Bermuda

By Ashley Rudolph

Bermuda is often overlooked as an island vacation destination, but I'm thrilled that it's in the spotlight again. Since the island is a short flight from NYC (less than 2 hours), it the perfect *long* weekend getaway. I went on a girls trip to Bermuda and absolutely loved it. Even though we had chilly temperatures (it was in the 60s) and a sleepy off season feel as a result of visiting in March, I could easily imagine how magical a visit to Bermuda could be when the weather is warmer. Here's my guide to the island!

what to do

Spend an afternoon in St. George. When you're there, have lunch (or drinks) at Wahoo's, afternoon tea at the Bermuda Perfumery, stop by St. Peter's Church and the Unfinished Church, dip your toes in the ocean at Tobacco Bay Beach, and get lost on the colorful streets in the city center.
Visit the Crystal Caves. I stalked pictures of the Crystal Caves before going and knew I would love them, but pictures really don't do the experience justice. If you have time, visit both the Fantasy and Crystal Caves. The Fantasy Cave is humid (my blowout did not appreciate it) but the pictures made up for it.
Walk around downtown Hamilton. We made the mistake of venturing out to explore Hamilton on a Sunday, during off season. Surprise! Practically everything was closed, but we still enjoyed the views along the harbour and drinks at the Pickled Onion. You'll probably notice that there are a ton of churches in Hamilton (and Bermuda in general), each one with it's own unique story and painted a beautiful bold hue.
Squeeze in some beach time. We didn't have beach weather, so we didn't stop by either one of Bermuda's famous beaches but I imagine they're #amazing on a hot day. Everyone raves about Horseshoe Bay Beach and Elbow Beach and if you stay at the Hamilton Princess, you'll have access to a private beach club that's just a shuttle ride away.
Eat lots of seafood and drink Rum Swizzles. One of my favorite parts of this trip was sampling insanely delicious seafood. I can still taste the spiny lobster and rock fish (yum!). If you go to Bermuda and don't try a Rum Swizzle, their fruity rum based cocktail, you're doing it wrong.

Where to stay

We chose to stay at The Hamilton Princess and I LOVED it. I'm obsessed with everything from the service, food, drinks, the multimillion dollar art collection, Exhale spa, shops, and their two beautiful infinity pools overlooking the harbour. I would definitely stay here again. When you're at The Princess, don't miss the art tour on Saturday mornings (the collection includes Warhol, Banksy, KAWS, Kusama, and more), dinner (or champagne brunch) at Marcus, and breakfast (and drinks) at Crown and Anchor. Since Marcus was closed during our stay and the weather was a damper, I think a return trip is in order!

Where to eat and drink

Dinner at the Lobster Pot. We had other reservations, cancelled them, and ended up going to the Lobster Pot twice - that's how good it is. You'll be surrounded by locals and visitors in a casual atmosphere where everyone seems to know that this place is a gem. We had the fish chowder (with Sherry Rum and Sherry Pepper sauce), conch fritters (that banana chutney!), escargot (I am not one to rave about escargot, but these are fantastic), coconut shrimp, spiny lobster, and rock fish.
Afternoon Tea at the Bermuda Perfumery. If you read my London post, you know I'm a sucker for a good afternoon tea. The tea at Bermuda Perfurmery did not disappoint. If you arrive early, you'll likely spend your time picking out a new signature scent from Lili Bermuda, while waiting for your table. We didn't know it was BYOB, but next time I'd bring along a bottle of champagne.
Lunch at Wahoo's. Our concierge at the Princess told us that if we were making a trip to St. George, then we'd have to go to Wahoo's and that's exactly what we did. I washed down an order of conch fritters and Wahoo nuggets with a Rum Swizzle.

What we didn't get to do but would have liked to

Drinks at the Swizzle Inn. The Swizzle Inn is right across the street from the Crystal Caves. We were on a tight timeline and needed to make it to afternoon tea, but next time I'd squeeze in a visit here.
Dinner at Marcus. Unfortunately, Marcus was closed during our stay at the Hamilton Princess and it was going to be a highlight of the trip. I'm actually still sad about it :( But on my next trip to Bermuda, dinner and champagne brunch at Marcus will have to be at the top of my list.
Grab a fish sandwich from Woody's. We didn't make it to the side of the island where Woody's is, but I've heard enough about their fish sandwiches that I know I have to go next time.