EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a panoramic drive along Bermuda’s picturesque southern shore with stops along the way at the most alluring attractions. After crossing the world’s smallest drawbridge, you will travel past a lengthy nature reserve in surprisingly bucolic Somerset Village, around the Great Sound and on to Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. Climb the spiral staircase of this whitewashed beacon – the world’s oldest cast-iron lighthouse – and you will be treated to 360° views of southern Bermuda. As you will notice while pausing at some of the loveliest beaches that rim the southern shores, they feature pink sand. The magnificent pastel hue comes from a combination of white limestone sediment and red single-cell organisms called foraminifera. Pastels also dominate Hamilton, Bermuda’s winsome capital, especially along Front Street. The colors beautifully complement the harbor’s turquoise water. During free time in Hamilton, you might shop in the one-of-a-kind stores or simply meander about enjoying the stylish ambiance.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See the considerable highlights in southern Bermuda, both natural and manmade.
• Cross the world’s smallest drawbridge and stop at the world’s oldest cast-iron lighthouse.
• Pause on occasion to admire the naturally beautiful pink-sand beaches along the southern shores.
• Enjoy free time in Hamilton, Bermuda’s wonderfully traditional capital.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Your driver will pick-up shipside and shortly after exiting the Royal Naval Dockyard complex your drive takes you through quaint Somerset Village and over Somerset Bridge, the smallest drawbridge in the world. Admire Bermuda’s stunning natural beauty along the way, as you carry-on along breathtaking South Shore Road. Tour bus will pull-over at laybys dotted along this drive for photo opportunities and views of famous Horseshoe Bay and other pink sand beaches. Your tour then navigates the winding uphill drive to the base of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, towering 120 feet above sea level, a great opportunity to photograph the 360 degree views of Bermuda. You will stop to take in the sweeping view of John Smith’s Beach, one of Bermuda’s legendary pink hued beaches.

Pass by the Botanical Gardens and drive to St. George’s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll have 30 minutes to explore or shop in this unique old town. The town center provides a favorite photograph opportunity in the Stocks, aside the Ducking Stool and at the steps of St. Peter's Church, the oldest Anglican church of the Western Hemisphere. Re-joining your buses the route takes a coastline drive along the North Shore to soon arrive at famed Front Street, the busiest place on the island and life and soul of the lively capitol, City of Hamilton. Time allows for shopping and browsing in the boutique style shops and souvenir store-fronts lining Hamilton Harborfront.

OVERVIEW

Hear enlightening commentary about the British overseas territory of Bermuda on a scenic drive to a resort in Somerset Village, where you will indulge in a traditional English tea. The British influence will be apparent most everywhere you go, beginning with the Royal Naval Dockyard. It was established as a British base of operations between Nova Scotia and the West Indies after the English were defeated in the American Revolution, and it was used militarily until abandoned in the 1980s. Bermuda’s first settlers were British – although they arrived inadvertently after being shipwrecked in 1609 – and the self-governing archipelago still follows a parliamentary system based on the United Kingdom’s. Heydon Chapel is perhaps the earliest reminder of England’s presence as it was built in 1620. You might contemplate all that you have seen and heard about Britain over a spot of tea, scones and cakes at the waterfront Willowbank resort.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Settle in for a wonderfully scenic drive and hear commentary that highlights the attractions.
• Recognize Britain’s deep influence in Bermuda, which is still a British overseas territory.
• Enjoy the quintessential English experience – a traditional tea with cakes and scones.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

For those who would like to enjoy the beach, jump aboard the Beach Bus and enjoy round-trip transportation to the world-famous Horseshoe Bay Beach. Soak up the sun, swim in the crystal clear water or just relax in the pink sand.

