Flatts Village Bermuda
About Flatts Village
Flatts is a sleepy fishing village located in Hamilton Parish halfway between Hamilton City and the town of St. George. A large part of it is also in Smith's parish.
Flatts village is all about the beautiful pastel colored houses, picturesque fishing areas, palm trees, great landscapes and nice eateries.
Photo: tequilamike/flickr, cc by 2.0
Flatts village faces the Harrington Sound inland sea area which is full of caves, grottos and subterranean passages. You will find more than 100 types of sponge in the waters here.
Mark Twain lived his last few days in Flatts in 1910. He was in love with the place and used to frequently come back here to stay in one of his friend's exquisite waterside house. His friend Charles Allen was the U.S consul during those days. Not much has changed in Flatts since then.
A Brief Background
Flatts village was one of the earliest British settlements in the island that took place in early 1600s. Somers, who came by the ship
Sea Venture in 1609 to colonize Bermuda for the first time, also mentioned about Flatts village in his charts.
During the time when capital of Bermuda was in St. George, the parliament at times met at the Flatts Village. The area became favorite to the rich and wealthy.
However, no one knows how this village was named as Flatts. Surely the land is quite flat here. But that doesn't seem to be the reason. In one of the official documents dating back to 17th century, a term called Fleights was used to refer to this location.
It was found out that the word Fleigh in Dutch means a frame to dry up the fishes or tobacco. Flatts Village in the early days used to thrive on Tobacco trade. So, who knows if that might had been the origin.
Over the years, Flatts has gone through several changes. In the 1700s, this used to be the second busiest port after St. George. But by 1850s, due to heavy sand deposits, water started becoming shallow and larger ships could no longer make it to Flatts harbor.
So, Flatts started losing its importance as a port. Then it became a den for the smugglers. They used the water area here to avoid customs at the other major ports of Bermuda. But all that has changed, and over time, Flatts has become a sleepy fishing village.
What o see & do at Flatts
In 1926,
Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo was opened in Flatts village making it one of the top tourist attractions in the island. You will be able to see more than 200 types of fishes and other invertebrates here in the aquarium.
There are some great fishing points here including the Flatts bridge and the dock area.
Although fishing off the bridges are supposed to be illegal in Bermuda, this is one place where such rules seem to be flouted quite often. Line fishing from the rocks below the bridge is also quite popular.
Flatts Bridge, Bermuda
During summer, you can see daring youths jumping from the bridge into the water below. The water area here is also used for sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and other water sports.
The best place to get a view of Flatts is from the T-Docks or the grassy area across the road from Bermuda Aquarium, or even from the Flatts Bridge.
This is the village where
Helmet Diving in Bermuda first started - it's like an underwater walk on the ocean floor to see marine life and corals. You don't need to know swimming.
Rustico is a nice Italian restaurant in Flatts Village located on the North Shore Road. They are famous for items like lobster tail wrapped in Bermuda spinach. It comes with a warm mango dressing and topped with prosciutto.
Here is an
experience shared by a viewer of this website who lived in the Flatt's village once.
Reaching Flatts Village
Flatts Village is located in Hamilton Parish. Bus routes #10 and #11 operating between Hamilton City and St George, pass through the upper part Flatts Village.
If you are hiking along the
Bermuda Railway Trail section which passes through Hamilton Parish, you would be passing by Flatts as well.
The
Aquarium (BAMZ) is located nearby and across the Flatts bridge. So a combined visit of Aquarium and Flatts could be a good idea.
Road Map
Nearby Attractions and Eateries
The Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo is one of the main attractions of Bermuda and is located in Flatts. Visit the aquarium to see and learn about the vast marine life of the Atlantic surrounding Bermuda.
Shelly Bay Beach with calm and shallow water is ideal for families with children to enjoy swims.
Crystal and Fantasy Caves... the best cave complex of Bermuda is located in the same parish as Flatts and a short bus ride away.
Rustico is an Italian restaurant nearby which you can try for a nice pizza or other Italian fare (38 North Shore Road, Flatts Village).
You can also try the Four Star Flatts for a variety of Sandwiches, chicken wings, Chinese and Indian dishes (6 North Shore Road, Flatts Village).
At Bermuda Aquarium complex you can also stop by at the Aquarium's cafe- Buzz Beastro for a bite.
The Village Pantry with a beautiful facade, a charming dining area and al fresco patio is another venue that you can try.
You can choose from a variety of options on the menu that includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options (8 North Shore Road, Flatts Village).
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 By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures.
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Related Articles
1) Check out
Hamilton Parish to find out other great attractions in the parish.
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Visitors' Reviews and Comments
Eddie Reusch (April 2011)
I lived in what I think I remember was called "The Bridgehouse" (there was an upstairs, not used most of the year, but I lived in a 3br downstairs, near the pump room) in Flatt's Village from 1991 to 1993.
The property at that time belonged to a family in Tennessee. It was the property immediately south of the Flatt's Bridge, across from the Aquarium.
It seemed the entire community felt they could come and fish off the property there, but I had to shoo them away long enough to clean up the trash, fishhooks and fowled fishing lines they left behind.
I was told Parliament had met there at one time. I also learned first hand that it had at least one ghost. I have photos from when I lived there, but pictures of it that I find today on the internet show a completely different structure.
So maybe the name of the house I stayed in was different... maybe I remember it wrong...it was painted white and there were structures in back...might have been stables or something... and a small dock in my backyard where the saltwater inlet pipes were located.
My ghost? Think of the Jack on any deck of cards...that was my impression when I woke up from what I thought was a scary nightmare my first week of renting the place. I woke up to find this character at the doorway to my bedroom.. he did not speak... did not move...just appeared there.
Freaking out, I "awoke" (thinking I was asleep and having a nightmare--but it seemed so real!). The following week I paid my rent (to Ann? I think was her name) and she asked me how I was getting along at the house.
I told her fine, except for one nightmare of this character in the doorway... but I had not described him...and that is when she asked me if he looked like, basically, the Jack in a deck of cards. If she could describe my vision, then I feel it must have really been a ghost.
She explained that long ago Parliament had met there. I could send photos if you wish.
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