THIS SPRING APRIL – MAY 2020 THE OFFICIAL VISITORS GUIDE TO Welcome to Bermuda Out Here, You Live Life Differently FOR MORE THAN FOUR CENTURIES OUR ISLAND HAS WELCOMED ADVENTURE SEEKERS, EXPLORERS AND ROMANTICS ALIKE. You’ll feel right at home. With a mix of British charm and island soul, Bermuda is intriguing and inviting. Our way of life is elegantly relaxed and genuinely warm. We celebrate cultures, revel in nature and stay open to whatever may happen next. Pink-sand beaches, historic towns and exciting year-round experiences may be the first to capture your attention, but it’s our original, ever- evolving take on island life that will bring you back. So dive in and add your own tale to the story. Share your experiences and connect with us online using the hashtag #gotobermuda. Share your experiences and connect with us online using the hashtag #GoToBermuda. Bailey’s Bay Railway Trail Walkway, Hamilton Parish GoToBermuda.com/spring 1 Table of FEATURES 4 // 21 Square Miles of Spring Adventure Discover 21 island adventures, from whale watching to great golf Contents 6 // Three Sides of Bermuda Get to know the people and places of East, West and Central Bermuda 13 // What to Take Home Find original souvenirs and island gifts at Bermuda’s one-of-a-kind shops 14 // Itineraries: 1 Day 4 Ways Find ideas and inspiration for an 18 island getaway that’s just your style 17 // Tennis Discover Bermuda’s tennis legacy and see where to play its most scenic courts 18 // How to Train Like a Triathlete Swim, bike, run! Discover the best places 13 to train from a Bermuda-born champion 20 // Spring Traditions Celebrate the spring season with family, food, fun and festivals – it’s the Bermudian way 22 // What’s Happening This Spring From a kite-flying extravaganza to a Portuguese fest, here are the season’s coolest events 26 // Tours & Excursions Find history, culture and food tours, take 20 an eco tour or go sightseeing on the water 34 // Fishcakes and Buns and Pie! Oh, My! All about the three delectable food staples that shine in the spring months PLANNING TOOLS 12 // Official Visitor Services Centres 10 16 // Getting Around Going Green 36 // Adventure Almanac Inside Back Cover // Signature Events Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on this island with unparalleled natural beauty 34 2 GoToBermuda.com/spring GoToBermuda.com/spring 3 21 Square Miles 11 // Tour on Two Wheels Zip around on an electric scooter with Funworx for a lively and environmentally friendly view of the island. 12 // Explore the Island’s Nature Reserves of Spring Adventure Walk the trails and impressive rock formations surrounding Spittal Pond and try to spot the With a moderate climate warmed by the Gulf endangered Bermuda skink, Bermuda’s only endemic island vertebrate. Stream, Bermuda offers endless adventures across its 21 square miles. Try some of the island’s most 13 // Travel Back in Time engaging outdoor activities, see inspiring sights Marvel at restored vintage mopeds and classic cars at the Bermuda Transport Museum and seek out rejuvenating experiences. in Royal Naval Dockyard. ST. GEORGE’S 14 // Have a Ball on Bermuda’s Courts 1 // Go Whale Watching Tennis is great year-round in Bermuda, In March and April, catch the annual migration of 10,000 thanks to a temperate climate and humpback whales as they make their way through Bermuda’s an array of top-notch facilities. waters. These majestic creatures are best seen by boat; book through Island Tour Centre or the Bermuda Aquarium. 15 // Dance to the Gombey Beat Cheer on brightly adorned Gombey dancers, 2 // Go Fly a Kite who capture the pulse and rhythm of Bermuda's Colourful kites are flown on Good Friday and remain a vivid culture. Watch the troupe perform every symbol of Bermuda in spring. Join the crowds on Horseshoe Wednesday night on Front Street in the Bay Beach, who fill the skies with kites of all kinds each year. City of Hamilton, beginning in May. 3 // See Bermuda as Artist’s Muse 16 // Walk the Ocean Floor Take part in a fun painting workshop, Strokes in the City, Hartley’s Helmet Diving leads underwater walks by local artist Alshante Foggo for a colourful keepsake that take you eye-to-eye with fish, turtles and and a taste of her vibrant style. more. Using a helmet with large glass windows and air hoses, divers can walk and breathe 4 // Practise Yoga al Fresco ROYAL NAVAL freely as they explore the colourful coral reefs. Enjoy sun salutations along the coastline and among the lush, natural beauty of Bermuda. Find instructors and DOCKYARD 17 // Go Line Fishing classes at Lucky Elephant Wellness in the City of Hamilton. Catch bonefish, hogfish and other species during a day trip with Jump Dem Bones, 5 // Tee Time Bermuda’s only inshore fishing guide. With more courses per square mile than anywhere else and dramatic oceanfront fairways, the island is a golfer’s 18 // Stroll Palm Grove Gardens paradise. A perfect excuse to get the group out here. Wander the manicured gardens of this private estate that was opened to the public by former 6 // Walk on the Wild Side CITY OF Premier Sir David Gibbons. Don’t miss its Trunk Island, a seven-acre sanctuary in Harrington Sound, centerpiece – a living map of Bermuda set was preserved to safeguard Bermuda’s diverse habitats. HAMILTON inside a lily pond (closed Friday-Sunday). Contact the Bermuda Zoological Society for weekly tour dates. 