Some of my notes from Bermuda

A vacation involving some “island time” was long overdue as it had been over 25 years since my last visit to Bermuda, and my husband had never been to this beautiful little island. Bermuda is one of the most cosmopolitan of all the Atlantic Caribbean islands. This small island has an old British influence, an international banking presence and a well-established community. Bermuda can be reached by plane in just 3 hours, from New York City, and is easily accessible from much of the US East Coast. With the charm of easy access, a comfortable western outlook, and a reliable tourism industry, the island is a fantastic vacation spot. Given Bermuda’s exclusive tourist client base and lack of arable land, the island is expensive.

The restaurant’s food is undoubtedly aimed at a tourist crowd and is priced accordingly. Of course, there are a few local spots, including Harry’s, an almost hidden gem that we found one night. Harry’s restaurant is located in an office complex next to the Hamilton Marina. This restaurant has a nice patio on a quiet cul-de-sac at the end of the marina. They also have an extensive bar menu (food and drinks), I would recommend the salt and pepper prawns and the tuna carpaccio. There is no chance of leaving this place hungry or thirsty. We also understand that on Friday afternoons this place is packed for happy hour.

Aside from the food at Harry’s, we had mixed dining experiences in Bermuda. Coconuts at The Reefs Hotel had received several reviews from a disparate group of people, so it seemed like a place we had to try. The restaurant’s location is at the water’s edge where you can dine on the patio overlooking the waves or at a table on the sandy beach. However, the indicator should have been the $75 prix fixe dinner. The food was disappointing and unmistakably created for a tourist crowd. We recommend going for a cocktail and seeing the view and scenery, but skip their dinner package. They have another fantastic patio with views of the ocean and the beach, at the foot of the road. This would also be a lovely place for a drink.

On our last night we tried The Waterlog Inn associated with the Southampton Princess. It’s a classic steakhouse. The food and the service were extremely good. The restaurant was full, possibly with those people also being disappointed by Coconuts. My husband would recommend this restaurant based on the wine selection. However, I remain undecided as the restaurant can be found in any large city in North America. We did not try, although we should have, the dining room at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. The lighthouse is on a hill and the open air restaurant has the best views on the island. Please give it a try and let us know.

The coffee in Bermuda was disappointing. Hamilton has a few places that serve espresso, including the Hamilton Princess coffee shop. The first place we tried was the coffee shop located inside Miles Market. The lattes were made by two baristas who were much more interested in talking on the phone than serving their customers. The next day we ventured a little further to the Common Ground, which can be found in an alley, just off Front Street. The Common Ground lattes were an improvement over the day before, albeit a bit milky. We gave their food a decent rating. My husband had his breakfast sandwich a BLT with egg. It was made to order and very well presented. The restaurant that gets the highest local ratings is Rock Island on Reid Street. On Sunday morning, I ventured out to see if Rock Island really was the place for coffee. It was a failed mission though, absolutely nothing is open in Hamilton on Sunday mornings. Even the juice and java shop on Front Street only opens at 2 p.m. My failed mission with coffee led me back to the aforementioned Hamilton Princess coffee shop, which had a line out the door of hotel guests and islanders who had just left. finish your road bike rides. This is literally the only coffee shop open in Hamilton on a Sunday and the coffee was terrible.

Despite disappointing dining experiences, Bermuda offers a wide variety of tourist attractions and activities. The island is small and easy to explore. The ferry and bus system work together, with little effort you can reach either end of the island in about 60 minutes, from Hamilton. There are up to 4 bus options each way and several ferry options on weekdays. Be sure to check the museum and fort opening hours before heading out to explore, as we found out that Fort St. Catherine is only open on weekdays. We recommend spending at least half a day at the Royal Naval Dockyard and exploring the Bermuda Maritime Museum and Commissioner’s House. Keep in mind, however, that the Royal Naval Dockyard is also the port for cruise ships that visit the island, so you can expect a significant number of tourist shops and associated inflated prices.

St George’s located at the other (east) end of the island. This small town is a step back in time to the 19th century, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This small port still has cobbled streets and alleys. There are some attractive shops and restaurants. Be sure to visit Tabaco Bay and swim or have a drink overlooking the ocean. St George’s can be reached by boat from Monday to Friday, or by any of 4 buses every day of the week.

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is located on the highest point of the island, built in 1844 and is the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world. The hill is 245 feet high and the lighthouse itself is 117 feet. A 1,000-watt light bulb sits inside a rotating lens in a channel of 1,200 pounds of mercury. Ships can see the beam of light 40 miles away and from a range of 120 miles by aircraft flying at 10,000 feet. The views are worth the walk up the hill.

Golfers love Bermuda. There are numerous courses with varied terrain and price points. We were lucky enough to play the Mid-Ocean Club and Port Royal courses. Mid-Ocean is a classic old course, with a lot of bumps along the way and certainly a challenging hike. At the time of our visit, the Port Royal course was undergoing a massive renovation for the Grand Slam. The Port Royal course has a lot of sand and is not easy for the average golfer. We visited, although we didn’t play Tuckers Point, which sits next to Mid-Ocean. Tuckers Point offers fabulous grounds, tennis, semi-private beach, and a beautiful golf course with terrain remarkably similar to Mid-Ocean.

Bermuda’s beaches are beautiful, possibly even the island’s best feature. The sand is pink-white. We found that it’s not too difficult to get away from the crowds and find a secluded spot to swim. Bermuda is beautiful and worth visiting.