DESTINATION BERMUDA

Think Bermuda and images of tidy pastel cottages, pink-sand beaches and quintessential British traditions like cricket matches and afternoon tea spring to mind, plus of course those professional gents going about their business in jackets, ties and Bermuda shorts, as if they forgot to put their pants on. For once the stereotype matches up to reality, though you may be somewhat disoriented if you mistakenly thought Bermuda was somewhere in the Caribbean. The island is, in fact, situated in the western Atlantic Ocean, over 1000 miles (1600km) northeast of Miami, Florida.

The majority of visitors to Bermuda come from North America for short stays, and most consider the island to be quaintly British; the Brits, on the other hand, come in much smaller numbers but tend to consider the island highly Americanized. It is, of course, uniquely Bermudian - a product of nearly four centuries of British colonial history and an equally long reliance on American trade.

Map of Bermuda (8K)

Slide Show

Facts at a Glance
Environment
History
Economy
Culture
Events
Facts for the Traveler
Money & Costs
When to Go

Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
Lonely Planet Guide
On-line Info

Facts at a Glance

Full country name: Bermuda
Area: 21 sq miles (54 sq km)
Population: 60,000
Capital city: Hamilton (pop 15,000)
People: African descent (61%), European descent (38%), a small minority of American Indian descent
Language: English
Religion: Anglican (28%), Roman Catholic (15%)
Government: Self-governing British dependency
Premier: Pamela Gordon
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II

Environment

Bermuda is a sub tropical island in the Atlantic Ocean, 1040 miles (1680km) northeast of Miami, Florida. It's about 1000 miles (1600km) north of the Caribbean, where most people mistakenly assume it to be. It comprises 150 small islands, which collectively total just 21 sq miles (54 sq km). The eight largest islands are connected by causeways and bridges to form a continuous fishhook-shaped land mass that stretches 22 miles (35km) in length and averages less than a mile across. Bermudians tend to treat these eight islands, which comprise 95% of the country's land mass, as a single geographic entity and commonly refer to it as simply 'the island.' Only about a dozen of the other islands are inhabited.

Welcome to Bermuda (19K)

All the islands are volcanic in origin, the emerged tips of a volcanic mountain mass that rose from the sea floor several million years ago. They are surrounded by fringing coral reefs and have hilly interiors, though the highest peak is a mere 260ft (80m) high. Bermuda's size, relatively high density population and half million visitors per year inevitably cause stress on the environment. Overfishing, for example, has devastated the island's commercial fishing possibilities. Fortunately increased environmental awareness and legislation have succeeded in protecting and re-introducing some species - notably turtles.

Bermuda enjoys a mild, agreeable climate because of the warming effects of the Gulf Stream. The average annual high temperature is 75°F (24°C), while the average annual low is 68°F (20°C). Humidity is high year round and rainfall is evenly distributed, with no identifiable wet season.

The island's so bright, you gotta wear shades (17K)

This frost-free climate means the island is abloom with colorful flowers like bougainvillea, hibiscus and oleander. Bermuda has no native land mammals; the endemic Bermuda rock lizard was the only nonmarine land animal on Bermuda prior to human contact. The island now has a variety of introduced lizards, a couple of types of whistling tree frog, and a giant toad mostly seen squashed on the road - hence its nickname 'road toad.'

Bermuda has the northernmost corals found in the Atlantic, and they attract a variety of colorful tropical creatures such as angelfish, triggerfish and the clown wrasse. Unfortunately, jellyfish-like Portuguese man-of-wars are also found in Bermuda's waters between March and July; a brush with one of these guys and you'll know the meaning of pain.

History

Bermuda takes its name from the Spanish sea captain, Juan de Bermúdez, who sighted the uninhabited islands around 1503. The Spanish did not claim the islands but they soon became an important navigational landmark for galleons crossing the Atlantic between Spain and the New World. Since Bermuda is surrounded by dangerous reefs, nautical misadventures cast the Spanish ashore on several occasions and littered the sea bed with enough booty for some people to consider scuba diving more than a recreational sport.

In 1609 Admiral Sir George Somers was en route from England with supplies for the recent British settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, when his ship, Sea Venture, was wrecked off Bermuda. Finding it a rather pleasant place to be washed up, the admiral built replacement ships of fine Bermuda cedar, sailed off and left a couple of men behind to establish a British claim to the islands. The experience of these temporary British castaways is thought to have inspired Shakespeare to write The Tempest. Somers returned to Bermuda later that same year but died soon after arrival. The British renamed Bermuda the Somers Islands in honor of the admiral, but the name failed to stick.

