
View from Gibbs Lighthouse
“You took da bus?” cried our hostess in her endearing accent. “All da way from da airport?” She said it like she had never heard of any tourist doing something so complicated.
Traveling well requires a good bit of creativity. Or money. Often both. But creativity can kick in to help you save money, learn more about a local culture, and help you have a much better trip. You can also have some fun surprising locals with your cunning.
Bermuda, one of the havens of the super-rich, proved on our recent visit to require ample creative problem solving in lieu of shelling out for exorbitant taxi rides and restaurant meals. I gathered that, because many of the tourists were either so rich they didn’t care what the taxis cost or had arrived on cruise ships with prearranged island tours, we remaining DIY-ers had to fend for ourselves. We learned a lot about Bermuda through pure scrappiness, and I am proud now to share with you what we learned.
- WHY BERMUDA…
My parents honeymooned in Bermuda and always described it as paradise with pink beaches. This proved fully accurate. The water is so clear that you can see rainbow-colored fish straight through the cresting waves. Rocky outcroppings along the southern shore make for secluded swimming grottoes so picturesque it hurts. Bermuda is a world-class destination for golf, sailing, and scuba diving, and offers many other activities including cave swimming, kayaking, and renting mopeds. Located in the middle of the Atlantic at a similar latitude level to North Carolina, it is decidedly not Caribbean, and for much of the year has significantly cooler temperatures (averaging around 75-80 in the summer). It is a quick flight from East Coast cities (less than two hours) and we found the best deal from New York’s JFK. The Bermudian dollar is fixed to the value of the American dollar, and the currency is interchangeable, so easy peasy. All told, Bermuda makes for a seriously nifty getaway.Jobson Cove
- BEFORE YOU GO…
One of the most important things to know about Bermuda is that it is very expensive to be there. Almost all of the country’s GDP comes out of off-shore banking, which means they produce virtually nothing of their own and import everything they need. This means you will be paying $17 for a sandwich, $30 for an entree, and $7 for a loaf of bread. This shouldn’t turn you off to visiting, but you need to be aware. My husband and I made it work on a budget by cooking breakfast and one other meal in our apartment rental, and then sharing an appetizer and an entree at a restaurant for the remaining meal. Another way to ease your wallet pain would be to bring non-perishable and non-produce snacks from home like pretzels, trail mix, etc. along with refillable water bottles (the water is safe to drink).In planning our itinerary, I was surprised to find few guidebooks, and even fewer recent guidebooks, available for our type of traveler. The Fodors I perused proved a waste of time; no way was I going to believe that the cheapest accommodation ran north of $300 nightly. I’m also not into birding or shopping and wasn’t planning on playing golf this time around. Given this, I spent my prep hours looking at TripAdvisor reviews for activities, taking notes on the nicest beaches, the prettiest nature preserves, and must-see historical landmarks. In the next installment, I will cover top attractions.
- LODGING…
Finding lodging on a budget was no easy feat, especially in high season. Originally I set out to find a hotel to benefit from amenities like airport shuttles and pools, but ultimately suffered from sticker shock, feeling frustrated by the thought of spending more than $200/night on decrepit rooms desperately in need of refurbishing. Bermuda, however, is full of alternative lodging options including B&Bs and apartment/house rentals. We had good luck with VRBO, finding several solid choices in our preferred price range. Our first VRBO inquiry led to even better luck because, though that particular unit was not available, the property manager sent us back a list of available units that were even CHEAPER AND NICER than the one we had wanted! The company was Bermuda Accommodations Inc., and I can recommend them highly. We booked a small apartment with a fully outfitted kitchenette, a king size bed, a huge bath tub, AC, and charming hosts, all walking distance from the nicest beaches on the island.Marley Beach, our favorite
This leads me to location. Much of the island’s attractions are spread out across the island which means you will be doing some commuting between them. This will be slow going. The speed limit is only 25 mph, though it actually feels fast on those narrow, windy roads—believe me. At this pace, the two main villages, Hamilton and St. George, are about a half-hour apart. The nicest beaches are 20 minutes south of Hamilton. The Dockyards are about 45 minutes away from everything. This said, it is important to choose your lodging to be closest to the features you will use most often. If you want to be near the nicest beaches, then stay along the south coast in Warwick Parish. If you want to be closer to multiple public transit routes, restaurants, and night life, stay closer to Hamilton. If you want old-world charm, shopping options, and access to Tobacco Bay, stay in St. George.
