Bermuda: Hamilton + Royal Naval Dockyard (Day 1)
This perhaps best captures the weather in Bermuda - sun streaming in behind dark clouds and rain.
UPDATED: 2/5/2023
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A nighttime arrival in bermuda
Over the US Thanksgiving weekend in late November 2019, we headed to Bermuda for the first time on a trip that we were able to fund through accrued points (except for meals and incidentals). While we mostly book whichever airline carrier has the best deal at the most opportune time, it was something of a miracle that we had enough points on one carrier to get the two of us round-trip flights to Bermuda. We also were able to turn in points from our Chase Sapphire credit card to cover the hotel for our 4-night stay.
While our flights were free, travel is never all that convenient for us since we live about 3 1/2 hours from the nearest international airport. This time we left home around 8:30am to drive to the Charlotte, North Carolina, airport. With a layover in Miami, it was 9:45pm when we finally landed in Bermuda on a Wednesday night.
We had missed grabbing an immigration form on the plane. As the flight attendants walked throughout asking if anyone needed one and no one was taking one, we assumed it didn’t apply to us. As soon as we got off the plane, it became clear that almost everyone was a local (or at least had some sort of work visa), and we were part of the small group of tourists. Oops! We scrambled to find a customs form on a stand in the customs line, though someone had pilfered their pen. After digging frantically through my bag, I found one so that we could actually fill it out. I will never understand the customs requirements in each country given how variable they are!
The tropically painted Hamilton Princess Hotel alight at night.
We got a taxi at the stand in front of the small airport (a fancier, larger airport is being built next door), and had about a 30 minute ride through the parish to Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital city where we would be staying at the Hamilton Princess hotel.
Late night room service.
Arriving in another country at night is an odd experience because it’s nearly impossible to get a sense of the place. We knew we were driving on a causeway over the water right after the airport but could only hear it, not see it. We got flashes of brightly colored houses as the taxi’s headlights shifted on the curved, narrow road (more on Bermuda’s roads later).
Once we got settled in the hotel, we were famished, and it was too late to find much open (nearly 11pm on a Wednesday off-season), so we ordered room service and split a club sandwich and the most amazing fries.
View from the ferry as we docked in the Dockyard.
Day 1 in Bermuda: hamilton and royal naval dockyard
We headed out on foot in the morning in search of a breakfast spot and just a short way down the road was Bouchee, a little French restaurant. Dustin had French toast with sausage links, and I had eggs Benedict and coffee. The restaurant looks out onto the main street (Front Street) that runs along the water and is a quaint place that feels comfortable.
Our plan was to catch the ferry from Hamilton to the Dockyard to explore that area. If you imagine the island of Bermuda shaped like the capital letter “J” but angled about 45 degrees to the right, Hamilton is pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the “J,” and the Dockyard is at the bottom of the letter (if this description isn’t working for you, there’s a map at the bottom of this post). While it was far warmer in Bermuda in late fall than it was back home in Virginia, an ocean breeze had picked up, so we headed back to the hotel to grab coats before hitting the boat. On the way, Dustin got a migraine (a special travel skill of his) and, in this case, provided a healthy dose of foreshadowing. After a few hours’ rest at the hotel, we were ready for a second try and were able to catch the 1:30pm ferry with plans to eat lunch in the Royal Naval Dockyard.
Downtown Hamilton as seen from the ferry. We couldn’t get away with such brightly painted buildings at home, but they fit the mood of Bermuda perfectly.
A note on the Hamilton ferry terminal. The terminal is right in the central part of Hamilton on the water (obviously), but it is small enough that it could almost be overlooked. I wouldn’t say we had trouble finding it, but it was not as obvious as we would have expected either. Look for street signs pointing to it, and there is also a pink building (a cafe) right in front of it. I suspect in warmer weather, there are probably many more people queuing up there.
In this off-season, the ferry was not crowded at all. Maybe about 20 people boarded when we did. With a downstairs fully enclosed and an upstairs above deck, we initially started on the upper level . . . until huge amounts of ocean spray started leaping up over the sides. The water was particularly choppy, and the breeze from earlier had amassed more momentum. Even once moving downstairs so that we could stay dry, we were able to enjoy good views of the Bermudian coast and ocean during the 20 minutes or so it took to traverse the distance.
Oceanside abodes en route to the Dockyard.
The Princess Bermuda Hotel as seen from the ferry.
In the Royal Naval Dockyard, which we’ll just call 'Dockyard’ from here on out, the ferry terminal sits right next to the shopping and restaurant area. Ready for a late lunch at 2pm, we went to Bone Fish Bar & Grill and ate on the outdoor patio that fortunately had winter covers to help cut the wind. I had the Bermuda Fish Cake sandwich, a fish sandwich that looked like a crab cake, served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and a banana and mango chutney. Dustin had a house smoked brisket panini, and both our meals came with delicious fries. The food was good but not spectacular.
