Islands of Bermuda Walk

Name: Islands of Bermuda Walk
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)

2 reviews

Activity Level

Easy

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

Gentle traffic-free trails, spectacular coastal paths, lush woodland tracks

This self-guided walking holiday explores the quintessential island paradise of Bermuda, a sub-tropical gem, seemingly adrift in the North Atlantic Ocean. Warmed by the temperate Gulf Stream, Bermuda is a stunning archipelago of 181 islands and islets, the 8 largest of which form the fishhook-shaped mainland. The oldest British colony, this tiny treasure trove is packed with history and natural beauty. Famed for its stunning turquoise waters in a whole rainbow of blues, incredible pink sands and coral reefs home to hundreds of colourful fish, Bermuda is a beach-lover’s heaven. Beyond the postcard-worthy bays, the islands offer a lush interior alive with a multitude of birds and flowers, making it perfect to explore on foot. As Mark Twain commented, ‘You go to heaven if you want. I’d rather stay here in Bermuda’.

A traffic-free trail spans Bermuda’s diminutive 21-mile length; we’ve split it into 6 diverse sections to offer gentle walks exploring every corner. From hidden sea grottoes to panoramic forts, lush flower-speckled fields to the sun-kissed sands of the South Shore Trail, the kaleidoscope of colour is unforgettable and the diversity of flora and fauna unbeatable. To help you get around, a 7-day travel pass is included, allowing unlimited access to the modern and efficient bus and ferry networks. Our local partner, Tim Rogers, will brief you about how everything works; he has a wealth of knowledge about Bermuda’s flora, fauna and history.

Key Information

Trip Code: W07BM
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays
Countries: Bermuda

What's Included

Room only accommodation (see accommodation section)
Navigation app provided
7 day travel pass
Transfers to and from the airport when flights are booked
Local taxes, resort levy and service charge

6 days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

The walking is predominantly flat with no real ascents or descents. Terrain varies between asphalt, gravel, and earthen surfaces as well as some sandy trails. Walking boots are recommended.

Day 2: 8 km / 5 miles
Day 3: 11 km / 6.8 miles
Day 4: 5 km / 3.1 miles
Day 5: 13 km / 8.1 miles
Day 6: 12 km / 7.5 miles
Day 7: 5 km / 3.1 miles

Highlights

Discover secret turquoise bays, sea grottoes and pastel villages
See colourful flowers, birds and fish - look out for humpback whales!
Relax in a luxurious hotel with swimming pool, tennis court and panoramic ocean views

Itinerary

First Destination: Hamilton, Bermuda
Next Destination: Hamilton, Bermuda

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

Meals included:None

First Destination: Hamilton, Bermuda
Next Destination: Hamilton, Bermuda

Arrive at your hotel in time for dinner overlooking the ocean.

You stay at the Coco Reef Resort for 7 nights on a Room Only basis.

Breakfast and evening meals are available at a supplement – please request prices at time of booking.

Today’s route begins at Somerset Bridge, the world’s smallest drawbridge, to follow the Railway Trail lined with unusual screw palm and cedar trees, reaching 19th century Fort Scaur, with stunning views to Hamilton. Onwards to sleepy Somerset Village for lunch by pretty Mangrove Bay, you then follow a coastal track to the Royal Naval Dockyard at Bermuda’s most westerly end. Maybe visit vibrant Hamilton before meeting Tim Rogers at the hotel who will talk you through the suggested programme for the rest of your walking week.

Two options: 7km/4.5mi/2hr or 8km/5mi/3hr

You start the day in charming St George, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s time to explore the tangle of colourful streets and picturesque harbour before a dazzling path lined with prickly pear and casuarina leads to Gates Bay where Sir George Somers first came ashore in 1609. You continue along a herb-scented coastal track to Ferry Reach, with its 17th century forts and Corsican tower.

