2008 REED’s East Coast Edition - Pilot Notes
Bermuda
Jewel in the Atlantic
REED’s RECOMMENDS: Once you’ve arrived in Bermuda you
may feel like simply hanging on the hook for a while, especially if
t
you’ve had a sporty, entertaining passage across the Gulf Stream.
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That would be to miss much of Bermuda, however. There’s much
more to this beautiful island than rental motor scooters.
If you’re ready to tie up at a marina for a few days, there are few
more welcoming places for a sailor fresh from the sea than the St.
George’s Dinghy and Sailing Club (www.stgdsc.bm) just to star-
uda
board after you’ve entered Town Cut. The welcoming, unpreten-
e
r
m
tious club, which hosts ocean races like the Bermuda One-Two, is B
a full-service marina a short walk from town with Wifi, a couple of
bars, showers and laundry, light meals, and wonderful camaraderie.
It’s also a great base from which to explore this island nation.
Crystal and Leamington Caves are the two best-known examples
of the Bermuda cave system. The island is riddled with caves, with
new ones still being found. In 2002, Wilkinson’s Cave was discov-
ered, but is not yet open or available for public visits. For the “tourist
caves,” bring a light sweater and spend an afternoon in the cool, oth-
erworldly caverns of Bermuda. They are well lit, with walkways and
guides. Bus routes 10 and 11 will take you these two caves.
There are 123 islands that make up Bermuda and a number of them
are uninhabited. While most of the small islands that lack a bridge
connection are either privately owned or are nature conservancies,
there are more than a dozen that are, in a sense, open to the public.
It’s just that the public doesn’t spend a lot of time there.
Some, such as White’s Island, can be visited after first obtaining a
permit from the Bermudan government, while others require per-
mission from one nature conservancy group or another.
You can rent pontoon boats and Boston Whalers from several
agencies. After the traffic of Hamilton and the crowds that show up
with the cruise ships, an afternoon picnic on a Bermudan island
where you are the only people there is an experience few people will
ever have. When you rent your boat, the agency will be able to fill
you in on finding your own Bermudan island.
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