Bermuda: PERFECT Family Destination Guide

Aruba, Jamaica, Oh I want to take you to Bermuda, Bahamas, Come on pretty…whaaaa? Wait a minute…Yes, that’s right! I’m here to give you the perfect Bermuda family destination guide!

Did you hear me mention Bermuda a few times? Did I just put the Beach Boys Song “Kokomo” in your head? Their legendary song makes all of those locations sound dreamy, doesn’t it? Seriously, it had me dreaming of Bermuda back when I was 8 years old, too.

My family and I talk a lot about “bucket lists.” We have many bucket lists: a summer activity bucket list, a family trip bucket list, a vacation bucket list. For as long as I can remember, Bermuda has been on our “family trip bucket list.”

We wanted to check out Bermuda for the obvious reasons: great beaches, snorkeling, crystal clear waters…but also for the less obvious reasons. See, the cool thing about Bermuda is that it’s actually located in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea. And, while there are many of the same qualities in these waters, Bermuda has character all of its own. It has hyper-salty water surrounding the island, super pink sand, boasts a relatively mild, albeit slightly cooler climate during the off season, and enjoys a close proximity to the East coast.

What Bermuda lacks in overall island size, it more than makes up for in terms of attractions & activities for the whole family! During our week-long family trip during the shoulder season (we went during the American Thanksgiving week in late November), we enjoyed a fantastic mix of relaxation & awesome tourist activities. Read on for the perfect guide to Bermuda-family style!

Bermuda Family Destination Guide Tip #1: Royal Naval Dockyard

A visit to Bermuda’s West End, the Royal Naval Dockyard, makes for an incredible day trip within the island.

History

Historically speaking, the Royal Naval Dockyard has a long and storied past. In the early 1800’s, it became a port for the British fleet after the American Revolution & later became a strategically-placed base for England in the Atlantic Ocean during WWI & WWII. Today, its beautiful stone buildings serve as a lively hub for museums, shops & markets and several water-themed attractions.

Shops & Craft Markets

The Royal Naval Dockyard area boasts many shops that sell locally hand-crafted products such as art, metalwork, soaps, candles, gourmet food products & hand-blown glasswork. My children especially enjoyed the Dockyard Glassworks, where they watched Master Glassblowers at work create everything from Christmas ornaments to enormous glass bowls of all different sizes, shapes & colors.

My husband and I enjoyed sampling cake (and then purchasing to take home!) from the Bermuda Rum Cake Company. This small company creates the most decadent & buttery Rum Cakes that we have ever tasted! Their cakes are packaged in a special heat-sealed wrap so you may purchase & take them home to enjoy long after your trip to Bermuda has ended.

Last, no shopping trip to the Royal Naval Dockyard is complete without a visit inside the Clocktower Mall, residing inside the Royal Navy Warehouse of 1856. This bustling shopping area is designated by the twin clocktowers: one featuring the time of the day and the other featuring the day’s high tide. The Clocktower Mall includes a lively mix of department stores, restaurants and boutique-style shops.

National Museum of Bermuda

The island of Bermuda is steeped in rich maritime history. The National Museum of Bermuda house shipwreck artifacts, cannons, small watercraft & amazing artwork. Keep an eye out for the lively mural painted by local artist Graham Foster, who depicts four centuries of the island’s history. If the kids need a place to run free after visiting inside the museum, make sure to check out the outdoor playground equipped with a lighthouse slide & huge eel model!

Attractions

One of the best attractions this island features is the Dolphin Quest Bermuda, where you’ll have the pleasure of swimming with, touching or just watching these lively mammals in their innovative sanctuary just outside the Dockyard walls. While having fun with these lively creatures, you’ll also learn a plethora of information about the island’s efforts towards marine conservation.

If you’re looking for some beachy fun, look no further than Snorkel Park, the West End’s crystal clear lagoon. Take a dip in the shallow reef waters to explore everything from sunken cannons to thousands of brightly-colored fish! Open 7 days/week, this area is complete with a restaurant, beach bar, water sport rentals & lockers to stow away your personal items. A perfect place for the whole family to spend the day!

If you’re looking for a non-water themed attraction, the Bermuda Fun Golf center is a great option! Adjacent to Snorkel Park, you’ll putt in style on this 18-hole challenging mini-golf course which represents the most exciting holes in Bermuda, Scotland & the USA! This exquisite mini-golf course features a waterfall flowing into several salt water ponds, beautiful brightly-colored fish of Bermuda and a concession area that is sure to please everyone in your group!

Restaurants

Whether its fresh seafood dinner you’re looking for or a morning cup of coffee + pastry or an afternoon ice cream pick-me-up, the Royal Naval Dockyard restaurants have you covered! Since we love ‘foodie travel,’ we had to check out several great hot-spots located down in the Dockyard!