At tranquil St David’s, fragrant hibiscus scents the salty ocean air as you visit Red Hole bay. Then it’s on to St David’s Battery, with cliff views stretching infinitely across the ocean, before heading over to Cooper’s Island, Bermuda’s newest nature reserve, a truly isolated and unspoilt area.

Two options: 4km/2.5mi/2hr or 5km/3mi/2.5hr

From Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, balcony views span the entire west end across the azure waters of Great Sound, dotted with white sailboats. From here you descend to the sugary pink sands of the South Shore Trail, a string of nine gorgeous bays linked by a scented path of flowering morning glory and oleander. There’s time for a dip at Chaplin Bay before a shaded path leads past cassava fields to the hotel, in time for a dip in the hotel’s pool.

Colourful prickly poppies dot the sparkling coastal route towards Flatts Village, where friendly locals cast their nets into the azure expanse of Harrington Sound, an inland lake littered with sea grottoes. It’s then onwards with views over the northern shore to reach Blue Hole Park, a tiny treasure trove of caves filled with aquamarine waters. Maybe savour a Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktail after visiting the fascinating Crystal Caves, then take the bus back to the hotel.

Alive with the noisy chatter of yellow kiskadee, a gentle allspice-scented trail brings you to Paget Marsh, a wetland oasis, home to herons and warblers. Then it’s on to the Botanical Gardens – John Lennon’s Double Fantasy album is named after the purple flower he spotted here – before heading to Spittal Pond; maybe spot herons, egrets and flamingos before following the coastal path, vibrant with sea lavender, looking out for humpback whales basking in the warm Atlantic waters.

Two options: 5km/3mi/1.5hr or 4km/2.5mi/2.5hr

The British Airways flight leaves in the early evening, so you have most of the day at leisure.

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, dates that suit you, 24-hour support, loyalty discounts, and peace of mind for delays or disruption.

Call us on 1 844 260 1517

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Accommodation

Hotel

You stay at either the Coco Reef Resort or the Grotto Bay Beach Resort. The Coco Reef is on the edge of the best private beach on the island and just 15 minutes from the capital, Hamilton. The Grotto Bay Beach Resort sits within a lush tropical estate, with 3 private beaches and a wealth of excellent facilities.

Room upgrades: Available on request, please ask for details.

All prices are based on 2 persons sharing, so if there is an odd number of people travelling in your party or you are travelling alone, there will be a compulsory supplement for a single room for the tour duration. For a solo traveller there is an additional charge to cover transfer costs.

Essential Information

The walking is predominantly flat with no real ascents or descents. Terrain varies between asphalt, gravel, and earthen surfaces as well as some sandy trails. Walking boots are recommended.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. We have suggested that 12yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. You are provided with route notes for each day, which begin with an overview of the walk and advice on lunch, followed by detailed instructions. The route notes contain a 24 hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotels are normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

The flight inclusive prices for this holiday include our standard transfers. Transfers included from Bermuda airport at 18:30, and back to Bermuda airport at 17:45. For land only packages and those booked on non-standard flights transfers are available at a supplement.

Bermuda

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Bermuda. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

This holiday is on a Room Only basis however buffet breakfasts and evening meals can be paid for in advance as a supplement.

Bermudian cuisine is based around seafood, not surprising given its location. A real speciality is the fish chowder; a divinely thick soup made with rockfish or snapper and flavoured with a splash of sherry pepper sauce or local rum. Other traditional dishes include ‘Peas and Plenty’ (black-eyed peas with onions, pork and rice), paw-paw casserole and Hoppin’ John (peas and rice).

Fish is often served as a main course and rockfish or wahoo have to be tried! They are both ‘meaty’ white fish with a delicate flavour. Cod fishcakes are popular too as well as ‘johnnycakes’ (cornmeal griddle 1cakes).