The Virginia Company took a keen interest in the islands after hearing of its suitability for colonization, particularly in the light of Jamestown's hostile relations with the local Indians. Only three years after Somers' misadventure, the company organized 60 settlers to establish a permanent colony on the islands. Unfortunately the islands were not as abundant as was first thought. The shallow topsoil limited agriculture and the lack of water prevented commercial crops like sugar cane from being introduced. The settlers soon became reliant on food imports from the American colonies, which they paid for by supplying sea salt secured from the Turks Islands.

For many years the Virginia Company, and then the Bermuda Company, ran the islands like a fiefdom. This wearied the settlers so much they sued to have the company's charter rescinded, and in 1684 Bermuda became a British crown colony. Slaves were first introduced in 1616, most of them brought forcibly from Africa though some were American Indians. They lived in degrading conditions but were generally employed as domestic servants or tradespeople rather than agricultural laborers. The skills they learnt were to stand them in good stead when slavery was abolished in 1834. At the time of emancipation 5000 of the 9000 people residing in Bermuda were registered on the census as black or 'coloured.'

Despite its reliance on trade with the American colonies, political bonds with Britain proved stronger during the American War of Independence when Bermuda remained loyal to the crown. During the War of 1812, the British Navy used Bermuda as a base from which to ransack Washington DC. The Americans responded by confiscating the unprotected cargo of Bermuda's merchant fleet, devastating the local economy. The US Civil War proved more lucrative for the island. When the north blockaded southern ports, cotton traders employed small, fast vessels to outrun northern naval gunboats. These vessels were not capable of an Atlantic crossing and hence Bermuda blossomed as a trans-shipment center on the blockade runners' route to England. Good at picking losers, the island's shortlived prosperity collapsed with the defeat of the south.

Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, is credited with putting Bermuda on the tourist map after paying an extended visit to the islands in 1883. The princess was the wife of the Governor General of Canada and was keen to escape the long Canadian winter. By the turn of the century, Bermuda was well on the way to becoming a fashionable winter destination for 'snow birds,' who flocked aboard steamers crossing regularly from New York to Hamilton.

Bermuda's strategic location in the Atlantic secured it a role in Allied military and intelligence operations in WW II. However, its proximity to the US mainland made it inevitable that the US take primary responsibility for developing bases on the island. Much to the locals' consternation, the British subsequently signed a 99-year lease handing over substantial portions of Bermuda's territory to the US military. The US constructed an air base on St David's Island where the international airport is now located.

In the wake of WW II, women were given the right to vote and, after boycotts, some of the franchise qualifications restricting the power of black voters were removed. In 1963 the Progressive Labour Party was introduced, in part to represent the interests of nonwhite Bermudians in the face of a government almost totally made up of white landowners. The rest of the parliamentarians united to form the United Bermuda Party. The two parties worked together to produce the 1968 constitution, which provided for full internal self government, while leaving security, defense and diplomatic affairs to the crown.

Dressing up Bermuda style (18K)

Although Bermuda had long prided itself on the relative harmony of its race relations, riots and race antagonism in the 1970s resulted in the removal of all de facto discrimination and the beginning of talks on independence from Britain. In the decades that followed, the independence movement became the dominant political issue but a referendum in 1995 failed by a two-thirds majority as Bermudians became apprehensive about the political and economic cost of independence. Two weeks later they did, at least, regain control of 10% of the island's land mass when post-Cold War military cutbacks resulted in the closure of the US base on the island. In April 1997 the United Bermuda Party's Pamela Gordon was selected as premier. She is Bermuda's first female premier and the youngest person ever to hold the office.

Economic Profile

GDP: US$1.8 billion
GDP per head: US$29,000
Annual growth: 2.4%
Inflation: 2.5%
Major industries: Tourism & finance
Major trading partners: USA, Canada & UK

Culture

Bermudian culture is a blend of British and African heritages. The British influences predominate in institutions, including the form of government, educational system and legal framework. Judges still wear powdered wigs, bobbies direct traffic, cricket is the most popular sport and a pint of ale at the local pub is a common way to cap off a day's work. English is spoken on Bermuda, predominantly with a British accent, and the majority of islanders are Christian. The African influence is more subtle but can be found in island music and dance - particularly in music of African origin that comes via the West Indies, such as reggae and calypso, and also in the rhythm of Gombey dancers.