- WHEN YOU GET THERE…
Your plane will soar over waters that grow increasingly turquoise the nearer you get to landing. You will step out of the airport and breathe in the salty, sunny air. Then you will realize there was no information booth in the airport. Customs just dumped you onto the curb to be accosted by taxi drivers. No maps, no guidance, no functional pay phones. We went around asking employees for tips and eventually figured out the buses.From the airport, you have several options to reach your lodging. The first is to have arranged it ahead of time if your lodging offers shuttle service. The second is to pay for a taxi. This might be the easiest option, but depending on where you are located, be prepared to spend, especially if you get in on a Sunday when they charge 25% more on fees. The third is to take the bus. There are several buses that pick up in front of the airport and go either to St. George or Hamilton. Reference where you’re staying on this bus map and pick your route. You will need to pay in cash until you can get other bus tickets. They do not give change, so have some coins ready to pay exact fare. If you are transferring to a second bus, ask the driver to give you a transfer slip, and he or she will tear off a piece of paper noting the time. Remember that the pink poles at the bus stops lead you toward Hamilton, and the blue poles lead you away from it. NOTE: Depending on how crowded the bus is, the driver may not let you on with luggage. We were told they rarely enforce this, but there are between 0-1 luggage racks on these buses, and some bus rides are packed full.
You can buy bus passes and individual tickets at the bus terminals, ferry terminals, and information booths. These tickets also work on ferries. They offer multi-day passes as well as packets of tickets. Probably the best way to save money was to estimate the number of trips you will be taking and buy a packet of 15 All-zone tickets. This way the tickets can be used by whomever (whereas the passes can only be used by one person at a time) and you save a bunch of money by buying in bulk. Just remember to ask for those transfers!
Stay tuned for Part 2, Top Bermuda Activities!
How to Bermuda, Part 2
Last week I began a step-by-step guide to travelling in Bermuda on a (relative) budget. In Part 1 I covered planning tips and getting oriented when you arrive. In today’s Part 2, I will cover highlights of attractions and activities.
Sunset at Marley Beach
Ah, Bermuda. Land of pink beaches and crystal clear turquoise water. Swimming there is like swimming in a giant liquid gemstone and every bit as sparkly. On this most recent trip, due to budget and the warm weather we were very happy to stick the water. Bermuda is also famous for its sailing, golf, wreck diving, and moped rentals, though we did not partake this time around. Even so, we learned quite a bit about some seriously fun places to explore, and here are some of the highlights.
“The water was so warm I couldn’t believe it!” our Bermudian host told us as he recalled his last dip into the blue waters. Indeed, this past summer experienced especially warm weather, but even so July and August are high season for a reason in Bermuda with water temperatures so deliciously inviting you could stay swimming for hours at a time. Given this, we sampled as many beaches as we could fit in a five day visit, and here are our top finds:
Marley Beach: Smaller and unassuming, we had this beach mostly to ourselves and spent the majority of our last day lounging in the shade of boulders and watching the shades of blue in the water transform as the sun coursed the sky. The water is slightly rougher than other locations, but still great for a joyous dip. Located just west of the Swizzle restaurant on South Road, a small driveway will take you down to the beach entrance.
Warwick Long Bay
Warwick Long Bay: This stunning stretch of pinky, creamy, fluffy sand will have you wondering why you bother going anywhere else on vacation. We very much enjoyed watching rainbow-colored parrot fish meander through the clear crests of waves. Again, we felt wonderfully secluded as there were so few people around. Located along South Road, Warwick Long Bay is its own park and you will find a pathway down to the sand from a small parking lot.
