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Fort HamiltonCity/Region: Hamilton
Fort Hamilton is a substantial Victorian fort with a panoramic view of Hamilton Harbour. It is one in a series of fortifications built in the mid-19th century during a period of rising tensions between Britain and the USA. The ramparts are mounted with 18-ton artillery pieces (to date unused) capable of firing 400-pound (181kg) cannonballs through iron-hulled vessels. Located nearby is Clarence Cove, a popular little beach that forms part of Admiralty House Park. The house itself dates from
the early 19th century and was built as the residence of the Royal Navy's regional commander. Another military echo along North Shore Road, Black Watch Well, marked with a memorial tablet, was dug by troops of the famous Scottish regiment during a drought in 1849.
Address: Happy Valley Road
Phone Number: (441) 292 1234
Hours: Fort open daily 8am to sunset
Admission: Free
Botanical GardensCity/Region: Hamilton
Paget is a delightful park that provides the perfect departure point from which to study the island's flora. It is a fragrant haven of exotic subtropical plants, flowers, and trees. Some of the highlights of this 36-acre paradise include the palm garden with native palmetto trees, the subtropical fruit garden, a garden for the visually-impaired which features scented plants, a ficus collection, and a flowering hibiscus garden. In addition, there are greenhouses with orchids, bromeliads, a miniature forest, an aviary, and a variety of flowering houseplants. The white house on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens is Camden, the official residence of Bermuda's Premier. The house is open for tours, except when official functions are scheduled.
Address: 169 South Road
Phone Number: (441) 236 4201
Hours: Sunrise to sunset daily, year round
Admission: Free (though there is a charge during the Agricultural Exhibition every April)
Harrington SoundCity/Region: Hamilton
Harrington Sound is a large inland sea five miles (8km) northeast of Hamilton. Its calm waters provide perfect sailing territory. The Sound is linked to the ocean by the narrow Flatts Inlet where changes to the tide are magnified and waters rush beneath a bridge connecting the two sides. On the north side of the inlet, opposite Flatts Village, is the Bermuda Aquarium (www.bamz.org) where visitors can enjoy more than 100 species of indigenous Bermuda fish in ocean and reef environments. Located within the same complex is the Natural History Museum and zoo that features animals from the Caribbean, Australia, Asia, Madagascar and the Galapagos.
Phone Number: (441) 293 2727 (Aquarium)
Hours: Aquarium: daily 9am to 5pm; closed Christmas Day. Last admission is an hour before closing
Admission: Aquarium: $10 (adults); $5 (children 5-12 years)
Bermuda PerfumeryCity/Region: Hamilton
The Bermuda Perfumery is located in a 250-year-old house on the North Shore Road. It was established in 1929 and has become a prosperous cottage industry creating wonderful fragrances from the island's flowers, such as Easter lily, oleander, jasmine, passionflower and frangipani. These are cultivated on the grounds and manufactured into a selection of perfumes using the ancient enfleurage process. One can buy perfumes here or simply enjoy a stroll through the lush gardens and nature trails. The orchid house is also a must-see.
Address: Stewart Hall, 5 Queen Street
Phone Number: (441) 293 0627
Email Address: info@bermuda-perfumery.com
Website: www.bermuda-perfumery.com
Transport: Bus 10 or 11 St George's or bus 3 Crystal Caves; ask the driver to stop at the perfumery
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Crystal CavesCity/Region: Hamilton
The stretch of land between Harrington Sound and Castle Harbour is riddled with caves. Located 80ft (24m) underground, Crystal Caves with its dramatic stalactites and stalagmites never ceases to amaze and inspire. There is a wonderful walk over the pontoon bridge to Cahow Lake, with crystal-clear water that reaches a depth of 55ft (17m). Visitors to the Crystal Caves can also enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Palm Garden. A little further on are the Leamington Caves with their incredible crystal formations and underground pools that can be explored along well-marked paths. More caves are located on the grounds of the 300-year-old Walsingham House, now a well-known restaurant.
Address: 8 Crystal Caves Road
Phone Number: (441) 293 0640
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 4.30pm
Admission: BD$14 (adults), BD$8 (children 5-12)
King's SquareCity/Region: St George's Town
Many attractions are located around King's Square where a beautiful 18th-century Town Hall overlooks the old pillory and stocks. The Hall is no longer in use but does provide great photo opportunities. Located close by is the ducking stool where gossips and petty offenders were forced to endure the humiliation of being dunked in the harbor. A few minutes walk from here is the Old State House, Bermuda's first all-stone structure and oldest building dating to 1620. Originally known as Sessions House, it was the first permanent home of the colonial assembly, which until then, had held their debates in St Peter's Church.
Somers GardenCity/Region: St George's Town
Located North of King's Square is Somers Garden, named after the colony's founder whose ship, Sea Venture, was wrecked off the island in 1609. Finding it a fairly nice place to be washed ashore, Sir George Somers built a replacement vessel from the local cedar, left some sailors behind to establish British claim to the islands and then headed home. He returned within the year but died shortly after arrival, leaving his heart, quite literally, on the island (his vital organs and entrails are in a small tomb in the Garden). The rest of his body however was sent back to England, as was customary at the time.