After lunch we wandered to the point of the island (just down the street) where behind a fortification is the National Museum of Bermuda. This site was part of the former Royal Naval Dockyard, which was built over a hundred years starting in the early 19th century. To get a sense of the layout, here is a map of the museum facilities.
View from within the Dockyard. We loved the way the sheep and tufted grass merged together in the wind. Can you spot the sheep?
These guys are clearly more used to the Bermudian wind than we are - they were nonplussed.
The ‘museum’ is comprised of a number of buildings but also an open air environment, so if you’re picturing a four-walled building, this is not that. One highlight within the museum is the Commissioner’s House, located high atop the hill with large verandas running along its sides, offering beautiful views of the surrounding fortress as well as the ocean. The Commissioner’s House was built around 1820 and fell into disrepair after the British military left. Inside, there is information on the restoration process that began in 1974 and wasn’t completed until 2000, when it opened again to the public.
The Commissioner’s House holds a number of different exhibits and is a great way for visitors to learn more about the history of the island nation. The exhibits covered the range of Bermudian history: the origin of and evolution of slavery, the close ties to the Azores and Turks Island, information on the Portuguese population who settled there, and the life of Boer War prisoners who found themselves on the island. There were a number of exhibits on specific elements of Bermuda: a room dedicated to the history of the Bermudian dollar bill (they are utterly beautiful and unexpected) and a history on the Bermuda Race, a 635-mile yacht sailing race, that occurs between Bermuda and Newport, Rhode Island biennially.
The front of the Commissoner’’s House at the Dockyard.
The day was already windy, as we had mentioned, but by this point in the afternoon, there were gale-force winds. From inside the museum where we passed occasional open doors or windows, we could see that the sky had turned a dark shade of gray, which made the bright blue sea look even more stunning in contrast. The skies finally opened up in a gushing torrent of rain, so it was clear that we would have all the time we wanted to explore the museum!
As we got to the second floor of the museum, another visitor asked us if we had been out on the veranda yet and shared a tip: that the wind was so strong along one side of the building that it had basically pushed her along. So yes, we did immediately head outside to test this ourselves! No kidding - walking into the wind required physically fighting the invisible force. Once we were far enough down the veranda, we turned around with the wind to our backs and sure enough, it was actually pushing us into a walk. Even more fun was to start a slow run, at which point the wind helped and made it hard to stop running. It was a fun experience and not one we have had before. But seriously, Bermuda can get very windy!
This is one giant table!
By then the rain had let up but the skies were threatening and rays of light shone through the stormy clouds. We left the Commissioner’s House to explore other parts of the museum grounds and because the wind was still so very strong, it was really hard and uncomfortable to walk. We headed next into the grotto-esque High Cave magazine (as in the military use of a magazine - a place for storing ammunition) where there were exhibits on the life of prisoners on Bermuda during the Boer Wars and the two World Wars.
In total, we spent just under two hours exploring the National Museum of Bermuda and would recommend that amount of time or longer (particularly if you have nicer weather to explore the ramparts). What was wonderful about our off-season visit is that there were very few other visitors there, so we practically had the run of the place to ourselves.
Vines grow along the wall leading down to the magazine.
Whew, the magazine has some narrow hallways!
A small natural cave can be found here.
We were chilly and wind-blown by the time we got back to the ferry terminal to await our return trip to Hamilton. There were a handful of other people waiting there, too, and then someone kindly stopped by and told us that the ferry wasn’t coming because of the high winds. That was something we hadn’t accounted for! So, the group of us set off to find the bus stop. Luckily, we were able to follow the others since we had no idea where it was. A very nice bus driver spent the time using maps to explain where his route went and what other options would get people back to their destinations since the others stranded were not all headed to Hamilton. The bus that the particular driver had was on the slightly longer route to Hamilton, but we didn’t mind seeing more of the island and wanted to get out of the wind so hopped aboard bus #8.
Hello, World!
The bus ride back was about an hour in length - significantly longer than the 20 minute ferry ride, a clear reason why the ferries are a popular option.
After arriving back in Hamilton and reviewing our dinner options nearby, we made last minute reservations at Bolero, a quaint restaurant on Front Street. The service was wonderful and had the personal touch. I ordered Moroccan-spiced grilled lamb ribs served with merguez (spicy fresh mutton sausage), lentil tabbouleh, and a slight drizzle of mint yogurt. It was absolutely delicious - the lamb practically melted in my mouth. Dustin had an equally good meal of slow-braised pork belly with chorizo, pickled apple puree, and smoked jalapeno mojo verde. Somehow we had room to spare and split melting chocolate pudding. This restaurant was amazing, and we would absolutely return on a future trip.
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Check out our other posts about Bermuda:
Head to St. George’s
The other end of Bermuda holds St. George’s, an entire town that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.