Bermuda: Off-Season Sights to See — To Make Much of Time

High winds resulted in rough waters during our trip to Bermuda.

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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If you were playing a game of word association and someone said ‘Bermuda’, the words that would likely come to mind would be warm-weather related words like beach, ocean, and snorkeling. Bermuda also has a good number of off-season options if you prefer to explore the other activities provided by the island nation and - better yet - to avoid crowds.

We spent the American Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Bermuda in late November. While yes, it is chillier (check out our post on off-season packing tips), it was still warmer than our home in Virginia. We found plenty of non-beach activities to fill our 4-day long weekend trip.

Bermuda isn’t a particularly large island. In fact, on most maps, it doesn’t even show up as a dot in the ocean. But because the island is fairly densely populated, getting from one end of the island to the other can take several hours. While some destinations are accessible via ferry, which is the fastest option, not all are and some ferries are seasonal. To get a lay of the land and consider transportation options, check out our blog post here.

So, we’ll lay out some great off-season destinations by location so that it is easy to visit several near each other, starting from the western to eastern part of the island.

things to do in Royal naval dockyard

This is absolutely a site to visit off-season. During peak tourism season, the cruise ships dock nearby, and the area is infiltrated with hordes. There are a few seasonal attractions in the area like a snorkeling beach that were closed when we were there. There are several restaurants nearby, which are convenient spots to relax and enjoy a meal and drink while in the area.

Exactly like it sounds, this site was part of the former Royal Naval Dockyard, which was built over a hundred years starting in the early 19th century. Today, it houses the National Museum of Bermuda in the former Commissioner’s House, which was built around 1820, fell into disrepair after the British military left, and was restored over a 26-year period. It re-opened to the public in 2000. The Royal Naval Dockyard also houses what I would describe as an open-air museum, which also includes the grotto-esque High Cave Magazine (a storehouse for ammunition).

To get a sense of the layout, here is a map of the museum facilities.

Contained within the National Museum of Bermuda is a plethora of fascinating information on the island’s history that is not easy to get hold of elsewhere; trying to read up about Bermuda before our trip was difficult, as there are next to no published books focused on it! The museum covers the origin of and evolution of slavery in Bermuda, 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.

things to do in Hamilton

As the capital city, Hamilton has the most extensive ‘city feel’ to it. There is plenty of shopping for those who find that appealing (we don’t), restaurants that range from casual to formal (check out some of our favorites on our post here), the business district, a waterfront street called Front Street, and civic buildings. Bermuda has some of the brightest colored buildings, and just wandering up and down the several streets of Hamilton are absolutely worthwhile. You’ll find unexpected mosaics on the ground, moongates (yep, this is a thing), and plenty of people watching.

We stayed in Hamilton on our trip and are glad we made that decision due to the proximity to so much dining, groceries, and ease of catching the ferry and bus from the main terminals.

things to do in eastern hamilton

Eastern Hamilton is the area that is roughly halfway between Hamilton and St. George’s. Here are some of the top spots that we would recommend in this area:

Swizzle Inn - With its brick-red paint and stacked porches, Swizzle Inn is a 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 seating (a la sports bar) and outdoor dining, which was our preference. Swizzle Inn welcomes physical remnants from visitors: stickers, business cards, and names written in marker on the walls and windows allow you to put a mark on your visit.
Crystal Cave and Fantasy Cave - We were only able to visit Crystal Cave because the water inside Fantasy Cave was too high to allow visitors; in fact, we weren’t able to visit Crystal Cave when we first showed up during high tide and had to return several hours later (note: Swizzle Inn and Blue Hole/Tom Moore’s Jungle are all within walking distance so it is easy to find ways to pass the time!). 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.
Blue Hole, Tom Moore’s Jungle, and Walsingham Nature Reserve - Nestled in a small nature area right next to the water looking out at the causeway to the airport is the quietest spot we found on the island. Within this spot is a small hiking trail, a blue swimming hole that connects to the ocean (and so has ocean fish in it), various caves, jungle, and interesting sites. We easily passed between 60 and 90 minutes exploring and taking in the beautiful scenery here. For more details on the site, what it offers, and directions to find it, check out our post dedicated to this spot here.

things to do in St. George’s

The entire town of St. George’s is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is right off the shore here that the first known people landed on Bermuda after their vessel, the Sea Venture, foundered on the rocks and corals that surround the island.

Just wander - There are several sites to see in St. George’s, and just wandering around the town on foot is a good activity in and of itself!

Recreated ship Deliverance - After the first people found themselves shipwrecked on Bermuda, they built two ships to continue on their journey to Virginia. Pause for a moment to imagine people scraping together items on a deserted island to actually build a sea-faring ship. Yeah, I wouldn’t have survived either. In the harbor of St. George’s is a to-scale recreated version of the Deliverance. It offers tours, though was not open during off-season, so I can’t say whether it is worth touring; it is worth checking it out, particularly seeing how very small this vessel was!

White Horse Pub - Grab a bite to eat at this pub, which is right on the water. What makes it particularly remarkable is its age. The pub building dates to the mid-1700s.

Unfinished Church - This is literally a sweeping, magnificent . . . and unfinished church that has an interesting history. While the church itself is closed to visitors, you can walk right up to the church and look through the iron bars to get a sense of its majesty. It is a ruin that in some ways was never more than a ruin. For more on the history of this site, check out our post here.

Fort St. Catherine’s - This fort dates to 1614 (though a temporary wooden fort was there from 1612-1614) and was used into the 20th century. This is the largest of the forts on Bermuda so is worth a stop for those interested in military history. It has a really interesting lay-out with many tunnels and parts to the building that making it particularly good for a self-tour. It’s also noteworthy that it is in the ocean right off of St. Catherine’s where the earliest settlers from the Sea Venture came ashore. You can check out more details and photos on our post here.

For the non-beach-goers that we are, visiting Bermuda off-season, avoiding the crowds, and checking out all of these interesting sites made for a perfect long weekend get-away for us! We know we absolutely missed a lot of great spots; in fact, we had a long walk along several beaches planned but didn’t make it out one day due to Dustin coming down with a cold. What are your favorite Bermuda sites for off-season trips? Please share in the comments!

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