St Peter's ChurchCity/Region: St George's Town
St Peter's Church is one of Bermuda's most cherished landmarks. It is the oldest Anglican Church outside Britain. The original wooden structure was built in 1612 and its roof thatched with palmetto. Among St Peter's many treasures are a mahogany altar, the oldest piece of Bermudian furniture on the Island, the St George's chalice that was presented in 1625, a Bible from 1594, Charles I silver, open cedar timber beams, beautiful chandeliers, and marble memorials to some of the Island's earliest governors. St Peter's served as the only public meeting place in Bermuda until the State House was built. The churchyard is also well worth walking around in. Tombstones tell of epidemics, shipwrecks and war. The grave of Sir Richard Sharples, Bermuda's governor who was assassinated in 1973, lies on the east side; on the west side is a collection of unmarked stones, poignant testimony to the segregated slave section.
Address: Duke of York Street
Phone Number: (441) 297 8359
Hours: Daily 10am to 4.30pm; Sunday services begin at 11am
Admission: Free
Globe HotelCity/Region: St George's Town
Situated across from St Peter's is the Globe Hotel. It was built in 1699 and houses the fascinating National Trust Museum. The museum documents Bermuda's role in the US Civil War when St George enjoyed unprecedented wealth from helping the southern states run the northern naval blockade.
Address: 32 Duke of York Street
Phone Number: (441) 297 1423
Website: www.bnt.bm
Transport: Buses 1, 3, 10 or 11
Hours: Museum: Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm (November to March), Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm (April to October)
Admission: Museum: BD$5 (adults), BD$2 (children 6-18 years)
Tucker House MuseumCity/Region: St George's Town
This elegant, early 18th-century edifice was the home of Henry Tucker, a descendant of Bermuda's second governor, Daniel Tucker. A freed American slave named Joseph Hayne Rainey ran a barber shop here during the American Civil War. Years later he returned to South Carolina to become the first African-American member of the United States House of Representatives. Today, the mansion is a museum and houses the furniture and silver collection that once belonged to the Tucker family.
Address: 5 Water Street
Phone Number: (441) 297 0545
Website: www.bnt.bm
Transport: Bus 1, 3, 10 or 11
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm (April to October), Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm (November to March)
Admission: BD$5 (adults), BD$2 (children 6-18 years)
Somers' WharfCity/Region: St George's Town
Somer's Wharf is a tastefully redeveloped area on the waterfront with a selection of shops and restaurants. The Carriage Museum has a collection of well-maintained carriages ranging from a dog-cart to a four-horse brake that ruled the roads until as recently as 1946 when cars were legalized. Situated nearby is Tobacco Bay, a good spot for swimming and snorkeling.
Fort St CatherineCity/Region: St George's Town
On the northern tip of St George's Island is Fort St Catherine, overlooking the beach where Sir George Somers and his shipwrecked crew came ashore in 1609. Bermuda's first governor Richard Moore, who was a carpenter by trade, built a wooden fort on this site several years later. Since then it was rebuilt and renovated so that today it is a massive fortification complete with a moat, drawbridge, ramparts and a maze of tunnels. Fort St Catherine is now used as a museum containing period weapons, colorful dioramas, a wax figure of Queen Elizabeth II, and replicas of Britain's crown jewels. An audiovisual presentation focuses on the many forts located around Bermuda.
Somerset IslandCity/Region: The West
The world's smallest drawbridge links Somerset Island to Bermuda's main island. The section that flips up is only two feet (60cm) across, just wide enough to allow a sailboat mast through. At the center of the island set in nine hectares (22 acres) of parkland is Fort Scaur. It was built during the American War of Independence to protect the Naval Dockyard and is now a great picnic spot with good views of the island. Somerset Long Bay, with its 600ft (183m) of brilliant-white sand is the largest and best of the island's west side beaches.
Gibb's Hill LighthouseCity/Region: The West
On the southern point of the islands and obvious from miles around is the Gibb's Hill Lighthouse. It is well worth walking up the tower's 185 steps to the top from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the islands. The cast-iron building was prefabricated in England and assembled here in 1844 to warn ships off Bermuda's dangerous coast. It is still in use today.
Website: bermudalighthouse.com
Transport: Bus 7 or 8 from Hamilton Bus Terminal
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm; closed in February
South Shore ParkCity/Region: The West
This one-and-a-half-mile-long (2km) coastal reserve protects some of Bermuda's finest beaches. There are a total of 12 beaches, ranging from tiny inlets such as Peel Rock Cove, to larger half-moon bays such as Horseshoe Bay, recognized as one of the world's finest beaches. On the eastern fringe of the park is a wonderful stretch of pink and white coral sands, known as Warwick Long Bay. This beach generally has good waves suitable for bodysurfing. A coastal trail runs through the park, linking the series of coves and bays that are naturally divided by rocky outcrops.
Spittal Pond Nature ReserveCity/Region: The West
Bermuda's largest and most accessible nature reserve offers excellent trails and the island's finest bird watching. The reserve attracts scores of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl, with the greatest variety to be found during spring and autumn. Of the two-dozen shorebird species that feed at the edge of the brackish Spittal Pond, the Lesser Yellowlegs are the most abundant. Egrets and herons are frequent visitors as well. Visitors can walk along a scenic mile-long nature trail that runs through the reserve along the shoreline and through woods and farmland.
Address: South Road
Phone Number: (441) 236 6483
Website: www.bnt.bm
Transport: Bus 1
Hours: Daily from dawn to dusk
Admission: Free
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