Gombey dancer's cape (14K)

Gombey dancing is the most interesting art form unique to Bermuda. While it has roots in West African tribal music, Gombey dancing also incorporates influences from Christian missionaries, the British military and, most visibly, American Indians, from whom the Gombey dancers have adapted their costumes. To the uninitiated, the Gombey dancers may just look like wildly costumed characters jumping up and down to loud music, but in fact the dancing is carefully choreographed to specific rhythms and often portrays biblical stories. The dancers traditionally take to the streets on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Although no local artists have shaken the world with their talent, Bermuda can claim ties to a number of significant writers and painters who either lived, worked or vacationed on the island. They include Eugene O'Neill, Noel Coward, James Thurber, Peter 'big tooth' Benchley, Georgia O'Keefe and Winslow Homer.

Bermuda does not have a distinctive cuisine but does have some local seafood dishes worthy of mention. The island's fish chowder is commonly made with rockfish or snapper and flavored with local black rum and sherry peppers sauce. Codfish cakes were once a staple food on the island and are still prepared on certain days of the year. Johnny-cakes - cornmeal griddle cakes with peas and rice - are popular everyday fare.

The most traditional meal is Sunday codfish breakfast, a huge affair consisting of codfish, eggs, boiled Irish potatoes, bananas, avocado, with a sauce of onions and tomatoes. Cassava pie is a Christmas tradition and signifies the special significance the vegetable has for Bermudians, since it is credited with having helped early settlers get through periods of famine. Black Seal Rum is the locally-brewed national tipple. Locals tend to drink it with ginger beer; visitors prefer it as the main ingredient in their rum swizzle.

Events

Bermuda has an inordinate number of golf tournaments and sedate events like bowls tournaments and gardening shows aimed primarily at older people but that doesn't mean it lacks oomph.

Gombey dancers strut their stuff on New Year's Day and the Bermuda Festival is a six-week performing arts spectacular running from mid-January through February. The Bermuda Cat Fanciers Association Championship Cat Show in mid-March sounds like a hoot but is slightly less prestigious than the Newport-Bermuda Race, one of the world's major ocean yacht races held in late June during even-numbered years.

SOCA is a Caribbean music festival that has the Royal Naval Dockyards jumping in late July or early August, while the Bermuda Reggae Sunsplash continues the skanking in mid-August. You can march to a different drummer during the three-day Bermuda Tattoo in early November, which culminates with a grand finale of fireworks.

Facts for the Traveler

Visas: No visas are required for citizens of the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Western European countries. Visas are required by citizens of the former Soviet Union, most countries in North Africa and the Middle East, China, Sri Lanka and some former Soviet Bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
Health risks: None
Time: GMT/UTC minus 4 hours (1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time)
Electricity: 110V, 60 Hz using a US flat, two-pronged plug
Weights & Measures: Imperial (see the conversion table)
Tourism: 550,000 visitors per year

Money & Costs

Currency: Bermuda dollar (although US dollars are widely accepted)

Relative costs:

Budget meal: US$5-10
Moderate restaurant: US$15-30
Top-end restaurant: US$30 and upwards
Budget room: US$60-100
Moderate hotel: US$100-150
Top-end hotel: US$150-200

There's no getting round the fact that Bermuda ain't cheap. Bermuda's high cost of living, the result of most goods having to be flown in from the US mainland, is reflected in hotel room rates and restaurant menu prices. Even grocery costs are 50% higher than in the USA.

This is not the place to come if you're watching your budget, since you'll be hard-pressed to find a double room under US$100 and the average room price is almost double that - and up to 40% higher during the summer season (June to August). If you plan to stay seven days or less, it's worth looking into package deals that incorporate both airfare and hotel accommodation.

The most convenient way to bring money is US dollar travelers' checks. Major credit cards are accepted by most shops and restaurants, but some smaller hotels and guesthouses can be fickle about accepting them. Bring some US dollars in cash as they are widely accepted as legal tender. The Bank of Bermuda has ATMs that accept various international ATM and credit cards.

Hotels add a 7.5% occupancy tax to their bill. They also tend to add a 10% service charge to cover gratuities to hotel workers. The usual restaurant tip is 15%, which most establishments automatically add onto your bill. If they don't, then you should calculate the tip yourself. Taxi drivers will be pleased with a tip of around 10%.

When to Go

Bermuda can be visited year round, but the busiest tourist season is from April through October when the weather is warmest and water temperatures comfortable for swimming and diving. It's also the liveliest time on the island with plenty of events and entertainment options to keep visitors amused.

The winter season is a bit too cool for swimming and many tourist-related agencies, like diving companies and boat tours, suspend operations for part of the season. January is the quietest month, so if you're more interested in tennis and golf or seeing the island when it's free of large numbers of tourists, this is the time to come.

The advantage of visiting during the cooler months is that accommodation prices can be up to 40% lower and you can escape the northern hemisphere winter. So-called 'snow birds' arriving from the US East Coast at the end of the 19th century originally made the winter months the high season in Bermuda. The best conditions for windsurfing also tend to be in winter.

