Bermuda: Hamilton + Eastern Hamilton Parish (Days 3-4)

The Crystal Caves of Bermuda are a short but amazing adventure.

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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During the second half of our four-day trip, we spent a little more time exploring Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital city, and ventured out for a hike, to tour a mostly underwater cave, and visit a quintessential Bermuda restaurant.

DAY 3 IN BERMUDA: Eastern Hamilton Parish - Crystal Cave, Blue Hole, Swizzle Inn, and Tom Moore’s Jungle

For the second morning in a row, on Saturday we returned to Dangelini's Cafe and Bakery along Front Street where I ordered a cappuccino and ham and swiss cheese croissant, and Dustin had a mocha with a turkey, egg, and cheese melt on an English muffin. For breakfast dessert, which is totally a thing, we split an apple turnover, which was delicious and not overly sweet, which is how breakfast desserts should be! We noticed that at least in the off-season, Dangelini’s wasn’t open on Sundays so made a mental note that we wouldn’t be able to return the following day.

We strolled through downtown Hamilton on our way to the bus stop snapping pictures along the journey.

By now we were pros at using the Bermuda bus system and headed uphill a few blocks to the bus terminal in Hamilton, where we caught the #11 bus to the Crystal and Fantasy caves, which are accessed right across the street from the landmark Swizzle Inn. We found the bus drivers to be very helpful at calling out key tourist destinations en route to help people identify where to get off the bus.

After walking a short trail from the road to the cave entrance, we learned that due to high tides, the caves would not open for tours until 1pm. What is unique about these caves for those who have visited others is that they are substantially filled with water that through its course is connected to the ocean. Instead of walking on the ground in the caves, there is a walkway that floats on very deep water. When the tides are particularly high, the walkway gets too close to the ceiling (or potentially submerged) and so isn’t safe for visitors.

Luckily, the tour guide working at the cave made some helpful suggestions for how we could fill our time until it would be safe to take a tour. Just down the street and very walkable is the Blue Hole Park and Walsingham Nature Reserve (also called “Tom Moore’s Jungle”), which had been on our list for the day anyway! So, we followed his instructions a short walk down the street where we came upon a parking lot and could access the trail from there.

Here is the route we walked from the Swizzle Inn bus drop-off to the caves and then to Blue Hole Park:

Blue Hole/Walsingham Nature Reserve is worth a visit if you want to swim or prefer to stay dry and go for a short hike.

There is a small gravel parking lot at the Blue Hole, and this is the access point for the hiking trail that goes through the Walsingham Nature Reserve as well. There is only one trail from the parking lot. First it winds around to a little beach with mangroves growing in the water and a bench sitting in or next to the water, depending on the tide. Near there, a small piece of the path veers to the right into a dense wooded area, which ends quickly but in front of a steep cliff that towers above you, and a water-filled cave and sporting stalactites sat below behind a short wooden fence.

Through the gates of the Walsingham Nature Reserve.

Our short hike through the Walsingham Nature Reserve gave us many unexpectedly beautiful views.

A few Sargent Major damsel fish and some species of squirrel fish.

Continuing on the main path, it veers to the left near the Blue Hole, a popular spot for locals and tourists alike to jump off of rocks and go swimming. We did neither since it was late November, but we did pass one person coming out in a swimsuit who had gone in and said it wasn’t too cold. At the Blue Hole is a square-shaped dock that overlooks the picturesque setting and is a great spot to relax at least in the off-season since it is probably packed in warmer weather. The water was so blue and so clear that we were able to watch fish swimming in it. Because the swimming hole connects to the ocean, the fish were ocean-faring creatures. Dustin spotted a cuttlefish and another one that he thought might be a squirrel fish, and there were a number of striped fish that appeared to be Sargent Major damsel fish.

Mangroves stand above the water on their aerial roots.

Sit down and contemplate life looking out at paradise.

Lindsey contemplates jumping in to keep the fish company. …not really, there might be 'sharks in there!! (joke)

Behind this entry point to the Blue Hole, an open portion of the path leads down to the ocean and, if you look carefully, offers a hidden cave. The cave was very dark, so we used our cell phone flashlights to see in. Before us were a number of large rocks and water coming in and out with the ocean’s tides. Be careful if you enter it because the height of the water shifts and rocks can get quite slippery when wet. Dustin, as always, went in further than I thought he should, though he is pretty cautious and smart about things.

