Visit top beaches, lighthouse & park
Beaches combined with visits to some of the great tourist attractions - this is one of our favorite day tours. The day will give you a great flavor of the island with some of its best beaches, sightseeing attractions and scenic views. You will also dine at one of the very nice restaurants in Bermuda.
We will start the day with Bermuda's one of the most beautiful and world's one of the top ten beaches -
Horseshoe Bay Beach and move west towards the dockyard.
If you are docked in Kings Wharf (at the Dockyard), then take bus#7 and come to Horseshoe Bay Beach in Southampton parish (takes about 35 minutes). If you are coming from Hamilton city, you can take bus #7 to reach Horseshoe Bay Beach (takes about 25 minutes). If you are staying in St George, take any morning bus to Hamilton and then bus#7 for Horseshoe.
Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda
Photo: Captain-tucker, Wikimedia Commons, CC by SA 4.0
Horseshoe Bay Beach is a beautifully curved stretch of pink sand and is on the top of our favorite beach list. This beach is fabulous for swimming and has a picturesque setting. Don't take out your snorkeling gears yet, as the real beach for snorkeling is still to come.
There is a lovely walking trail here in Horseshoe Bay which leads to several other south shore beaches including Chaplin Bay, Jobson's Cove and Warwick Long Bay among others. But that wonderful
sandy trail of south shore requires a separate plan and is not part of this tour.
The next place is the 177-ft high
Gibbs Hill Light House, the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world built in 1800s which was once a key navigational guide for the ships passing by. To reach the lighthouse, you can continue on the bus #7 (takes few minutes from Horseshoe Bay Beach bus stop).
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Bermuda
If you like to walk, here is the direction: Get to the Horseshoe Bay car park, take a left into the Ocean Club restaurant's parking lot. Walk through the Fairmont Southampton hotel property, past the golf club and onto Lighthouse Road. Take a left on Lighthouse Road and then a right onto Church Road and then a left back up to the Lighthouse. It's a short half a mile uphill walk .
If you can, climb up the 185 steps of the lighthouse. While it's a little tiring exercise, but rewards are enormous. The view from the top balcony is just spectacular. There is a souvenir shop at the base of the lighthouse and also the restaurant
The Dining Room. It serves nice Mediterranean food and offers dishes including imaginative salads, fresh seafood etc and homemade desserts.
After lunch, continue on bus route #7 towards west and you will reach one of the most beautiful snorkeling beaches in Bermuda, the
Church Bay Beach which is also one of our top favorites.
Church bay Bermuda
Like the Horseshoe bay, this is also another jewel in Southampton. The beach park is at the top of a small hill. A road from the park leads down to this wonderful Church bay beach. This is where you can snorkel to your heart's content.
Take bus #7 again towards Sandys. Drop in at the
Heydon Trust Park and Chapel. This tiny church is the smallest in Bermuda and was built in the early 1600s. The park here is beautiful and one of the largest in Bermuda with excellent view of the waters. There is no entry fee.
Next is
Royal Naval Dockyard. This is the last stop of bus #7 before it returns to Hamilton. Dockyard is where the large cruise ships dock. Even if your cruise ship is docking here, there are lot to see in the dockyard itself. The Dockyard was originally built by the British (Royal Navy) in early 1800s.
It has come a long way since and today other than being a port, it has grown to a large complex with many historical buildings, museums and attractions.
Clocktower Mall, Dockyard Bermuda
Photo: nathanmac87, flickr, cc by 2.0
Some of the key tourist attractions within dockyard which you should try to visit are:
National Museum of Bermuda: The Museum exhibits Bermuda's rich history and heritage over the past 4 centuries including its maritime trade, British colonial influences, culture and traditions and even stories of the dark period of slavery in the island. Most part of the museum is housed in a fortress known as The Keep.
Jon Faulkner Gallery: Local artisans making excellent pottery items, ceramic jewelry, wall hangings etc.
Finally after a long day, for beer or drink, try out
Frog and Onion Pub located inside the dockyard complex itself. They have a brewery inside making several different types of local beers. Great opportunity to taste them.
If you are getting back to Hamilton, Blue Route ferries are available from dockyard ferry dock (one-way ride takes 20 minutes).
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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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