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Hello, My name is Dana. I will be cruising to Bermuda in May! I am very excited! I have been doing a lot of research of the island! I accidentally found your website by one of your photos!! Your website is amazing! I have really learned a lot about Bermuda! I do have a couple of questions though, just to make sure! We will be docked in Kings Wharf on a Saturday and Sunday!
We will have 2 full days! We really want to see as many of the beaches in Southampton and Warwick (Horseshoe Bay, Chaplin Bay, Jobson's Cove, Warwick Long Bay, and Astwood Cove)!!
Are all of these public? Do you have to pay at any of these?
We are going to get the Bus/Ferry daily pass! Would it be possible to see all of these beaches in one day? I know that the bus schedule is limited on Sundays, would it be better to explore the beaches on Saturday? Would the #7 bus take us close to the beach where we can walk down to the beach? Would we be able to walk down the beaches to see them all? I wasn't sure if they all connected (I know they have Cliffs)? Or would we have to go back to the bus stop and go to the next beach?
We also would like to see the Crystal Caves. Would it be faster to take the Ferry to Hamilton City and then catch the #3 bus there? Is there a bus stop close to the Caves? Would that be possible to do on a Sunday?
Then we were going to check out the Royal Dockyard after that! Do you think that all of this is possible in 2 days? Or do you think we should narrow it down a bit?
There are so many things that we want to do in such a little time! I already know that I want to go back and I haven't even been there yet!! Funny, huh? Thank you for any help that you can assist us with! We would really appreciate it! Thanks again
Dana Lee (April 2010)
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Dana, The beaches you have mentioned in your note are all public beaches and there are no entry fees for these beaches. You have selected the right ones - they all are part of our top favorite beaches in Bermuda.
On your next question whether it's possible to see all of those Southampton and Warwick beaches on a single day, the answer is yes. However, that will turn out to be more of a beach hopping although you will be able to take some quick dips into the water as well.
Bus #7 goes close to these beaches. But for some beaches like Horseshoe and Astwood, you will need to walk a bit from the nearest bus stop. If you like to hike, then you can also cover these beaches on foot. Check this link Half Day South Shore to find out how you can hike and see these beaches in about half day time.
Crystal Caves: Yes, it'll be a lot faster to take a ferry from the dockyard to Hamilton City and then take bus #1, 3, 10 or 11 for Crystal caves. You can see it on a Sunday as well. If you plan to combine the visit to the caves along with the South Shore beaches on the same day, check out the second part of this tour itinerary: Bermuda Caves and Beaches
Finally, you should keep half day time for exploring the Kings wharf Dockyard as there are so many attractions in the same complex including Bermuda Maritime Museum, Dolphin Quest, Snorkel Park, Dockyard Glassworks and many more.
If you like to combine some of the great beaches with Kings Wharf visit, then explore the following itinerary: Bermuda Beaches and Dockyard
Hope this helps.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2010
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Hello!! I found your website today. It's filled with tons of wonderful information.
I'll be in Bermuda on a cruise with friends, arriving at 1pm at Kings Wharf. We depart the next day at 5pm, so we'll have 1.5 days to spend in Bermuda.
I was thinking our first day would be to visit Hamilton and its sites and the next full day elsewhere, but with so many places to visit, I'm not sure what is best. We like historical sites, some shopping, maybe beach time (if the water is warm - we arrive the first week of May). Plus we'll need to be back to the ship no later than 4:15pm. This would give us a good 8 hours on our second day.
We're also deciding whether to hire a taxi for the second day or do local transportation. We'd like to save money where possible but if hiring a taxi driver allows for more movement around the island faster, then we might do that. But we're also willing to take the local bus and ferry.
Lastly, we would be interested in a local place for lunch that's on the budget / inexpensive side. If you have a few suggestions for various areas on Bermuda, I would love to know about them.
Your suggestions is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Monica Pileggi (September 2011)
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Hi Monica,
Here are my recommendations. On the first day, take a direct ferry to Hamilton that takes about 20 mins from Dockyard. You can then take the Half Day Self Guided Hamilton Walking Tour that I have suggested in my site. Link: Hamilton in Half Day
Since it may take a while to cover all the places that I mentioned in the tour, you may skip a few. With you interest in historic sites, you may like to at least see the Perot's Post Office, Historical Society Museum, City Hall, Victoria Park, Bermuda Cathedral and Cabinet House. Also try to make it to the Fort Hamilton. Get back to Front Street and do some shopping before you take the ferry back.