What gorgeous colors we found in this small submerged cave!

A dark side path beckoned us and lead to an overlook into a cave opening.

The limestone bedrock of the area appear to be riddled with caves. How deep does this one go?

I’m curious about who and why someone decided to pave the fifteen or so foot ramp. There were also old electrical lines nearby.

Care to jump? This high launching point seems to be a popular location for daredevils and swimmers.

Looking past salt grass and mangroves is Castle Harbor.

Partially due to the color of the water and partially due to a reflection of the sky, the Blue Hole certainly deserves it’s name.

There is something quite exciting about walking through a tunnel of trees.

After leaving Blue Hole, we continued on the path that passed by and behind it, which connected to the nature reserve through a fenced area that is open to people. This jungle path took about 10-15 minutes to walk to its end, where it meets up with Tom Moore’s Tavern. There is also a small side route on the non-ocean side of the path that took us down to another water hole. In total we spent between an hour and an hour and a half leisurely exploring this area, but you could easily spent far less time if you want to just check out some key parts and move on. We just really enjoyed the nature reprieve from the rest of the more populated island.

Due to the porous nature of the rocks in the area, there are many salt water lagoons in the Walsingham Nature Reserve.

A rainbow makes a showing over the Swizzle Inn.

Ready for lunch after our romp in nature, we walked back to Swizzle Inn, the dive bar and landmark of Bermuda. Its biggest claim to fame was inventing Bermuda’s famous island drink, the Rum Swizzle, in the early 1900s. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, so we opted to sit outside. Much of the windows and walls are spotted with stickers, business cards, and names plastered on by other visitors. It is the type of place that welcomes its diners leaving behind their own mark. The food itself was fine without being anything to write home about. I got a Swizzle burger, which is served with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, and bacon, and Dustin ordered chicken and waffles, which was offered as part of their weekend brunch menu and was served with seasoned potatoes and onions. And yes, of course, I ordered a Rum Swizzle, my second of the trip.

After lunch, we walked back across the street for a second try at visiting the Crystal and Fantasy Caves. This go-around, the Crystal Cave was finally open again for tours, but the Fantasy Cave was still closed due to flooding from the high tide. We learned that recently this has been a bigger issue as sea levels continue to rise. How many years will tours still be offered here I wonder? Apparently a lot of other people had also waited for the window of time to visit, so we weren’t able to get in on the immediate tour but spent half an hour killing some time sunning ourselves on the patio and wandering through the gift shop.

The contrast between near white cave walls and azure water was stunning.

Reflections reaches up to touch their matching stalactites

I said goodbye to the sunlight as we descended down the man-made ramp.

Stalactites almost appear to cascade down the walls of the Crystal Cave, Bermuda.

Even if you are a bit wary of cave tours due to their general hokey-ness, this one is worth seeing because it is so unique with the turquoise water in it. The tour of Crystal Cave was scheduled to last about 25 minutes, but we ended up spending probably an extra 10 minutes there just enjoying it and taking photos. Think about all the angles and edges to caves with stalactites and stalagmites, add in various shades of blue to turquoise, and the reflections of the water surface, and you’ll have a slight sense of the beauty of this cave. The cave tour is a down-and-back so the entrance and exit is a downward slope (or upward slope when returning) and about 80 stairs culminating in a buoyed walkway that allows visitors to walk to the other end of the cave. The depth of the water in the deepest part of the cave is about 55 feet down, and the water is so crystal clear that you can see the full depth of the space.

When we returned above ground, the sunny skies had dissipated into dark clouds and more wind. Right as we got to the bus stop - with a bit of a wait until the next bus was due - the skies opened into a heavy downpour and number of us were stuck huddled under trees to avoid the worst of the rain but still got completely saturated. After about ten minutes of that fun, the bus thankfully came, though sitting in wet clothes was not enjoyable. Of course halfway through our return ride, the skies cleared up and the sun re-emerged. I’m not sure if Bermuda’s weather is always like this or if we just got a special showing of all its capabilities during our trip.

By the time we got back to Hamilton, Dustin had started feeling sick and had come down with a fever, so we stayed in, dried off, and had a quiet evening with room service.

DAY 4 IN BERMUDA: Hamilton

Walking down the nearly deserted Front Street in Hamilton.

