Port of Call: Bermuda

Bermuda (Photo courtesy of eGuide Travel)

Bermuda is a picturesque setting with famous pink beaches. Whether you’re soaking up its beauty or soaking up some sun, you can’t help but experience island life while in port.

Bermuda Botanical Garden

The Camden House. (Photo courtesy of foreverbermuda.com)

Inaugurated in 1898, the garden showcases a beautiful display of hibiscus, Banyan and other subtropical trees, flowers, and shrubs. The 35-acre garden, located in Paget parish, is also home to large glass houses for cacti and orchids, and an aromatic sensory garden designed for those with limited sight. Amidst all the beauty lays the Camden House, originally built for Bermuda’s elite before opening to the public. Behind the house, visitors can roam a rose garden and small herb garden and encounter an aviary with peacocks and other birds.

Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art

Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. (Photo courtesy of traveljones.wordpress.com)

Located within the botanical garden, this museum is a must-see for art lovers. The vast 16,000 square-foot museum contains three galleries and displays more than 1,400 masterpieces including paintings, photographs, drawings, maps, and memorabilia from local and resident artists. In one of the galleries, visitors can view artworks by: Georgia O’Keeffe, who painted in Bermuda in the 1930s; Ogden Pleissner, who is well known for his watercolors; and Winslow Homer, who is known for his seascapes. Among the works of art is a quote from the museum’s founding director, Tom Butterfield, which reads: “In the future, we will understand Bermuda through the eyes of the Collection.”

Shipwrecks

(Photo courtesy of Erik Cleves Kristensen)

Bermuda has long been known as the shipwreck capital of the world. This reputation is largely due to the Bermuda Triangle, an area shrouded in mystery and proliferating with strange happenings and disappearances.  With more than 300 unidentified wrecks off the coast, its shallow waters have become a world-class diving site. Due to nearly crystal clear visibility, divers can explore historic wrecks preserved in the Atlantic. The Cristobal Colon, the largest wreck in Bermuda, has quickly become a visitor favorite. This 152-metre (499-foot) transatlantic luxury liner ran aground in 1936 after crashing into a coral reef while en route from Wales to Mexico.

Astwood Cove Beach

Looking east from Astwood Cove (Photo courtesy of kansasphoto)

The beach here may be hard to reach, but the reward outweighs the risk! A fairly steep trail leads visitors down a winding trail before opening to a small, but beautiful beach surrounded by cliffs. While there are no concessions, food or beach rentals facilities at the cove, it provides those looking for seclusion the perfect escape.  Located above the beach and overlooking the ocean is Astwood Park. For those who don’t find comfort in climbing down cliffs, the park provides amazing views with access to picnic tables and trails.

Crystal and Fantasy Caves

Crystal Caves (Photo courtesy of Andrew Malone)

Deep, clear underground pools of blue water, ceilings adorned with crystallized soda, and incredible formations of stalactites and stalagmites greet those who travel far beneath the beaches of Bermuda. Discovered in 1907 during a lively game of cricket, the caves have become a unique Bermudan experience thanks to Mother Nature. Visitors can gaze into the azure waters within the Crystal Cave, able to see over 50 feet down, while the Fantasy Cave has become a jewelry box of dazzling formations, crystallized over the years to resemble waterfalls frozen in time.