Bone Fish Bar & Grill: A great location in the heart of the Dockyard where you can enjoy everything from a casual burger + fries to gourmet seafood dishes and don’t forget to try the island’s favorite drink: The Rum Swizzle! This popular restaurant features indoor & a large outdoor patio seating area as well as lively entertainment in the evening. They also feature a nice children’s menu which is always helpful when traveling with the littles.

Alex & Pete’s Bermuda Artisan Ice Cream: Nothing tastes better on a hot day in Bermuda than a scoop (or two) of Alex & Pete’s ice cream! Their adorable little ice cream shop boasts decadent & interesting flavors in a silky smooth ice cream base along with an air-conditioned space + free WiFi (if you need it…)! Try the Nuts for Nutella or the Hibiscus Sorbet–you won’t be disappointed!

The Dockyard Pastry Shop & Bistro: While traveling, I never miss an opportunity to grab a great cup of coffee + a pastry treat at a local establishment. The Dockyard Pastry Shop & Bistro exceeded my expectations! Their bistro is much more than just a coffee shop: stop here for coffee, a pastry, the best lunch in town or experience a true afternoon High Tea. Whatever time of day you need to nosh, this place will have you covered! If you have the opportunity to enjoy the High Tea, make sure to do so here! The scones + cream & champagne are beyond amazing!

Bermuda Family Destination Guide Tip #2: Beaches

It’s no secret that the small island of Bermuda is home to some of the world’s most picturesque beaches. With their pink-toned sand, crystal-clear waters & coral reefs that lie very close to shoreline, it’s easy to find a beach that will suit your family’s desires whether it’s relaxation, snorkeling, seclusion or fun in the sand!

While there are many public beaches throughout the whole island, our favorites reside on the South shore of the island, Sea Glass Beach near the Royal Navy Dockyard & Tobacco Bay Beach on the Northeast end.

Horseshoe Bay Beach

If you only make it to one beach in Bermuda, Horseshoe Bay is the one to pick! This is Bermuda’s most famous beach! If you visit during the high tourist season or when a cruise ship is in town, you may experience a crowd.

Near the entrance of the beach you’ll find the Rum Bum Beach Bar. It’s only open during high season (it was closed when we visited in late November). Many people tend to gather near this end of the beach but if you continue walking down the expanse of sand, you’ll likely find an open spot and far less people.

If you are a family traveling with small children, camping out on the Western edge of the beach around the corner from the Rum Bum Beach Bar is a great idea. There is a natural shallow pool here called Horseshoe Bay Cove. This cove is perfect for toddlers who want to splash around & wade in the nearly zero-entrance waters.

Butt’s Beach & Cove

For the more adventurous beach-goers, consider walking past the first rock formation at the end of Horseshoe Bay Beach, further East, to Butt’s Beach. Here, you’ll find a small sandy cove that is protected on both sides by steep rocky cliffs. These cliffs keep the large waves outside of the cove and create a calm pool for floating. It’s PERFECT for families & young children. Note: This was my family’s absolute favorite beach! We had this entire cove to ourselves for over 3 hours one day & it was perfect for our boys, ages 8, 5 & 2! 

Warwick Long Bay

This is the beach your vacation dreams are made of! Located just a short walk beyond Butt’s Beach & Cove, you’ll find yourself on a quieter, less crowded stretch of sand. This unspoiled, half-mile stretch of soft, pink-hued sand & turquoise blue waters come standard here.

If you’re lucky enough to visit the South shores on a calm day, the snorkeling is excellent. You’ll experience schools of bright blue parrotfish swimming in neon-colored reefs just a few hundred feet from the shoreline. But, I would use caution when the westerly winds kick up–large, crashing waves and natural reef barriers coupled with a steep drop-off at the beach line can make swimming a little challenging, even for strong swimmers. As always, use caution & common sense along with following the weather reports, when entering any of these waters.

Glass Beach

If you’re like my family, sometimes you need an actual activity while playing on the beach! If you love to hunt for seaglass, you must check out Glass Beach. It is located in Sandy’s Parish, on the Western end of the island, very close to the Royal Navy Dockyard.

Here, you’ll find loads of colorful sea glass and very calm waters. Note: You are not allowed to take seaglass from Bermuda’s beaches. You can be fined if you choose to do that. So, this is a look & don’t take type of excursion!

Tobacco Bay Beach

The quintessential Bermudian beach, Tobacco Bay, is one of the finest! This beach is known for its crystal-clear shallow waters & unusual rock formations which create a haven for marine life. It’s considered one of the best snorkeling sites on the island!