Tile mosaics spruce up the sidewalk in Hamilton.

Dustin was still sick in the morning and ended up spending most of the day in bed. Since a girl has got to eat, I went out to breakfast by myself and returned to Bouchee Bistro, where we had also eaten breakfast on our first morning. I ordered the huge and very filling Crepe La Paysanne, which was a crepe wrapped around scrambled eggs with gruyere cheese, onions, and bacon, and topped with Bechamel sauce. It was served with a side of hash browns, which in a patty-type of shape at Bouchee. Since this is a popular restaurant spot and it was a Sunday, there was a bit of a wait, but as a party of one, I was able to get a spot much faster than the groups of 5-6 people waiting before and after me. I have definitely eaten alone at a restaurant before, but it’s typically at an airport or somewhere where that is more common. So, I felt a bit odd eating alone on a Sunday morning surrounded by families but at least I had a street view so could people watch for my solo entertainment.

Completely stuffed from breakfast, I set off to explore more of Hamilton and also to get Dustin some sick supplies. I walked the length of Front Street, which is about a 10+ minute walk if that gives you a sense of the size of this small city. On the way, I passed the Cabinet building for the government.

Just past it was The Supermart, a grocery store that while far smaller than its American mega-store counterparts, was otherwise quite similar with the same departments and variety (this is not the case everywhere we travel so worth noting). Luckily, I had brought my backpack to carry groceries to be environmentally friendly, and I also discovered that the store charges a fee for single-use bags to discourage their use. In addition to some sick snacks for Dustin that would be easy to eat in a hotel room - saltine crackers, cut up melon, and poweraid - I also picked up some bananas and a muffin to have on hand for our early reveille to catch our flight the next morning.

I walked back via Reid Street, one block up, to take in different scenery. Reid Street houses a lot of shopping. On this Sunday morning, it was quiet with few people out. Most shop windows indicated they were closed all day on Sunday or would only open at noon. So, it was a good chance to take some photographs without a massive number of people.

Lights decorate a number of buildings throughout Hamilton.

Even though the Moongates of Bermuda were added to further tourism we still found them to be very cool.

Back at the hotel, I got Dustin squared away with his food and then settled in to work on blogging for the middle chunk of the day, which was actually a nice chance to catch up on some work. I took a brief hiatus around 1:30 to go back out to grab lunch. This time, I headed to Brew, a coffee/wine/beer shop (all my favorite drinks!) with sandwiches. The place is super cute and has a coffee shop vibe to it with people hanging out with their friends and working on laptops. I got a mocha – which is one of the best mochas I have had! And a crispy chicken sandwich.

Princess Hamilton Hotel Pool and View, Bermuda | Couple Blogger | To Make Much of Time Travel Blog

Dustin worked on getting his energy up so we could go out to dinner on our last night on the island. We knew it would likely be busy out with the Christmas parade along Front Street starting around 5pm. When we headed out around 6:30, the parade was near wrapping up but the floats were still rolling by and with Front Street was barricaded off.

We saw an Italian restaurant just down the street that was not yet swarming with parade-goers and so got a table at Portofino in their outdoor seating that has seasonal coverings to help protect against the wind. We split a Marathon Pizza, which is topped with ham, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, and olives. The crust was delicious – thin and crispy, and they had what I think was olive oil in a bottle with red peppers that we drizzled on the pizza and dipped the crust in. For dessert, I got a tiramisu, and Dustin got one of their ice creams served over Profiteroles and was massive.

We had a slow walk back to the hotel and enjoyed the Christmas lights scattered around different buildings and the boats lit up in the harbor.

The following morning, we got up at 4:40am for our scheduled taxi at quarter of 6 for an easy, traffic-less ride that got us to the airport hours before we needed to be there and before we were even allowed to go to security, which opened at 6:30am. But, we have learned that rushing in another country is never a wise move, so it was a great chance to just relax, drink coffee, and read.

Most of our trips as of late have been a week or longer, but we found that even a 4-day trip can be a nice reprieve. We were a little disappointed that Dustin got sick on the last day so that we weren’t able to head down to do some hiking along the beaches on the southern part of the island. While I did contemplate heading out alone, I knew Dustin would worry, I wouldn’t enjoy exploring as much without him, and I would worry about how he was feeling.

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