Destination:
Bermuda

Bermuda's pretty pastel-shaded capital, Hamilton, named after a former Governor, hustles and bustles with local shoppers and keen sightseers every day of the week. Although it is officially a city, boasting a massive 19th-century neo-Gothic cathedral, it is the size of a town and is inhabited by approximately 15,000 people. The population swells appreciably with the frequent arrival of cruise ships that berth next to Hamilton's main thoroughfare of Front Street, stretching along the harbour-front. Front Street also boasts a ferry terminal, a parade area and countless shops, restaurants and taverns. Most visitors linger at any one of the restaurants along the stretch and enjoy the harbour views or watch the passersby from the decorative balconies. The mood is relaxed and amiable. Throughout the town British influences have blended comfortably with the casual island style. Visitors can explore elegant buildings like the Royal Yacht Club and Historical Museum, or take a ride in a quaint horse-drawn carriage.

Hamilton's pride is the Georgian-style Sessions House, on Church Street. It dates back to 1815 and serves as Bermuda's House of Assembly and Supreme Court. It is also worth visiting Fort Hamilton, particularly for the splendid views it offers of the city, harbour and Gibb's Hill Lighthouse. At midday every Monday shows are staged with bagpipers and traditional dancers.

From Hamilton one can take a 15-minute walk to one of Bermuda's more recent attractions, the state-of-the-art Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. This is a multi-million dollar institute built to showcase the natural wonders of the surrounding oceans. The Institute offers a simulated dive in a capsule and interactive exhibits detailing local reef wrecks, plant and animal life. Also worth visiting is the Bermuda Historical Society Museum.

St George's was Bermuda's original settlement and one-time capital, until 1815. It is situated at the east end of the country and provides a pleasant and relaxed day's sightseeing. There is a slide show on the Parish, which may be of interest to visitors. A walking tour is a good way to explore the museums and quaint shops and one can meet the Town Crier along the way whilst stopping here and there to sample the fare at the charming restaurants.

The hub of town life is King's Square, featuring stocks, a pillory and whipping-post where criminals were punished in days of yore. The Town Crier appears here on occasion, in traditional costume, to re-enact scenes such as committing the town drunk to the stocks and securing the town gossip on the Ordnance Island ducking stool. The Town Hall fronts the square, and behind it is one of Bermuda's oldest buildings, the State House, dating from 1619. Located close to this is an art gallery and several museums.

The town is a delightful one in which to walk around. It has many narrow lanes leading away from the harbour, which were originally the footpaths to the houses. The dwellings are picturesque with their well-maintained gardens coloured by banana and paw-paw trees. There are horse-drawn buggy rides as a means of transport and a bus service runs to locations of interest such as Clearwater Beach, St David's Island and Fort St Catherine.

Along the south western shore, the parish of Warwick offers some of the finest pink-sand beaches and coves in Bermuda, including Horseshoe Bay and one of the best public beaches, Warwick Long Bay. Between them are numerous lovely coves such as Jobson's Cove, which is a favourite for beach weddings, and an offshore reef offers great snorkelling and diving opportunities. The far western part of the island includes Ireland Island, Boaz Island and Somerset, where the Bermuda Maritime Museum within the Naval Dockyards is a major tourist attraction, and where it is possible to interact with the dolphins that live there.