On the second day, take the first direct ferry to St. George at the eastern end. It takes 35mins to reach. Then take the Half Day St George Walking Tour that I have suggested in my site. Here is the link: St George in half day
St. George is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and steeped with history. Other than great historical sites, this tour will also take you to some lovely beaches (like the Tobacco Beach, one of our top favorites). During May average water temperature is around 74 degrees and should be great for a quick swim.
During the tour you can plan your lunch in one of the two places. Either Polaris which is located at Carriage House which you will pass by. It's a budget restaurant offering Bermudian food and often visited by locals. Try out the Fish Chowder. The 2nd option is at Black Beard's Hideout after you have seen St. Catherine's Fort and Beach. This would mean a little late lunch. It's located on Achille's Bay with awesome views. But
this is a little more expensive than Polaris. I would suggest not to continue the tour beyond St. Catherine as you won't have time to get back to your cruise ship.
If you need more choice on restaurants, another option is Yahoo's Bistro on Water Street (close to Kings Square). There is a backside open terrace overlooking the harbor. They specialize on seafood (it's a mid priced restaurant) and a locals' favorite.
Unfortunately, most of the local eateries are in Hamilton. So if you change your plans and decide to take lunch in Hamilton, let me know and I can suggest a few local favorites there. The latest one being the Smokin' Barrel. They serve barbecue, Caribbean and Bermudian food out of a truck on Front Street and near the Ferry terminal. It's cheap!
Have a great time in Bermuda!!
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) September 2011
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Raj,
Thanks so much for responding! I really appreciate it. We won't do lunch in Hamilton on our first day since we'll have lunch on the ship before we dock. We might have dinner in Hamilton, so I would appreciate your suggestions for inexpensive, local foods. The food truck sounds great but obviously not for dinner. We'll hit Polaris for lunch!
What time do you recommend we leave St. George to get back to the ship and do we do this via bus or ferry? Also, if we wanted to hit Swizzle Inn, can you tell me how to get there and then back to the ship?
Thanks!!
Monica Pileggi (October 2011)
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Hi Monica,
For some of the best cheap restaurants that are our personal favorites, take a look at this link: Top Cheap Bermuda Restaurants
To get back to Dockyard directly from St. George, take the ferry. Bus will take two hours (from St. George to Dockyard plus a transfer at Hamilton City) compared to some 35 minutes by a direct ferry. You should try to reach the St. George ferry terminal by 3:00pm to get back to your cruise ship in time comfortably.
For Swizzle Inn, take any bus (#1, 3, 10 or 11) from St. George, Kings Square. Swizzle Inn is in Hamilton Parish. From there, continue on the same bus for City of Hamilton from where you can take a ferry to the Dockyard. Remember that you will spend a total of over 60 minutes in the bus travel between St. George and Hamilton City plus the 20 minutes ferry ride to dockyard plus the transfer and waiting times. So time the trip accordingly. This is a far longer route. Give a serious thought if Swizzle Inn is what you really want at the cost of so much of precious time.
Best of luck!
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) October 2011
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Thanks Raj
I think we will skip swizzle inn. We certainly don't want to miss the boat.
Thanks again!
Monica Pileggi (October 2011)
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Good morning Raj,
Thanks again for writing and for the information. Over the weekend I did some reading. I pulled the ferry schedule (2012 hasn't come out yet...at least I can't find it). The 2011 schedule shows only 4 ferry's from St. George (10:45am, 12:30pm, 3:45pm, and 6:15pm). It doesn't look like taking the ferry is doable for us. The 3:45pm ferry is later than you suggested and we need to be on the ship by 4:30pm. Even the ferry schedule to St. George from the Dockyards is limited: 10am, 11:45am.
I may go the route of a tour guide and did find one that's well recommended on the cruise boards. For 6 of us, we can have a nice day trip and have a driver and will not have to worry about the ferry or bus. I'll incorporate your suggestions for St. George.
I'm looking forward to being in Bermuda again! I hope for sunny days. The last time it rained almost the entire time we were there!
Monica Pileggi (October 2011)
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By Raj Bhattacharya