The path connecting the Warwick Beaches
Jobson Cove and Stonehole: Between Warwick Long Bay and Horseshoe Bay there is a sandy pathway connecting a series of coves, each of which look straight out of the pirate stories of our dreams. Tall rocky outcroppings frame calm swimming areas and even provide shade in the afternoon. It was very fun to beach-hop via that path.
Coopers Island Park: On the Southeastern corner of the island you will find a former Air Force base turned park preserve. A semi-paved path passes through a fence and loops around the peninsula taking you to some of the prettiest white sand beaches on the island. This would be a great place for kids, especially, as the water is extremely calm and stays shallow a long ways out. Toward the tip of the peninsula, large stones create mini bathtubs in the water, perfect for relaxing. At the far end you can climb an observation tower for 360 degree views of the island and ocean. You also might even be able to spot turtles from that vantage point!
Coopers Island
Other notables: You might hear tell of the beauty of Horseshoe Bay. For our tastes it was too crowded to find any pleasure in being there, what with the hoards of cruise ship visitors clamoring around the bar. Even so, if the party atmosphere is your thing, then go for it. Tobacco Bay just north of St. George might also be a spot for you, and supposedly has some decent snorkeling, but we didn’t get that far. We did hear that snorkeling is good at Church Bay west of Horseshoe, and that Elbow Beach is lovely albeit shared with a big resort, but again, we ran out of time to see those.
This FREE park is totally worth a few hours of your trip. There are two ways to get in there: first, from a pathway starting behind Tom Moore’s Tavern (incidentally the oldest eating house on island!) and second from a pathway and parking lot across the street from the entrance to Grotto Bay Resort. Well-trodden, though unmarked, trails will lead you through the park. Don’t be afraid to follow smaller trails as many of them lead to pools of blue water full of fish or small caves to peruse. We came through the Grotto Bay entrance. This path leads you to a clearing with a big tree in the center. The pathway on the left led to the Blue Hole, a large swimming spot full of bright turquoise and highly-salinated water ready for the plunging. You can either take your time entering the pool to the left of the deck area, or launch yourself off one of two nearby heights. The trail just beyond the big tree led to Tom Moore’s Tavern and, just beyond a large pool of fish, off to the right and up a little hill to the swimming cave. The swimming cave was worth the whole excursion. I highly recommend bringing water shoes as you will be climbing over wet rocks to enter and exit the water.
Established in 1612, this pristine piece of colonial history welcomes guests with cute shops, decent restaurants, windy cobblestone lanes, and several interesting activities including a daily reenactment of a nagging wife dunking and a walk around St. Peter’s church, still standing after 400 years. We enjoyed our lunch at the Wahoo Cafe before heading out to Coopers Island via a shuttle that left from the information center.
Wednesday night in Summer sees Hamilton’s Front Street closed to traffic and filled with food stands, tents with local artisans displaying their wares, and multiple live bands. If you are around the Hamilton area on a Wednesday, this is definitely worth a detour.
One thing we did not do but I was curious about was the Railway Bike Path. It stretches across most of the island right down the middle and shows off parts of the island you otherwise wouldn’t see. I hear the best place to rent pedal bikes (as well as mopeds and scooters) is at Elbow Beach. Ah well, next time. I also would like next time to see a sunset from the western shores. We walked up to Gibbs Lighthouse one afternoon and enjoyed the view over the northern harbor.
A few more thoughts on Bermuda:
That’s it! Feel free to contact me with questions. And Enjoy! We sure did!
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Filed under Inspiration and Creativity, Photography, Running Commentary on whatever tickles the fancy, Travel
Tagged as #nofilter, activtiies, beaches, bermuda, biking, blue hole, budget, cheap, coopers, Emily Capo Photography, Emily Capo Sauerman, horsehoe, jobson, swimming, tom moores, Travel, warwick, what to do