Some of my notes from Bermuda
A vacation involving some “island time” had been long overdue, as it had been over 25 years since my last visit to Bermuda, and my husband had never been to this beautiful little island. Bermuda is one of the most cosmopolitan of all the Atlantic Caribbean islands. This small island has an old British influence, an international banking presence and a well-established community. Bermuda can be reached by plane in just 3 hours, from New York City, and is easily accessible from much of the US East Coast. With the charm of easy access, a comfortable western perspective, and a reliable tourist industry, the island is a fantastic vacation spot. Given Bermuda’s exclusive tourist customer base and lack of arable land, the island is expensive.
The restaurant’s food is undoubtedly aimed at a tourist crowd and is priced accordingly. Of course, there are a few local places, including Harry’s, an almost hidden gem that we found one night. Harry’s restaurant is located in an office complex next to the Hamilton Marina. This restaurant has a nice patio on a quiet cul-de-sac at the end of the marina. It also has an extensive bar menu (food and drinks), I would recommend the salt and pepper prawns and the tuna carpaccio. There is no possibility of leaving hungry or thirsty from this place. We also understand that on Friday afternoons this place is buzzing for happy hour.
Aside from the food at Harry’s, we had mixed dining experiences in Bermuda. Coconuts at The Reefs Hotel had received several reviews from a disparate group of people, so it seemed like a place we had to try. The restaurant’s location is on the water’s edge, where you can dine on the patio overlooking the surf or at a table on the sandy beach. However, the indicator should have been the $75 prix fixe dinner. The food was disappointing and unequivocally created for a tourist crowd. We recommend going for a cocktail and seeing the view and scenery, but skip your dinner package. They have another fantastic patio with views of the ocean and the beach, at the foot of the road. This would also be a lovely place for a drink.
On the last night we tried The Waterlog Inn associated with the Southampton Princess. It’s a classic grill. Food and service were extremely good. The restaurant was packed, possibly with those people being disappointed by Coconuts as well. My husband would recommend this restaurant based on the wine selection. However, I remain hesitant as the restaurant can be found in any major city in North America. We didn’t try, although we should have, the dining room at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. The lighthouse is on a hill and the open-air restaurant has the best views on the island. Please try it out and let us know.
The cafe in Bermuda was disappointing. Hamilton has a few places that serve espresso, including the Hamilton Princess coffee shop. The first place we tried was the coffee shop located inside Miles Market. The lattes were prepared by two baristas who were far more interested in talking on the phone than serving their customers. The next day we ventured a bit further to the Common Ground, which can be found in an alley just off Front Street. The Common Ground lattes were an improvement over the day before, albeit a bit milky. We gave their food a decent rating. My husband had his breakfast sandwich a BLT with an egg. It was made to order and beautifully presented. The restaurant that gets the highest local ratings is Rock Island on Reid Street. On Sunday morning, I ventured out to see if Rock Island really was the place to go for coffee. It was a failed mission though, absolutely nothing is open in Hamilton on a Sunday morning. Even the juice and Java shop on Front Street is only open at 2 p.m. My mission failed with coffee led me back to the aforementioned Hamilton Princess coffee shop, which had a line out the door of hotel guests and islanders who had just checked out. finish your road bike rides. This is literally the only coffee shop open in Hamilton on a Sunday and the coffee was terrible.
Despite disappointing dining experiences, Bermuda offers a wide variety of tourist attractions and activities. The island is small and easy to explore. The ferry and bus system work together, with little effort you can reach either end of the island in around 60 minutes from Hamilton. There are up to 4 bus options each way and several ferry options on weekdays. Be sure to check the opening hours of the museum and the fort before heading out to explore, as we discovered that Fort St. Catherine is only open on weekdays. We recommend spending at least half a day at the Royal Naval Shipyard and exploring the Bermuda Maritime Museum and Commissioner’s House. Keep in mind, however, that the Royal Naval Dockyard is also the port for cruise ships visiting the island, so you can expect a significant amount of tourist shopping and associated inflated prices.
St George’s located at the other (eastern) end of the island. This little town is a step back in time to the 19th century, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This small port still has cobbled streets and alleys. There are some attractive shops and restaurants. Be sure to visit Tobacco Bay and swim or have a drink overlooking the ocean. St George’s can be reached by boat Monday to Friday, or via any of 4 buses every day of the week.
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is located at the highest point on the island, built in 1844 and is the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world. The hill stands 245 feet tall and the lighthouse itself is 117 feet. A 1,000-watt light bulb sits inside a lens that rotates in a channel of 1,200 pounds of mercury. Ships can see the beam of light 40 miles away and from a range of 120 miles by an airplane flying at 10,000 feet. The views are worth the walk to the top of the hill.
Golfers love Bermuda. There are numerous courses with varied terrain and price points. We were lucky enough to play the Mid-Ocean Club and Port Royal courses. Mid-Ocean is a classic old course, with lots of bumps along the way and certainly a challenging hike. At the time of our visit, the Port Royal course was undergoing a massive renovation for the Grand Slam. The Port Royal course has a lot of sand and is not easy for the average golfer. We visited, although we did not play Tuckers Point, which is located next to Mid-Ocean. Tuckers Point offers fabulous grounds, tennis, a semi-private beach, and a beautiful golf course with terrain remarkably similar to Mid-Ocean.
Bermuda’s beaches are beautiful, possibly even the island’s best feature. The sand is a pink-white color. We found that it’s not too difficult to get away from the crowds and find a secluded spot to swim. Bermuda is beautiful and worth visiting.