This famous beach also has an interesting history behind it…In the early 1600’s, the Sea Venturer, a well-known vessel, was wrecked on the rock formations in this bay. This left a group of castaways to explore the paradise known as Bermuda. During their exploration, they came across something highly unusual: tobacco growing wild. After this discovery, the beach was named after its naturally-occurring resource: Tobacco Bay Beach.

Bermuda Family Destination Guide Tip #3: Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

Step back in time and take a morning (or afternoon) to climb the steps and learn the rich history of the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. If you pick a clear day to climb the 185 steps, you will be able to view the entire island of Bermuda and far beyond on its 8 viewing platforms.

Sitting at 362 feet above sea level, the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, one of only a few in the world to be constructed out of cast iron, can be seen by ships up to 40 miles out to sea.

The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse makes for an inexpensive attraction on the island. At only $2.50/person, you can purchase a ticket and spend as much time as you’d like climbing to the top; reading different segments of its history at several different viewing platforms. My boys thoroughly enjoyed this attraction! The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is open M-Sat. 9:30-4:30 & Sundays and Holidays, 10-4:30 and currently closed the month of February.

Bermuda Family Destination Guide Tip #4: Crystal Caves

Explore one of Bermuda’s best island experiences at Crystal Caves of Bermuda! The dramatic cave system of Crystal Caves Bermuda begins with enjoying the palms and other greens during a lush garden tour. After that, you’ll enter a long staircase decent into the Crystal or Fantasy Caves. You can also purchase a ticket that includes a combination of both caves. Both caves feature impressively-sized stalagmites as well as white limestone icicles that appear to drip right out of the ceiling. Once inside the base of the Crystal cave, you’ll cross the floating bridge system to peek into the gorgeous, crystal clear waters of an underground lake. You’ll notice even more intricate rock formations underwater.

Reservations are not required–the tour groups are quite large and are scheduled daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Children 5 & under are free. It’s an interesting, educational and fun activity to do with young children. My boys LOVED it as the tour guide was highly informative & very funny!

Note: I recommend you wear rubber soled shoes as the rocks/stairs are wet from the moisture inside the caves & dripping from the ceiling. Also, it’s a little dark inside the caves. So, if you have a camera with a flash option, that’s a good idea as well. There is also a restaurant on-site & a large picnic area if your family gets a little hungry or needs time to re-group!

Bermuda Family Destination Guide Tip #5: Catamaran Rental

During the planning phase for this family trip, my husband had expressed serious interest in renting a catamaran for a half day. He wanted us to enjoy a little time out on the water as a family.

Now, I LOVE being out on the water…don’t get me wrong. I was just concerned about corralling 3 young boys on a rather tiny water vessel for a span of 4 hours. (That appears like a legitimate concern, right?!)

Since we were going to be traveling in the shoulder season in late November, we knew that contacting a few catamaran companies ahead of time would be a good idea. Many of them are shut down for the tourist season by late October. During this time of year, the water in Bermuda is relatively chilly, especially for those who are from there or are from warmer climates. Being from Minnesota, we are use to getting in the water when it’s only 65-70 degrees F! This was *almost* like being at home! My husband did some extensive looking on the inter-webs and was able to find The Happy Cat Catamaran Company!

Overview of The Happy Cat

We were immediately impressed with their professional, quick response! They were excited to work with a young family of 5 to accommodate us during the shoulder season! (Not everyone is eager to work with a young family in this particular type of situation)

Since we were a little flexible during our stay in Bermuda, we found an open day with seemingly descent weather and booked the morning with Richie & Maureen, the captains of the boat, The Happy Cat. They were so kind! They picked us up right at the dock just below the Fairmont resort. That way, we didn’t have to travel far with the kids before the catamaran adventure.

From the moment we stepped on the boat, they helped us navigate the rooms, showed us the ‘facilities’ and helped our children feel right at home with snacks & beverages. We left the dock & we were off into the harbor on a really fun sailing adventure!

The Happy Cat Harbor Tour

Richie & Maureen were so knowledgeable about the harbor area. They pointed out so many interesting facts about the area’s resorts, homes and extensive history. These are things we would have never learned about had we done some other type of harbor cruise or self-guided water activity.

As we reached the very Eastern end of the island on the harbor side, they brought us to a reef area to do a little snorkeling adventure! They were so accommodating! They had all the snorkeling gear right on the boat & assisted our 9 and 5 year old in getting their gear on while we got in the water for a bit.

As we snorkeled around some of the sunken vessel parts & reefs, we got to enjoy some absolutely stunning marine life! The brightly-colored fish amazed our young children! It was the first time our oldest two boys had had the opportunity to snorkel by themselves!