Attractions

City of Hamilton

Hamilton is the hub of Bermuda, serving as both its capital and commercial center. While it's not a large city (population 15,000), it has a surprising amount of hustle and bustle - at least compared to the rest of the island. Locals refer to it simply as 'town' - 'going to town' means, without a doubt, going to Hamilton.

The city's pulse is located in Front St, a harborfront road lined with turn-of-the-century Victorian buildings in bright pastel lemon, lime, apricot and sky blue. Many buildings have overhanging verandahs, where you can linger over lunch and watch the boats ferry across the harb.'

Attractions include the Bermuda Cathedral, a weighty neo-Gothic building that is one of the city's dominant landmarks; the Bermuda Historical Society Museum, which contains models of the ill-fated Sea Venture; and the Bermuda National Gallery, containing works by Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds and Winslow Homer.

Fort Hamilton is a substantial hilltop fort with a bird's-eye view of Hamilton Harbour. It's one of a series of fortifications erected in the mid-19th century during a period of rising tensions between Britain and the USA. The ramparts are mounted with 10in (25cm) rifled muzzleloader guns, capable of firing 400lb (180kg) cannonballs through iron-hulled vessels. These devastating weapons were, fortunately, never required.

Hamilton is the island's transport hub, so you can expect to visit the city frequently if you are using the public bus system. It has the best selection of shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs on the island.

Town of St George

This unspoilt town overlooking St George's Harbour was Bermuda's first capital and remains its most fascinating sightseeing area. The town is steeped in period charm as befits a place that was Britain's second settlement in the New World. Many of its original twisting alleyways and colonial-era buildings remain intact, and several centuries-old structures have been preserved and set aside as museums.

Attractions include Kings Square, where the attractive Town Hall (1782) overlooks the pillory and stocks once used to publicly chastise those who offended colonial mores. Nearby is the ducking stool where gossips and other petty offenders were forced to endure the humiliation of being dunked in the harbor.

How the locals deal with tourists who don't enjoy themselves (19K)

The Old State House dates to 1620 and is the oldest building in Bermuda. Although modest in size, it incorporates Italianate features and has a stately appearance apropos to its former role as colonial Bermuda's parliamentary house. To the north is Somers Garden, named after Admiral Somers who, quite literally, left his heart in Bermuda. His vital organ (and his entrails) are contained in a modest tomb in the park. As was customary at the time, the rest of his body was shipped back to England.

The Tucker House is the 18th-century home of one of the islands' most prestigious families and has been well-preserved right down to the period furniture. Dating from roughly the same era is the Old Rectory, an interesting place with the less than scintillating claim to fame of being one of the first houses on the island to have a stone roof.

The Bermuda National Trust Museum occupies a stately colonial structure and concentrates on the role Bermuda played in the US Civil War when St George enjoyed unprecedented wealth from helping the southern states run the northern naval blockade.

The original St Peter's Church, a thatch and wood affair constructed in 1612, was one of the oldest Anglican churches in the western hemisphere. The present structure dates from the early 1700s and is a fine building with open timber beams, marble memorials honoring early governors and a mahogany altar that's the oldest piece of Bermudian furniture on the island.

Wednesday is a particularly good time to visit St George because the Old State House and Old Rectory are open to the public and the nearby Bermuda Biological Station gives guided tours of its facilities. A handful of waterfront restaurants provide a perfect setting for atmospheric dining. Nearby Tobacco Bay is a good swimming and snorkelling beach when you're through with all the history.

South Shore Park

This 1.5 mile (2.4km) long coastal reserve protects some of Bermuda's finest beaches. A coastal trail runs through the park, linking a series of coves and bays divided by outcrops of craggy rocks. There are 12 beaches in total, ranging from medium-sized half-moon bays like Horseshoe Bay to postage-stamp-sized inlets like Peel Rock Cove.

The splendid stretch of pink and white coral sands known as Warwick Long Bay forms the eastern fringe of the park. Since it's unprotected by headlands, this beach generally has good waves suitable for bodysurfing.

Royal Naval Dockyard

After the American War of Independence, the British were no longer able to use ports in their former American colonies so they chose this site on hilly Ireland Island at the western tip of Bermuda as their 'Gibraltar of the West.' It served as a dockyard facility and resupply depot for ships heading between Nova Scotia and the British West Indies. The fort was built between 1814 and 1863 by nearly 10,000 convicts who were quartered in unspeakable conditions on prison ships stationed in the deepwater cove.

