Have a Rum Swizzle at the spot they were invented! Bermuda has two national drinks: the Dark n’ Stormy (made with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and ginger beer) and the Rum Swizzle (a not-so-sweet punch originally invented at the Swizzle Inn when it opened in 1932). Nearly 90 years later not much has changed; in fact, graffiti from decades of customers is still scribbled all over the walls. Anything goes, which is why patrons are encouraged to “Swizzle Inn and Swagger Out.” It’s impossible to find a bar or restaurant in Bermuda that doesn’t serve Rum Swizzles, but you can’t leave the island without trying a taste of the original.
THE Bermuda pink sand beach! Horseshoe Bay Beach, one of the island’s most iconic—and most visited—stretches of pink sand, is located in Southampton Parish, and is so quintessentially Bermuda. Horseshoe Bay Beach is public, so there’s no entry fee.
We've all heard of the Bermuda Triangle, so perhaps it's no surprise that the island has more shipwrecks per square mile than anywhere else in the world. The reefs that circle the area have been responsible for over 300 sunken ships, dating as far back as the 1600s—and many of the see-it-to-believe-it wrecks are available to explore by snorkel and scuba. Book a visit through one of Bermuda's many dive operators, then try and make the agonizing decision between visiting older boats (on the western end of the island) or newer (on the east side). Or, you know, extend your trip and see it all.
In the early 19th century, the Irish poet Thomas Moore spent three months in Bermuda. His name is now used colloquially to describe the Walsingham Nature Reserve, known to most locals as Tom Moore’s Jungle. The 12-acre expanse of forests, caves, and secret swimming holes is one of the island’s loveliest, most secluded nature walks, offering an intimate look at all the things you might see on a more established tour (like Crystal Caves). Networks of paths with trees arching overhead lace the reserve, ushering you deeper into Bermuda’s natural landscape. Walsingham is home to a modest mangrove forest, their roots protruding from the saltwater like claws, as well as less trafficked subterranean caves. But best of all is the adjoining Blue Hole Park, with its mid-sized sinkhole named for the dark-blue tone of very, very deep water.
The Bermuda Craft Market in the Royal Naval Dockyard is where Daniel & Cath get our Bermuda knickknacks. Housed inside an old stone cooperage where barrels were once stored for the British Navy, this is where you can peruse a massive collection of handmade goods, sold by the artisans themselves, so it's also an opportunity to chat up a local. Into cigars? Pop by the table manned by Grant Kennedy, Bermuda’s only master cigar roller, who handrolls stogies with Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos - they're great!
The Crystal Caves of Bermuda, an otherworldly network of caves and subterranean lakes, was first discovered in 1901 by two Bermudian boys who were trying to track down a lost cricket ball. What they eventually uncovered is now one of Bermuda’s true hidden treasures—a cavernous, watery world, complete with centuries-old stalactites and stalagmites. Today, guided tours take visitors deep inside these two Ice Age–era caves where you’ll descend about 120 feet below ground for an unearthly natural experience. A word of caution, though: a tour through the Crystal Caves of Bermuda is not for the faint of heart or for the claustrophobic—the spaces that lead to the caverns are tight.
Throughout the middle of the 20th century, before cars were widely available on the island and destinations were connected by paved roads, a nearly 22-mile-long railway extended from one end of Bermuda to the other. It traced a route along the water from St. George’s to Sandys Parish, shepherding passengers across the island from 1931 to 1948. In 1964, 18 miles of the railway reopened as a mixed-use running, biking, and horseback riding trail; more than 20 years later, in 1986, the Bermuda Railway Trail was consecrated as a national park. All told, it's a free, lovely way to get a high-angle view of the coastline and surrounding waters by bike or foot.
Indulge in soothing spa treatments at Grotto Bay Beach Resort’s Natura Spa. Treatments are offered in two locations: alongside an azure underground lake in a 500,000-year-old natural cave, or in an over-water gazebo surrounded by lush tropical greenery in a private cove. Choose from a wide menu – including facials, body wraps, massages, and couple's massages – with only organic products.
Book a sailing lesson!
A popular option for gorgeous views as you play 18!
Another famous golf course!