After snorkeling, we hopped back aboard the catamaran and enjoyed the remaining hour cruising the harbor. It was a truly enjoyable day! I would highly recommend renting a catamaran if your family enjoys being out on the water! And please, don’t let having children with stop you from doing this! You may be amazed at how enjoyable the experience is as a family!

Bermuda Family Destination Guide Tip #6: The Fairmont Southampton-The Best Place to Stay!

Bermuda is blessed to be home to some of the most beautiful hotels, resorts and guest houses in the world. And, since the island itself is very small, whatever part of the island you decide to stay on will make for a wonderful stay!

Overview of the The Fairmont Southampton

As a family with three young boys, we are partial to resorts that tout themselves as family-friendly! They must offer many activities or even a Kids’ Club for the youngsters so that it can be a vacation for all!

However, on the flip side to that coin, my husband and I also like to make sure those family-friendly resorts have plenty of amenities that cater to adults such as: a GREAT spa (mamma LOVES spa services on vacation, because who doesn’t?), gourmet restaurants, a golf course, state-of-the-art workout facilities, hot tub areas and last, but certainly not least…quiet areas that we can escape to during our ‘solo time,’ to read my favorite vacation book.

We’ve been very fortunate over the years to stay at many of the Fairmont Luxury Hotel & Resort properties all over the world. We have fallen in love with each one we’ve stayed at making it natural for us to select the Fairmont Southampton Bermuda.

This resort is located near the Southeast end of the island, but still central enough to Hamilton and the surrounding area.

Fairmont Southampton boasts an unparalleled mix of luxury & family-friendly: luxuriously-appointed rooms complete with mini-fridges, microwaves, hot-pots, large closets, crib service and much more. The Fairmont Southampton has an excellent and well-staffed Kids’ Club right on site as well! It is very accommodating to families even during their shoulder & off season. As long you request Kids’ Club staff be available on a certain day 24-hours in advance, they will gladly accommodate your desires even if you only bring in one child! That’s impressive in our book!

Fairmont Southampton’s Private Beach

The Fairmont Southampton also possesses an incredible private beach. The beach is located within a very short walking distance to the famous Horseshoe Bay Beach. It’s even complete with shuttle service right down to the sand! The beach area is the stuff my vacation dreams are made of! It has tennis courts, restaurant & bar service, water sports, kids sand toys, boutique shop, plenty of sunning chairs & umbrellas, a GORGEOUS beach (and I mean g o r g e o u s…) and the softest pink-hued sand you can sink your toes in! Seriously. Beach vacations do not get any better than this place.

Fairmont Southampton’s Restaurants

The Fairmont Southampon is also home to some of the very best restaurants found on the island! How lucky for us that we didn’t have to venture far for a GREAT meal!

Obviously, when traveling with our children, our restaurant choices are a little different than when we travel alone! We need a restaurant with options that cater to a family-friendly environment: semi-quick service, a descent kids menu, a still-great adult menu, a crowd that doesn’t mind children (or louder noises!). A sports restaurant is always a great fit for our family. My oldest two boys are very interested in watching basketball, baseball and hockey games. We hit the jackpot when we discovered the Boundary Sports Bar & Grill! It was an excellent fit for our family. We dined there several times during our stay! It was the perfect mix of AMAZING grown-up food & great kids meal options. The Boundary Sports Bar & Grill is located at the Golf Pro Shop at the Golf Course at the Fairmont Southampton. It’s a quick walk from the main part of the resort.

Remember when I mentioned that the resorts we stay at need to be family-friendly? Well, they also need to cater well to adults!

Fairmont Southampton Willow Stream Spa

Let me introduce you to the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Southampon. It is an adult sanctuary, my friends. Nothing short of a ‘real’ vacation. Let me indulge you a little…

Choose from any of their pampering spa treatments and immediately be whisked away to an oasis all its own. Their spa services combine natural elements in the traditional Bermudian style. The Willow Stream Spa features 15 spa treatment rooms, a couples’ suite with an unbelievable view of the Atlantic Ocean, men’s and women’s relaxation areas complete with saunas, steam rooms, showers, lockers and a luxurious area to get ready in after your spa treatment. I was lucky enough to enjoy a seasonal Pumpkin Facial and my husband enjoyed a deep tissue sports massage. The treatments and time spent in the spa were absolutely divine. If you have the opportunity to sneak away during your vacation to enjoy some much-needed quiet time, hit up the Willow Stream Spa. Your life will be better for it!

My family and I spent such a glorious week in Bermuda over Thanksgiving! We can’t wait to go back someday! From the beautiful resort to the activities and beyond, we had the most incredible family trip.

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I hope this information inspires you to take a family trip to Bermuda! For more helpful family trip guides and inspo, check out my post on my adventure guide to Iceland or any of our other fun trips!

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