Cooper's Island Bermuda
Cooper's Island is part of
St. Davids of Bermuda located at the south eastern end and covering an area of about 44.5 acres. The island which is still largely undeveloped, has a great nature reserve, excellent shallow water public beaches, sun dunes and rocky shorelines. Cooper's island was occupied by the U.S military, and later U.S Navy. A NASA space tracking station was also located here. The island was a restricted area until 1995.
The island was likely named after William Cooper from London who was the member of Somers Isle Company that initially took up the administration of Bermuda during the British colonization. In 1614, Governor Moore had built the Pembroke Fort at the south eastern end of Cooper’s island. It had two cannons mounted on it. The fort was destroyed during the World War II.
U.S army had taken possession of the island since 1941. The Kindley Field airport was built at a close distance in 1944 (which is now the LF Wade International Airport of Bermuda). There was also an army post called Fort Bell that was set up in St. Georges. Due its proximity to both the airport and the army post, the U.S army built a battery with 155mm guns at the Cooper's Island during the World War II. The guns were later removed.
Cooper's Island
In 1960, NASA had built a space tracking station at the Cooper's Island to gather tracking and scientific data from all its spacecraft, satellites and planetary probes. However, by 1995 the entire base was closed down by U.S and the island was opened out to public.
Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve in the island spans across some 12 acres of unspoiled area. It is heavily wooded and has a diverse range of habitats including salt-water marsh, rocky coastline and upland hillside habitats.
There are number of picturesque beaches located at the Cooper's Island. One of the most popular of them is the
Clearwater Beach Park at Annie’s Bay which stretches along the northern coastline of the island. This is a shallow water family beach and very popular for weekend picnics and sporting events.
The other great beaches located at the Cooper's Island include Turtle Bay Beach, Well Bay, Long Bay, and Fort Hill Bay. You can spot turtles from all these beaches.
How to reach Cooper's Island
There is no public transport that goes all the way up to Cooper's Island. Take bus #6 from town of St. George for
St. David's Lighthouse. Then walk along the Ruth's Bay Road towards west. Continue on Orange Hole Road along west. You will see Cooper's Island Road. There are also tour boat excursions that take place for Coopers Island.
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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
St George's Town to know about the historical Town of St. George, its attractions, activities, restaurants, hotels and more.
2) Check out
St. George's Parish to know about the parish where the town of St. George is located and all its attractions and activities.
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