DESTINATION: BERMUDA

TRAVEL TIME: 2 HOUR FLIGHT FROM NYC
STAY: 5 DAYS
HOTEL: THE HAMILTON PRINCESS

When we first booked our flights to Bermuda, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew we’d be in a beautiful place, but it turns out there was so much more to this island getaway I never knew existed. There were so many highlights from our trip, but what I loved most were the warm people of Bermuda. I didn’t realize prior to our trip that Bermuda was colonized by England and is still a British territory to this day, so the English influence is all over the island. They’re incredibly friendly, hospitable and happy. Every morning we were greeted with the warmest hello from our friend Emily at breakfast and Elliott at the door.

As you can see in the photos, the beaches are beautiful with endless miles of blue water, but as I said above, the people in Bermuda are really what make this place so special. We’re so happy we found this little getaway. We’re already planning our next trip in February.

HOW TO GET TO…

FLIGHT

We never even knew how close Bermuda was to us. The flight to Bermuda from New York City is just a little under 2 hours. We flew direct from JFK to Hamilton (BDA), which is the town we stayed in. It is a tiny little airport and an absolute breeze to get through. As far as airports go, it was probably the most stress-free experience for us with Sebastian. This was a huge plus.

TAXI

We were picked up by the Hamilton Princess(where we stayed) and I’m sure the majority of the hotels offers pick-up as well. There are plenty of taxi options at the airport. It took about 25 min from the airport to get to our hotel. They do have bus services too if you want to go that route.

WHERE TO STAY

Hamilton

We loved this cute little city in the southern part of Bermuda. Hamilton is the capital and most popular place to stay when in Bermuda. It’s in the southern part of the island whereas St. George is located in the north. Everything you need is right in the “downtown” area. We went grocery shopping, ate at restaurants, did a little shopping, rented scooters, you can pick up boat rides, etc. The streets are littered with gorgeous colorful buildings. It’s fun to just walk through some of the streets and snap pictures. It almost reminded us of Cartagena.

Hamilton Princess

It’s the pink palace! This is where we called home for four days. The hotel was perfect. It had everything we needed both for us and Sebastian; a big room, balcony, pools, boats, jet-ski’s, spa, great food & drink and oh yeah, it was pink! Sebastian absolutely loves swimming so we spent a lot of time in the family pool that overlooked the water. The pink walls all around created a really neat backdrop with the brilliant blue water and green palm leaves. There were plenty of great spots for photos all over the grounds. We had a chance to try Marcus, while we were there. This is Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant (think Iron Chef) located onsite overlooking the water. The food and drinks were delicious. It made for a great date night while Sebastian was sleeping. The Hamilton Princess also coordinated babysitting services for us. We were fortunate enough to have the same sitter all three times over the course of our stay. She was so sweet and it worked out perfectly. Matt and I were able to go out and explore the island together.

WHAT TO DO

Beaches

Bermuda seemed to have an endless supply of amazing coastline. The sand is perfect and on some beaches, it’s pink. No matter where you are along the coast, the water is a stunning shade of turquoise blue surrounded by a bright blue open ocean. The coastline also has gorgeous rock formations that have created passages to hidden beaches and lagoons. There are so many options that you can’t go wrong.

Horseshoe Bay (pictured above)

We heard about this place from our driver on the way to the Beach Club the first morning. As we drove by a sign off the side of the road, he told us to check it out early before the crowds. We did the very next day and it was stunning. Just off the main beach that stretched far down the coast, there was a small little beach that was carved out of the rock formations surrounding it. There’s crystal clear water with bright blue parrotfish swimming all over. We swam out beyond the swimming lagoon to explore a bit and there are little hidden beaches all over. It’s a must see!

Jobson’s Cove (pictured above)

This is another really popular spot but we ended up going on a day when it wasn’t crowded at all. The little beach we swam at here was so stunning. It almost seemed too perfect to be real. You walk over some sandy hills, through some beach grass and it opens up to this stunning blue lagoon. It’s tucked away where you can swim around freely and through little gaps in the rocks to platforms for diving. We ended up going to Jobson’s twice. We went once without Sebastian. Matt and I rented a moped one day and drove out to do some swimming, diving and film some video.

Princess Beach Club (pictured above)

If you happen to stay at the Hamilton Princess, you get access to their private beach club about 20 minutes away from the hotel. They have shuttles that run back and forth most of the day so it’s easy to catch a ride when it’s convenient. They serve food on site, have plenty of beach loungers, a hammock on the beach and in the water. The club has plenty of toys for the kids to keep them busy and waiters bringing around drinks for us parents. It’s not a bad way to spend a day.

Mopeds

Renting a scooter was one of the best things we did on the trip. We had a babysitter at the hotel for Sebastian so Matt and I could go out for some fun. It’s easily the best way to get around. We rented from the place right next door to the hotel so it was simple. If you get a chance, I would absolutely rent a scooter. I think we are going to rent it the whole time on our next trip. We’ll be able to run to the market or head out to the beach whenever we want without delay.

WHERE TO EAT

Devil’s Isle (pictured above)

This was a recommendation and it was a gem. A small little spot on a gorgeous street just about 10 minutes from our hotel. They have a small patio in front and little space with a bar inside. Their menu is dynamite. Get the rockfish! There’s plenty of stuff for kiddos too.

Marcus

This is owned by none other than Marcus Samuelsson, the famous Swedish chef who also owns Red Rooster in Harlem. The setting was great. You can eat inside or outside all while overlooking the water. The food was delicious and certainly on par with Red Rooster. The drinks were great. Matt and I came here one night together while Sebastian was with the babysitter.

Bulli. Social

This place is located off of Front Street. Walk through to the back and they have a neat little patio in back with a bar. The burger and fries are so good. Get a drink, relax and enjoy the weather. It’s cool spot.

What to Wear

Bermuda blessed us with the most beautiful weather our entire trip. While we were eating dinner at Devil’s Isle, we experienced a little bit of rain, but it passed in ten minutes.

I’d highly recommend bringing lots of swimsuits, hats and beach coverups. We spent the majority of the day in the water. Check out my latest post to see everything I wore on our trip to Bermuda.

I can’t wait to go back in February. Matt and I were both pleasantly surprised by our experience in Bermuda. Places like Cartagena and Tulum hold such a special spot in our heart that we didn’t know what to expect when we arrived on the island. I will say, the first two hours, we had a few mishaps and were a little disappointed going into the trip. That quickly changed on our taxi ride out to the Beach Club. Bermuda won us over.

Have you ever been to Bermuda? Tell me your favorite things to do while there in the comments.

xo, Olivia,