Bermuda: Getting to and Exploring Blue Hole and Tom Moore's Jungle

We found Blue Hole to be an exquisite and relaxing gem and stood starring into it’s peaceful waters far quite some time. As a popular swimming spot, I’m sure in the summer months it is not so tranquil.

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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If you’re looking for some outside time exploring a less populated part of Bermuda, we’d recommend you check out the small area that holds Blue Hole (a bright blue swimming hole), Tom Moore’s Jungle, and Walsingham Nature Reserve.

getting to blue hole, tom moore’s jungle, and walsingham nature reserve in bermuda

For those that drive there is a smallish parking lot at the entrance of the Walsingham Nature Reserve.

Head through the gate and follow the trail. It’s pretty hard to get lost.

A nice flat trail extends from this archway.

The directions online to find this spot were a bit confusing (to us). The best way to describe its location is more-or-less being sandwiched along the coast just barely east of Swizzle Inn, with a parking lot right before the causeway out to the airport, and it runs along that coast down to Tom Moore’s Tavern in the south. I think part of what we found to be confusing is that this isn’t labelled as a park or with the green coloration we’re used to on Google maps.

On the map below that we have marked up, the blue arrow points to the approximate spot of the gravel parking lot described below, and the red is a rough outline of the entire park.

From the parking lot you can see the causeway on the left and Castle Harbor straight ahead… so pretty!

The location is very walkable - along Blue Hole Hill - from Crystal and Fantasy Caves and Swizzle Inn (which is the dining symbol on the map above just north of the caves) and worth visiting if you’re in the area.

Here’s what to expect and look for since there isn’t really any signage. You’ll see a small parking lot on the curve of the road right before the causeway. From the parking lot, you’ll see a path headed into what looks like a jungle with palm trees and an arbor of greenery passing over the path after a short way.

exploring blue hole, tom moore’s jungle, and walsingham nature reserve in bermuda

Follow the path from there as it curves around a cove and then heads uphill. You’ll see a short path out to the cove, and it’s worth a side trip to check that out. When we visited during high tide, there was just a small sandy beach, but it was very picturesque with mangroves growing out of the sandy ocean and pretty blue water against the pinkish sand (which Bermuda is known for). There is also a bench that was sitting there in the water. By the time we were leaving, the tide had gone out enough that we saw others sitting on the bench enjoying the view.

Sittin’ on a bench by the bay… Ok, perhaps it doesn’t have the same ring to it but the view was beautiful.

From the cove, the path will curve left, and you’ll see a dark path on your right where the jungle is so thick that minimal light shines through. That is a very short path, too, and immediately heads downhill to a small fence along the drop-off into a cave that has pretty blue water in it. Above your head is the dense jungle growth and the face of the hill/cave with stalactites. It’s a peaceful, quiet spot to enjoy.

As we walked under the dark canopy it felt like we were walking into the lair of some jungle creature.

The cave was pretty cool. I always want to explore deeper!

Back on the main path, follow it as it curves left, and you’ll come to a bit of a grassy field. There were chickens and roosters there when we visited. On your left is the water, and if you head down towards it, you’ll see a mostly hidden path on your left that goes to a small cave entrance that is visible from that spot. There are wide stairs leading down into the cave, and you can walk down a few before you get to the water level (again, this will vary based on high or low tide). It was a cool spot to check out.

Once you head back to that grassy area, straight ahead will be the Blue Hole, which is the reason most people visit the spot, and it is a popular place for people to jump off of the sides of the hole into the water. At this spot is a deck where you can enjoy taking in the blue hues of the water and can also see fish that have come in from the ocean. When we visited, we could see a number of different fish and the people leaving as we arrived pointed out a ‘squid’ swimming below the dock, which Dustin correctly identified as a cuttlefish.

From the dock, you can walk up and around the higher elevation of Blue Hole, which leads to a couple of small paths where people access spots from which to jump into the water from. After those, you’ll see a fence that at first looks like it is impenetrable but upon further inspection is one meant to keep out people on motorized vehicles but is open for people on feet as you weave around a corner of fencing. This section is part of the nature reserve and includes instructions that you should stay on the path, not swim in any water, etc.

With a dense canopy of leaves over our heads we walked through the dark tunnel of trees.

This path is mostly down and back to its terminus at Tom Moore’s Tavern, and it is essentially a straight path with overgrown jungle plants. It was a peaceful and relaxing short walk. At one point, there is an area that opens up on the side away from the ocean that appears to be a secondary path. We followed it around some palm trees to a pretty little watering hole. It looked like another path veered off, but it was flooded so we turned around. After we arrived at Tom Moore’s Tavern, we turned around and returned to the parking lot. All-in-all, we spent about 60-90 min exploring this pretty jungle spot and found it to be a relaxing break from people, though we did chat with a few others along the way briefly.

who was tom moore and why is this jungle named after him?

In case you were wondering . . . Thomas Moore was an Irish poet who lived from 1779 to 1852. While he was born in Ireland and died in England, he spent less than two years in North America - first in Bermuda and then in the United States in the early years of the 19th century. His stay in Bermuda was short-lived and it was a government appointment that brought him to the island. In general, he was not enamored with the place - the work that brought him to Bermuda was boring and he found the people uninspiring - but he did enjoy the scenery.

Bermuda does not have much of a home-grown literary tradition - trust me, I tried to find options to fill my reading list before our trip - and one name that cropped up the most was Mark Twain since he visited the island many times. But clearly he is no native Bermudian either! Tom Moore’s time on the island has lead to him being thought of as a bit of a Bermudian poet, and one of the notable outputs of his time there was the scandal he caused when he wrote the poem “Ode to Nea,” believed to have been written to the wife of one of his colleagues and leading to obvious speculations of an affair.

Here’s a copy of the poem that made such a lasting impression on Bermuda. I think if you read it you’ll see why, keeping in mind this was written in the early 1800s.

You read it in my languid eyes,
And there alone should love be read;
You hear me say it all in sighs,
And thus alone should love be said.

Then dread no more; I will not speak;
Although my heart to anguish thrill,
I'll spare the burning of your cheek,
And look it all in silence still!

Heard you the wish I dared to name,
To murmur on that luckless night,
When passion broke the bonds of shame,
And love grew madness in your sight?

Divinely through the graceful dance,
You seem'd to float in silent song,
Bending to earth that beamy glance,
As if to light your steps along!

Oh! how could others dare to touch
That hallow'd form with hand so free,
When but to look was bliss too much,
Too rare for all but heaven and me!

With smiling eyes, that little thought
How fatal were the beams they threw,
My trembling hands you lightly caught,
And round me like a spirit, flew.

Heedless of all, I wildly turn'd,
My soul forgot -- nor, oh! condemn,
That when such eyes before me burn'd,
My soul forgot all eyes but them!

I dared to speak in sobs of bliss,
Rapture of every thought bereft me,
I would have clasped you -- oh, even this! --
But, with a bound, you blushing left me.

Forget, forget that night's offence,
Forgive it, if, alas! you can;
'Twas love, 'twas passion -- soul and sense --
'Twas all the best and worst of man!

That moment did the mingled eyes
Of heaven and earth my madness view.
I should have seen, through earth and skies,
But you alone -- but only you!

Did not a frown from you reprove,
Myriads of eyes to me were none;
I should have -- oh, my only love!
My life! what should I not have done?