Bermuda
March 3-7, 2022 (5D4N): Bermuda is technically not in the Caribbean as it is located in the North Atlantic Ocean. With a less than 2 hours flight from NYC, you can easily jet off for a long weekend or extend your stay to work remotely while seeing everything on an island that is only 24 miles long in under five days. Given that visitors can only rent electric vehicles to get around the island, we opted to stay at the famous Hamilton Princess for two nights to enjoy the City of Hamilton on foot before moving to an Airbnb.
*Highly Recommended
Day 1
Noon arrival at BDA from JFK (~2 hrs direct via Delta)
Check-in @ The Fairmount Hamilton Princess* (Taxi ~$30-$35; 30-45 mins):
Lunch @ Crown & Anchor
Pool time @ Infinity Pool*
Walk around the City of Hamilton:
Dinner @ The Front Yard* (Get the fish soup)
Drinks @ The Terrace on Front Street
Day 2
9:30 am: Hotel shuttle bus to The Princess Beach Club (Private beach for the Hamilton Princess guests)
The Princess Beach Club*:
Sinky Bay Beach
Cross Beach
Boat Bay Beach
Rock Pools
Shop @ Miles Market
Pool time @ Infinity Pool
Dinner @ 1609 Bar & Restaurant*
Day 3
Check-out @ The Fairmount Hamilton Princess
Pick-up Twizzy (electric car) rental @ Current Vehicles (Inside the Fairmont Hamilton Princess guest parking lot)
Check-in @ Airbnb (Southampton Parish- EV charing on site)*
Lunch @ Gulfstream*
Horseshoe Bay* (picturesque bay)
Warwick Long Bay (long stretch of pink sands beach)
Jobson’s Cove* (stunning views)
Shop @ Heron Bay Marketplace
Day 4
Hike @ Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve*:
Long Bay Beach
Wildlife Watch Tower
NASA Bermuda Tracking Station
Turtle Beach
Lunch @ Cafe Ole* (Get the fish sandwich with lettuce/tomato/onion; expect a long wait; call to order ahead if possible)
Tour of Crystal Cave* ($24; ~30 mins; The Fantasy Cave was closed when we were there - combo ticket $35)
RT short hike to see the following sites (see photo below)
Causeway Cave
Castle Grottoes*
Swim @ Blue Hole*
Castle Harbour
Tom Moore’s Tavern* (grab a meal/beer if time permits)
Walsingham Bay
City of St. George’s:
Self-guided historical walking tour:
Sir George Somers Statue
The Smith Garden
Fort St. Catherine (enjoy the sunset here)
Drinks @ The St. Regis Bermuda Resort
Dinner @ The Airbnb
Drinks @ Boundary Sports Bar and Grille (SKIP!)
Day 5
10:30 am: PCR Test @ The Fairmont Hamilton Princess
Victualing Yard
Bermuda Fun Golf* (18 Hole Mini-Golf Course featuring ‘mini-golf sized’ versions of the most challenging and exciting holes from courses in Bermuda, Scotland, and the USA)
Lunch @ The Dockyard Pastry Shop & Bistro*
Daniel’s Head Beach Park (very shallow)
Snorkeling @ Church Bay Beach* (great visibility; less windy)
Sunset & drinks @ King Henry VIII
Dinner @ the Airbnb
Day 6
Return electric car
Pick-up watch @ Astwood Dickinson Jewelers
Taxi to the airport (~$30-35; bring small changes in USD if you aren’t paying in local currency)
Primeclass Lounge* (part of the Priority Pass Lounge network; a must!)
Afternoon flight to JFK
Other points of interest & food:
City of Hamilton:
Eat @ Huckleberry Restaurant & Mad Hatters
Hamilton Parish:
Massage @ Nature Cave Spa (Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa)
Snorkeling @ John Smith’s Bay Beach
Southampton Parish:
Hike from Horseshoe Beach to Warwick Long Bay (0.9 miles each way)
Dine with a view @ Coconuts (The Reefs Resort & Club)
Sandys Parish:
Eat @ Frog & Onion Pub
St. George’s Parish:
Snorkeling @ Tobacco Bay
Tips:
Despite a similar latitude to that of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, Bermuda has a milder climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream. That being said, the water temperature is generally too cold for swimming from January to April.
Make sure you read up on the COVID-19 testing/entry requirement. In short, vaccinated travelers need a PCR test within 4 days or a Rapid antigen within 2 days prior to departure plus a $40 Travel Authorisation fee. For NYC residents, you can do so for free @ NYC Express Testing Sites and various CTS mobile testing sites for test results under 24 hrs.
Amex Centurion Lounge opened up in October 2020 - take advantage of it and visit the speakeasy (1850) if you fly out of JFK T4.
For your first visit, look for accommodations in the City of Hamilton or Southampton.
An electric vehicle makes it easy to get around the island although the bus/ferry network is fairly extensive. If you do rent an EV, make sure your accommodations provide on-site charging as you’d need to recharge.
Visa/Mastercard, as well as USD, are accepted on the island but the Bermudian dollar (pegged to the USD at 1:1) is more commonly found among taxis.
If a visitor’s country of origin requires a test to return, a test will automatically be booked prior to departure from Bermuda. Testing fees are included as part of the Travel Authorisation fee. Read more here.