The fort is built of limestone blocks in Georgian style, and was first used by the British navy as a base to launch their raid on Washington DC in 1814. It later served as a North Atlantic base during both World Wars but was abandoned as a costly outpost in 1951. Since then the buildings have been renovated and given a second life. The dockyard now includes the fascinating Bermuda Maritime Museum, located in the fort's former keep, an atmospheric pub, a movie theatre, a craft market and the Bermuda Snorkel Park.

Off the Beaten Track

The mysterious disappearances have been blamed on atmospheric disturbances, erratic magnetic forces, time warps and extra-terrestrial kidnappings, though others have dismissed them as the usual combination of mechanical failure, bad weather and human error.

If you need a more mundane break, you could always check out the tours of the Bermuda Triangle Brewery in Southampton Parish. Taste enough of the produce and you'll be feeling pretty paranormal yourself.

Activities

There are pleasant swimming beaches all around Bermuda, but the best area is South Shore Park, which has nearly a dozen coves linked by coastal trails. Other notable beaches are Elbow Beach near Hamilton and the exotically named John Smith Bay in Paget Parish. Islanders say it's easy to tell the nationality of people splashing in the waves; locals won't swim after September, Americans quit around November and Brits swim year round. Most locals take their first dip on Bermuda Day on 24 May, the more timid wait until the Queen's Birthday in mid-June.

Bermuda's shallow waters, warm currents, numerous shipwrecks and coral reefs make for great diving. Popular wreck dives include the Constellation, which sits in only 30ft (9m) of water and the nearby Montana. The main season is from April through October. There are a number of dive operators and most offer introductory courses for novices. Snorkellers can find interesting underwater terrain just about anywhere the water is calm and the shoreline rocky. Favored spots include Church Bay in Southampton Parish and Tobacco Bay north of the Town of St George.

Windsurfing tends to be good in the Great Sound but the best locations change with the wind. Sailing is popular in the protected waters of the Great Sound and Little Sound. You can rent sailboats, take lessons or charter a skippered yacht. Chartering a fishing boat will enable you to chance your rod and reel skills against game fish such as marlin, tuna and barracuda. In the interests of conservation, sports fishers are encouraged to release their catch and, thankfully, most do.

The longest walking trails on the islands are along the now covered tracks that once carried Bermuda's narrow-gauge railway. Unfortunately the Bermuda Railway Trail is not a single continuous walkway, but it does add up to some 21 miles (34km) of trails. The government produces a nifty guide that details the historic and natural points of interest in its seven sections. Other good areas for walking are Spittal Pond Nature Reserve and South Shore Park.

If you need more exercise, there are numerous tennis courts and a whopping eight golf courses, which must be some kind of record on only 21 sq miles (54 sq km) of land.

Getting There & Away

There are regular scheduled flights to Bermuda from the USA, Canada and the UK. Travelers arriving from other destinations by air will need to connect through one of these countries. Many airfares are sold with pre-booked accommodation deals, which can work out much cheaper than finding a hotel yourself. The departure tax on all air flights is US$20.

Some 17,000 cruise ship passengers sail to Bermuda each year between April and October. Most cruise ships sail from US East Coast cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Newport, Wilmington, Charleston and Fort Lauderdale. They all suspend operations in the winter months. Cruise ship passengers pay a US$60 departure tax, though this is normally included in the price of a ticket.

Getting Around

There are no car rentals in Bermuda. Visitors can ride public buses and ferries, rent a moped or motorscooter, use taxis - or even hire a horse and carriage. The island is so tiny and the public bus system so good that even the most independent road hoon will not miss having their own vehicle. To ride the bus you need to have the exact fare in coins.

Metered taxis can be found at the airport and most large hotels. Taxis can also double as tour operators if you want to piece together your own sightseeing tour of the island. Drivers turn off the meter in such circumstances and generally turn on the charm. Their knowledge and commentary can add plenty of local color to a tour. Expect to pay an hourly rate.

Bermuda's narrow winding roads can be challenging for riders not used to mopeds so make sure you're comfortable on two wheels before you hire a machine for the week. Enough visitors spill their mopeds for the term 'road rash' to be part of the island vernacular. To hire a moped you need to be 16 years old, wear a helmet and promise to drive on the left side of the road. Strangely bicycling is not a particularly popular way of getting round, though some moped rental stores do rent bikes. Be prepared to work up a sweat.

Ferries are a scenic way to get around and, in some cases, are much faster than the bus. Ferries connect Hamilton with Paget, Warwick and the Somerset/Dockyard area. Walking is the obvious way to get around Bermuda's towns but walking between towns is not much fun since the narrow roads rarely have sidewalks. Horse and carriage rides are for romance rather than getting from A to B.