OVERVIEW

Spend hours relaxing on a beach that the locals prefer because it is usually less crowded than other stretches of sand. To ensure that you have everything you could possibly need, you will first stop at a mini-mart to stock up on your favorite snacks and drinks. It won’t take long to reach Chaplin Bay, giving you all the more time to enjoy its secluded beach, a beautiful setting tucked along Bermuda’s southern shore. The sand is soft pink, the water brilliant blue and the sea is typically calm as the beach is sheltered by the large boulders that bookend it. Feel free to pull up a beach chair and bask in the sun or, if you prefer the shade, umbrellas are available. There will be plenty of time to take a refreshing swim, stroll along the shore and do most of anything else you please with no schedule to follow other than your own.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Relax as you please on the beautiful pink beach that rims Chaplin Bay.
• Stretch out on a beach chair or enjoy the shade under a beach umbrella.
• Enjoy the seclusion of Chaplin Bay and its sheltered waters.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Bring a towel, hat and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a thoroughly relaxing catamaran cruise with a favorite island-inspired drink in hand and stop along the way for a refreshing swim in the sea. As you skirt along the gorgeous western coast of Bermuda, the scenery will be absolutely breathtaking. Depending on your mood, you can sit in a shaded area, bask in the sun or move about the catamaran as you please. To add to the ambiance, tropical music will be playing and the drinks will be flowing. You might start with a dark ‘n’ stormy cocktail or a tasty rum swizzle, the national drink of Bermuda. Depending on the conditions, the captain will drop anchor in secluded cove or another sheltered hideaway, allowing you to relax without a care in the world. Although you will be welcome to stay onboard, it will be hard to resist swimming in the turquoise waters or just floating around on a foam noodle.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take in the gorgeous scenery while cruising a catamaran along Bermuda’s western shore.
• Enjoy the carefree atmosphere onboard with music playing and a cool drink in hand.
• Bask in the sun, sit in the shade and move about the catamaran as you please.
• Take a refreshing swim and float round on a foam noodle once the catamaran anchors.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Bring a towel, hat and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Ride a trolley train through the heart of St. George and discover fascinating facts about the history of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Along the way, you will hear about the town’s founding in 1612, it being Bermuda’s first capital and its distinction as the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the New World. St. George exudes history, especially through its 17th- and 18th-century architecture. From the comfort of the an open-air trolley train, you will enjoy unobstructed views of highlights such as Fort Catherine – which was built in 1614 overlooking the spot where the first English settlers arrived – and the gothic-style Unfinished Church, which some locals consider to be cursed because its construction suffered so many setbacks that it was never completed. Bermuda’s natural beauty will be on display as you pass Tobacco Bay Beach, a gorgeous sliver of sand sheltered by a natural breakwater of large boulders.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See the historical highlights of St. George from the comfort of a trolley train.
• Pass landmarks such as 17th-century Fort Catherine and the Unfinished Church.
• Discover the reasons UNESCO designated St. George as a World Heritage site.
• Behold beautiful Tobacco Bay Beach, which was named for the wild tobacco that grew there.
• Take the tender to and from St. George, which occupies Bermuda’s northeastern tip.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

A combination of both shallow water and deep-water interaction, your swim experience will start with an introduction to these amazing mammals followed by a 20 minute hands on interaction and swim with the dolphins. Learn about conservation and the value of your participation during the shallow water portion of your experience, where you are seated waist-high on a submerged platform and the dolphins rest on your lap. Enjoy the excitement of swimming or floating in the deeper water where your interactions continue with opportunities to observe them underwater as they swim underwater as they swim under and around you in their ocean lagoon habitat. Guests will be provided with the required flotation vests, complimentary lockers, outdoor showers and post program changing rooms. An onsite photographer will take photos available for the same day viewing and purchase to ensure you can share your memories. Tour price also includes admission to the National Museum of Bermuda’s fort, maritime and cultural exhibits, which you can browse and explore in addition to your dolphin experience

Travel around the picturesque Harrington Sound with its beautiful bays and coves with views of charming pastel-colored homes with distinctive architecture peppered on surrounding hillsides. Highlights include admission to the island’s top attractions for all ages-Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo and Crystal Caves. The Aquarium, Museum & Zoo showcases more than 200 species of fish and delicate marine invertebrates from shallow waters. See everything from chattering cockatoos to tiny seahorses, pink flamingos to Madagascar reptiles and more.

