Bermuda Was Made For a Summer Break

by, Amiee White Beazly

Bike trails, museums, and famous pink-sand beaches keep the whole family entertained.

It’s a little over a two-hour flight fromNYC to Bermuda – that’s one solid afternoon nap or five episodes of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, for anyone counting. The island, which sits solo in the North Atlantic about 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina, has long been famous for its honeymoon-appropriate pink-sand beaches (the exoskeletons of a tiny organism called the red foram give them their iconic hue). But its calm waves, protected by coral reefs and rocky outcroppings, also make this mercifully easy-to-reach paradise a family-friendly miracle.

Beach-hopping between Horseshoe Bay and Church Bay in Southamptonto Tobacco Bay and Saint Catherine’s Beach in Saint George’s Parish could fill an entire getaway, but the 21-square-mile island is packed with a variety of diversions – museums, underground cave systems, bike paths on old railways, lush nature preserves – that can keep antsy kids and bored tweens entertained. From Bermuda Day (the last Friday in May), the island’s summertime spirit emerges, with open-air markets and celebrations, regattas, and peak sunshine.

How It Started: Saint George's Parish

Bermuda’s British colonial history begins in Saint George’s Parish, the island’s oldest settlement, founded in 1612 by shipwrecked travelers originally bound for Jamestown, Virginia. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage site on the island’s East End is a compact collection of narrow alleys, bright limestone buildings, fortresses, and centuries-old churches. Bayside travel advisors can arrange walking and biking tours through town, where kids can explore cannons and pillories while absorbing tidbits about the island’s role in the Revolutionary and Civil wars, and peek at Town Hall’s striking cedar interiors. Plan for a pit stop at the Lili Bermuda Perfumery (on Wednesdays or Saturdays) for a pinkies-up afternoon tea or, for a more casual lobster, fish, and conch fritters affair, at Wahoo’s Bistro & Patio overlooking Saint George’s Harbour.

Bike It Out: Bermuda Railway Trail

In the 1930s and ’40s, Bermuda’s railway system stretched from Saint George’s to Sandys Parish, transporting goods and people across the island. Today, the converted 18-mile walking, biking, and horseback-riding path is a national park and a fun way to take in some of the island’s best views. The trail is divided into nine sections, each ranging from one to almost four miles long: Bike the two-mile stretch between Frank’s Bay and Somerset Bridge, or go from Hamilton, the island’s capital (and home to some of Bermuda’s best restaurants and boutiques), to Coney Island, stopping to picnic and swim at Shelly Bay Beach.

Only the Brave: Admiralty House Park

Jutting limestone ledges positioned over deep, clear, and warm water invite the daring to launch themselves from any one of Bermuda’s hundreds of cliff-jumping locations. Older kids may contend the best spot is at Admiralty House Park. There, daredevils can climb to the top of a 20-foot perch via centuries-old steps carved into the rocks and through a tunnel where the British Navy once stored munitions. For an entry-level leap, try the mangrove-rimmed Blue Hole, reached via a 15-minute hike from Saint George’s Parish (the trailhead starts at Tom Moore’s Tavern). Post-dive rewards come in the form of banana scoops at Bailey’s Bay Ice Cream Parlour or, for the 18-and-up crowd, a rum swizzle – one of the island’s two national drinks (the other is a Dark ’n Stormy) – at the Swizzle Inn.

Connect to History: African Diaspora Heritage Trail

Approximately 60 percent of Bermudians have African ancestry, as descendants of enslaved people brought to the island from the West Indies and Africa. Travelers can better understand Bermuda’s complex history by visiting some of the 13 sites and monuments along the African Diaspora Heritage Trail. The National Museum of Bermuda’s exhibit on the history of slavery on the island is a great stop, as is the Tucker House Historic Home, with its exhibit on Joseph Hayne Rainey, an American who fled to Bermuda during the Civil War. After the war, he returned to South Carolina and became the first Black member of the House of Representatives.

Underground Attractions: Crystal Caves

There are some 150 limestone caves around Bermuda, and while many are too dangerous to explore, a handful of safe and easy-to-access sites make for ideal rainy-day adventures. Join a guided tour of Hamilton Parish’s Crystal Cave and adjacent Fantasy Cave to descend 120 feet underground and discover a world of subterranean lakes and dripping white limestone stalactites formed millions of years ago. The floating boardwalk that stretches over a gleaming underground lake reveals intricate rock formations beneath the surface.