Rum is the local spirit of choice and has been blended on the island by Gosling Brothers since the 1860s. Two local specialities made from dark rum are the ‘dark ‘n’ stormy’ (rum mixed two-to-one with ginger beer) and the ‘rum swizzle’ (rum with pineapple and orange juices and grenadine). As a general rule, dark ‘n’ stormy is considered the ‘national’ tipple favoured by locals and the rum swizzle generally preferred by visitors! Why not try both and make up your own mind?!

Bermuda has a fabulous year-round climate. The warmest month to visit is August (average temp. 28 C) and February being the coolest (average temp. 18 C). On average the wettest month is October.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

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Harvey Trop

Added January 2019

Bermuda in Seven Days and One Pair of Shoes

This was an fantastic trip. If you like sandy beaches, azure waters, history, and good walking/hiking, this is great adventure. In seven days, you will see most of Bermuda and the daily itineraries can be rearranged and adjusted to meet your personal interests. The Bermuda bus system is excellent and...

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the sunset on Elbow Beach was one of the highlights. Another was visiting Fort St. Catherine on St. Georges.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Since this was a self-guided trip, I can't talk highly enough about my leadership during this trip. [The arrival briefing provided by the Headwaters staff was excellent.]

Advice for Potential Travellers

The South Shore hike is the longest and seemed much longer than the distance in the guide. I would recommend using the bus system to bypass some sections of the Railway Trail on this hike. Alternatively, you can choose to forego one or more of the side trips, especially Hog Bay. [Definitely do the Horseshoe Bay section, however.) Carefully read all the daily guide materials before setting out. Some of the directions are dependent upon distances and having a good pedometer is useful. However, you're on an island, so even if you miss a trail marker, you can't get too far afield.

Suggestions

Thoroughly enjoyed my time spent on Bermuda. The Coco Resort dinner menu never changed. but you can mix and match starters and entrees to provide more variety. Also, the creme brule was disappointing, but most of the other desserts were good!

Jane van der Ploeg

Added April 2018

Beautiful sea views. Wonderful people

This is a self guided 6 day walking holiday. You stay in a wonderful hotel the whole week on a half board basis.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views and the colours of the sea are mindblowing. The location of the hotel cannot be beaten. We were right next to the sea. We found the people charming, gentle and friendly. Blue Hole Park - red cardinal birds and resident white eye vireos Spittal Pond - peaceful nature reserve Crystal Caves - fascinating and awesome stalactites and stalacmites Gibbs lighthouse - panaramic viesw of the whole island The history of the islands is very interesting - it was uninhabited untill 500 years ago

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tim was very informative and enthusiastic about his adopted homeland. To be honest we just got on with it - and this is what the set up was. We had no problems so we didn't need to contact him after the first meeting.

Advice for Potential Travellers

To be honest Bermuda isn't, in my opinion, a natural choice for a walking holiday. It is 24 sq miles with 64,000 inhabitants ( and their cars). Everywhere was pretty busy and you're never far from the noise of traffic. However we did find a few oases of quiet. ( Helped by the excellent walking notes). Beware the cruise ships which disgorge up to 3,000 passengers at a time. They fill up the buses, which then don't stop if you're not getting on at a terminus. Other that this the included travel pass was great. Bermuda is eyewateringly expensive - cheapest bottle of quaffing wine from hotel list was $45 + 17% gratuity - about £40. They add 17% on to all bills. A simple lunch set us back $50 - no alcohol. The meals at the hotel are good, but the dinner menu didn't change for the week. I am vegetarian. However they let you mix and match and also choose stuff off the lunch menu - or cobble something together with a couple of sides. There's a fridge in the room so you can stock up with pre dinner drinks if you want. Money is easily available. The day you leave you have the whole day free, so you can fit in a couple of bits you missed during the week - or loaf around the pool/beach.

Suggestions

We had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed our 25th Wedding Anniversary treat. They say that it's so romantic even the sand blushes!!! ( there are some wonderful stretches of pink sand) We cherry picked the walks and activities to make the most of our time.

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