Bermuda

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Hamilton

Government

Overseas territory of the UK

Nationality

Bermudian

Population

64,000

Languages

English, Portugese

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic)

Currency

Bermudian Dollar (BMD)

Calling Code

+1441

Time Zone

UTC-4

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Introduction

St. Anne's Church

© All Rights Reserved loguec

Bermuda (officially, The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) sits some 1030 kilometres (640 miles) off the American coast in the Atlantic. It isn't as hot as the Caribbean islands and its waters are certainly not great for swimming year-round, but Bermuda is warm enough to host the Atlantic's northernmost corals. The beauty these corals afford, as well as the lure of numerous shipwrecks, makes diving in Bermuda's coastal waters an appealing prospect - that is, in summer when the Atlantic is warm enough to brave without a wetsuit.

Bermuda was first settled by the Brits in the early part of the 17th century. Culturally, Bermuda draws heavily on British influences: cricket is the most popular sport, pubs line the street corners and judges wear wigs. For some diversity, African slaves and American Indians have contributed to the island's music and dance styles. In all, Bermuda is an adorable destination of cultural class, British architecture and some fine beaches.

Brief History

Geography

Parishes

Bermuda is made up of 9 parishes and 2 municipalities; the city of Hamilton and the town of St. George's.

• Devonshire Parish
• Hamilton Parish
• Paget Parish
• Pembroke Parish
• St George's Parish
• Sandys Parish
• Smith's Parish
• Southampton Parish
• Warwick Parish

Cities, Towns and Villages

• Hamilton, the capital
• St. George's
• Flatts Village
• Somerset Village

Sights and Activities

Horseshoe Bay

Well, the Horeshoe Bay is, unsurprisingly, horseshoe-shaped. It's one of the most beautiful beaches in Bermuda with its soft pink sand and as a result it is often crowded here, especially in the warmer summer months of May to September. The Beach House which is located in the Bay offers snorkeling and diving gear and other water sports related articles for rent and also some snacks and drinks.

South Shore Park

The coastal reserve of South Shore Park has one of the nicest beaches of Bermuda and on top of that it is surrounded by gently rolling green hills. There are walking trails through the hills along the coast to not less than 12 bays and beaches with terrific views from in any direction you look.

Cristobal Colon

The Cristobal Colon is the largest shipwreck in the Bermudian waters and ran aground 13 kilometers north of the island in 1936. It is a popular wreck dive site but most of the interior of this Spanish cruise ship, including chandeliers and other stuff, was auctioned in 1941. The US military used the Cristobal Colon as a target ship and blew it in two during the WWII, because many ships thought the Cristobal Colon, which was still seen on the reef, to be just a ship without having troubles at all, resulting in a Norwegian cargo ship had gashing its hull in 1937. Nowadays, both boats are 50 feet below the water level and on the Norwegian cargo ship you are still able to see a fire truck!

Royal Naval Dockyard

The Royal Naval Dockyard is a is worth a visit and apart from the Dockyard grounds has a pub, movie theatre, market and the Bermuda Snorkel Park and Bermuda Maritime Museum.

In addition there is The Keep, the fortress on the edge of the dockyard, which was used by the British navy as a base to launch their raid on Washington in 1814. It also served as a base during both World Wars and was later abandoned in 1951. Most of the buildings including old munitions warehouses and Commissioner's House have been beautifully renovated and function as one of the cultural and historical highlights of Bermuda nowadays, although shopping is almost equally as popular.

Other sights and activities

• St. George. The old capital and oldest English New World town.
• Baileys Bay

Events and Festivals

Weather

Bermuda has a subtropical climate with warm to hot summers and mild winters. Summers last from May to October with temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees Celcius during the day and 19 to 23 degrees Celcius at night. December to April, daily temperatures are still between 20 and 22 degrees dropping to around 15 degrees at night. Rainfall is quite evenly distributed throughout the year with between 100 and 150 mm of rain a month. April to June is the driest time of year, with an average of 9 rainy days a month, while December has 15 of these days with some rain. Overall, October has the highest amount of rain. Generally though, conditions are very sunny and pleasant, only on hot summer days with higher humidity and almost no wind are conditions a bit more unpleasant.

Getting There

By Plane

L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), formerly known as Bermuda International Airport, is the only airport in Bermuda. It has connections to Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The following airlines fly there:

• Air Canada (Halifax, Toronto-Pearson)
• American Airlines (Miami, New York-JFK)
• British Airways (London-Gatwick)
• Continental Airlines (Newark)
• Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Boston, New York-LaGuardia [seasonal])
• JetBlue Airways (Boston [seasonal], New York-JFK)
• United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare) [seasonal]
• US Airways (Boston [seasonal], Charlotte [seasonal], Orlando [seasonal], Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)
• USA3000 Airlines (Baltimore/Washington) [seasonal]
• Zoom Airlines (UK) (Fort Lauderdale [seasonal; begins May 22], London-Gatwick, New York-JFK)

By Boat

There are no regular passenger services to and from Bermuda, but if you want to get here by boat, there are numerous cruise ships going there during the summer months (April-October mainly). In winter, options are very limited.

Getting Around

By Car

Unfortunately, foreigners are not allowed to drive cars in Bermuda. However, bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are an option. You don't need a license and minimum age is 16. Be careful on the winding and narrow roads!

By Bus

The bus system on Bermunda is extremely well organised and there are frequent, comfortable and reliable buses between many towns. You need to be the exact amount of money, so bring enough coins. There are passes for 1, 3 or 7 days, which can also be used on ferries and allow unlimited use of both modes of transport.

Taxis are metered but the rates are fixed by government. Some drivers double as guides and taxis displaying small blue flags have qualified guides which are approved by the Bermuda Department of Tourism.

By Boat

Sea Express runs comfortable, reliable (actually punctual!) and fast ferries between Hamilton Harbour and various stops at Sandys, Paget, Warwick and Southampton Parishes. During summer they also stop at the Royal Naval Dockyard and on to the town of St. George's.

Red Tape

Visas are required by the following nationalities:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

Money

See also Money Matters

The Bermudian Dollar (BMD) is pegged to the US Dollar at par. Banknotes issued are $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 while the coins come in 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents and $1.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Bermuda is: 1-441
To make an international call from Bermuda, the code is: 011

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