Your next admission to the beautiful limestone Crystal Caves, where you’ll have the rare opportunity taking you 55 feet below the surface to view wondrous formations of stalactites, stalagmites and underground lakes on your guided tour. For those not wishing to journey the 81 steps into the caves, the gardens around this area are beautifully manicured and are a great spot to relax or browse the gift shop.

The breathtaking South shores drive offers stops for photo opportunities to view famous Horseshoe Bay and other pink sand beaches, pretty pastel colored houses with distinctive white roofs. A drive through quaint Somerset Village soon has you crossing over little Somerset Bridge, the smallest drawbridge in the world. Your tour then navigates the winding uphill drive to the base of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, towering 120 feet above sea level, a great opportunity to photograph the 360 degree views of Bermuda.

You will stop to take in the sweeping view of John Smith’s Beach, one of Bermuda’s legendary pink hued beaches. Visit the historic Town of St. George's, the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the New World. The Town center provides a favorite photograph opportunity in the Stocks, aside the Ducking Stool and at the steps of St. Peter's Church, the oldest Anglican church of the Western Hemisphere. Re-joining your buses the route takes a coastline drive along the North Shore crossing over the Flatts Inlet, where the waters of Harrington Sound and the Atlantic Ocean merge to create swirling riptides that are visually spectacular. Arrive to famed Front Street, the busiest place on the island and life and soul of the lively capitol, City of Hamilton. Time allows for shopping and browsing in the boutique style shops and souvenir store-fronts lining Hamilton Harborfront.

Explore the geological wonders and eerie formations in Crystal Caves and then spend hours relaxing at a series of beaches linked by footpaths and surrounded by a nature reserve.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a leisurely tender ride to St. George’s Island, the northernmost point of hook-shaped Bermuda. A short scenic drive will bring you to Crystal Caves, which were discovered in 1907 when a teenager tried to retrieve his cricket ball from a hole and found it led to a huge series of caverns.

You will have the opportunity to explore the wonders underground, which include a crystal-clear lake and a profusion of white stalactites eerily illuminated for added drama. Parts of the caves are accessed along a pontoon boardwalk that floats atop the lake, allowing a closer look at the geological formations underwater. As an alternative, you may remain above ground and meander the gardens and browse the gift shop.

. Continuing, you will soon arrive at the Clearwater Beach & Cooper’s Island Reserve, a secluded wedge of undeveloped land on Bermuda’s eastern end. The area contains six interconnected beaches, an idyllic setting to enjoy hours relaxing in the sun, doing whatever you please.

You may take a refreshing swim in the shallow waters, observe the marine life while snorkeling or simply lie back in a lounge chair and enjoy the serenity.

OVERVIEW

Stroll through the enchanting streets of St. George – the oldest English settlement in the New World – and stop for cocktails at some of its most historical landmarks. You will walk among 17th- and 18th-century buildings that are so architecturally important that UNESCO named St. George a World Heritage site. The first stop will be Stewart Hall, an atmospheric stone cottage that has been repurposed as a perfumery. As you hear about the history of the building, a mixologist will make you a cocktail using local ingredients that include Goslings spirits, which have been produced in Bermuda since 1806. Similarly, at the Mitchell House Museum, you will enjoy a classic Bermudian cocktail while browsing its exhibits. The Globe Hotel occupies an even older building as you will discover while touring its garden, again with a cocktail in hand. You will toast the island’s history once more with a glass of prosecco at the gift shop Long Story Short.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through architecturally rich St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Enjoy cocktails at historical landmarks from the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Learn about the history of the buildings and how they have been repurposed over time.
• Take the tender to St. George, which occupies Bermuda’s northeastern tip.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.