous spirit.
5. Salute the Royal Navy Dockyard
Once Great Britain’s biggest overseas naval facility, this cluster of 200-year-old imposing stone buildings today houses shops, restaurants, a cinema, a Maritime Museum, and a cruise ship dock. Two attractions are also located there: Dolphin Quest for swimming with dolphins and Snorkel Park, with a beach for snorkeling, kayaking, or paddle boating, Hammerhead’s Bar & Grill, and beach volleyball. Ferries to Hamilton and St. George, as well as boating excursions run by private companies, often depart from Dockyard. Check out the Bermuda Art Center, with working artists’ studios and a gift shop; Dockyard Glassworks; and the adjacent Bermuda Rum Cake Company, where you can gorge on free samples.6. Make a Wish Under a Moon Gate
One of Bermuda's unique romantic activities is encountering a moon gate and pausing to kiss beneath it. The Palm Grove moon gate is located inside a private estate open to the public Monday through Thursday. This small plot of land features a pond, flower gardens, and most notably one of the many round Chinese moon gates that are sprinkled all over Bermuda. A popular spot for taking wedding photographs, it attracts brides, grooms, honeymooners, and other couples who believe that a wish made while standing at one is likely to come true.7. Picnic at Fort Hamilton
The tremendous stone fort on the outskirts of Hamilton, surrounded by a dry moat, was built in the 1860. Today it’s a peaceful, grassy place to enjoy the views and explore the tunnels that still remain. If one of your favorite activities is dining al fresco, ask your hotel to pack a gourmet basket and linger over a picnic for two.8. Visit the Bermuda Botanical Garden
The intimate Bermuda Botanical Garden consists of four styles of formal gardens on 35 acres: a French Parterre, popular in the 17th century; a Persian garden with a fountain; a Japanese Zen garden with bridges; and a medieval maze. Also on site is Camden, Bermuda’s premier’s official residence, and the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, which presents the work of Bermuda artists past and present.9. See the View from Scaur Hill
Once a fortification, today Scaur Hill Fort Park is a 22-acre park that offers fabulous views of Ely’s Harbour and Great Sound. This spot is another great place for a picnic.10. Go Back in Time in St. George
The narrow streets and quaint buildings of the 400-year-old town of St. George make this UNESCO World Heritage Site an interesting place to visit. There’s plenty of history here, not only in the form of such sights as St. Peter’s Church, the oldest Protestant church in the New World, but also in the daily reenactment of a “ducking” of a local scoundrel by the town crier. You'll also find plenty of shops, such as a branch of the Hamilton-based department store A.S. Cooper. For batiked sundresses and original jewelry, try Frangipani. Quaff Bermuda’s signature drink, the Dark ‘n Stormy, at the White Horse Pub or in one of the many other restaurants in town, most with views of scenic St. George’s Harbour.