19 // Shop the Farmers Market Buy fresh-picked Bermuda strawberries, 7 // Learn to Sail home-baked breads and local treats galore at Thanks to immersive programmes run by U Sail Bermuda the farmer’s market in the Bermuda Botanical and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, you can learn to sail on Gardens, held Saturdays from 8 am to noon. peaceful Harrington Sound or the waters of Hamilton Harbour. Atlantic 20 // Rent an Electric Car 8 // Take the Family to Fun Golf Ocean Let the wind blow in your hair behind the With 18 miniature replicas of some of the world’s most iconic wheel of a Tazzari, one of Bermuda’s four- holes (think the Road Hole in St. Andrews), Fun Golf in the wheeled, electric mini cars, featuring Royal Naval Dockyard is perfect for kids and kids at heart. windowless open cockpits. 9 // Indulge in Retail Therapy 21 // Catch the Wind The City of Hamilton is a compact capital city full of Learn to fly over and on the turquoise ocean unique places to shop. Front Street is well known for with kiteboarding lessons that are available its candy-coloured boutiques, but don’t miss Reid Street, through Island Winds, which operates upon where some of Bermuda’s most beloved shops have request on waters around the island. popped up in recent years. 10 // Bathe the Turtles That’s right. Scrubbing shells of sea turtles is a Explore More fun way to learn about the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo’s ongoing conservation effort, the Find more spring adventures Bermuda Turtle Project (held the last Saturday of the month at 10 am). at GoToBermuda.com/spring 4 GoToBermuda.com/spring GoToBermuda.com/spring 5 Three Sides of Bermuda We invite you to explore Bermuda and its surrounding waters. To get a lay of the land, start with the island’s three main regions. Photos: Bermuda Aquarium, Out here, a small population of 65,000 residents makes for a strong Museum & Zoo / Flatts Village neighbourhood identity. Each community brings with it a unique blend of cultures all its own, and a local character to match. Whether it’s the history-rich East End, still stamped by its colonial past; the sophisticated and global capital, City of Hamilton, at the centre; or popular sightseeing hub and maritime vestige, the West End, Bermuda is easy to get to, but a world away. Let the locals be your guide. St. George’s East End Site of the island’s former capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Town of St. George in the East End is rich with British colonial history and culture. You’ll also discover many natural attractions, including Blue Hole Park and the Crystal Caves of Bermuda. East End Exploring with Dr. Ian Walker // Principal Curator, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo “Our mission is to inspire an appreciation time to enjoy the very environment Royal Naval for our environment,” says Dr. Ian Walker, “We want to he’s tasked with protecting. “One of my Dockyard Principal Curator for the Bermuda ensure that every favourite places is Cooper’s Island,” says City of Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) Walker of the 12-acre nature reserve in Flatts Village. “We want to ensure young person and located in St. David’s. Hamilton that every young person and adult understands that it’s a not a given – that adult understands “A lot of people just stop at Clearwater, our ecosystem is fragile, and we all need that it’s a not which is one of the island’s most beautiful to do our part to help protect it.” beaches,” he says, “but if you take the time Central a given – that to walk past the gate and go deep into the For Walker, that means running BAMZ reserve, there’s so much pristine natural and spearheading the conservation and our ecosystem is beauty to explore.” It’s a place Walker likes research programmes of the Bermuda fragile, and we to visit during the day before eating dinner Zoological Society, including efforts at Blackbeard’s Hideout, a restaurant on to bolster populations of endangered all need to do the island’s eastern tip.