Tell me about Castle Island/Harbour area

I think I have picked this place for our "boating adventure" this next time around.

Tell me everything you know about the area, where to go and what to see when renting a whaler.

I see things mentioned on maps like Castle Island and have seen a few pictures of a sunken ship. Also, seen someone mention that you are not allowed on the island but can snorkel? But yet seen pictures of people on the island. I also see a beach there. Can you not go to the beach?

What about Nonsuch Island. What is there?

Coopers Reserve? Are there just trails to walk around there?

What about Turtle Bay? Is it names this because there might be an abundance amount of turtles to be seen? :D

If you have rented a whaler in this area, please let me know how it went and where all you went to. Also, what areas are you allowed going to there (as in the distance on the map the company allows you to visit). Pictures are a PLUS! :p

This is the map we got from Blue Hole (actual photo from Trip Advisor- where there are lots of photos if you are interested) and sort of shows the stopping places and boundaries. We found this to be similar for the other rental locations.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/bce6d331-7b79-4eab-a0e3-9b3c68f5fbae/a36ca730cbb43183

You can visit Castle Island (and go ashore- that is where we went) and can tour over to Nonsuch Island but can't get off because it is protected and they have turtle nests there. You will also be able to go by Castle Point for photo opportunities but it is a cliff and you couldn't get off the boat. Someone actually owns a home on Castle Island so you can't go up on the property as it is private- but the beach itself is public.

We saw two sea turtles on our trip but were informed there are just about 90 in the harbor now. This is apparently a huge improvement over previous years.

The only thing we were told was to make sure we stayed away from the airport side and to mind the markers as there are some very shallow areas in the harbor.

You can go to and snorkel around the wreck but if it is at all choppy it is hard to get to. We also visited Tuckers Town Cove (lots of million dollar homes) and can go around the other side to St. George. You can dock there for lunch if you did a whole day.

The other rental options that way is the new resort at Tuckers Town Cove and KS Watersports which books from a small restaurant.

Hope this is helpful. Sorry to keep jumping in on your posts. :-) Your Bermuda planning/review helped me plan for our trip- you came back just in time... that is how we knew not to take the Special bus when we wanted to go to Warwick- so thanks for all of your reviews and photos! I have been diligently reading about your Bahamas itinerary as we are taking all 3 kids in April on the Breakaway again. Thanks!!

This is the map we got from Blue Hole (actual photo from Trip Advisor- where there are lots of photos if you are interested) and sort of shows the stopping places and boundaries. We found this to be similar for the other rental locations.

 

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/bce6d331-7b79-4eab-a0e3-9b3c68f5fbae/a36ca730cbb43183

 

You can visit Castle Island (and go ashore- that is where we went) and can tour over to Nonsuch Island but can't get off because it is protected and they have turtle nests there. You will also be able to go by Castle Point for photo opportunities but it is a cliff and you couldn't get off the boat. Someone actually owns a home on Castle Island so you can't go up on the property as it is private- but the beach itself is public.

 

We saw two sea turtles on our trip but were informed there are just about 90 in the harbor now. This is apparently a huge improvement over previous years.

 

The only thing we were told was to make sure we stayed away from the airport side and to mind the markers as there are some very shallow areas in the harbor.

 

You can go to and snorkel around the wreck but if it is at all choppy it is hard to get to. We also visited Tuckers Town Cove (lots of million dollar homes) and can go around the other side to St. George. You can dock there for lunch if you did a whole day.

 

The other rental options that way is the new resort at Tuckers Town Cove and KS Watersports which books from a small restaurant.

 

Hope this is helpful. Sorry to keep jumping in on your posts. :-) Your Bermuda planning/review helped me plan for our trip- you came back just in time... that is how we knew not to take the Special bus when we wanted to go to Warwick- so thanks for all of your reviews and photos! I have been diligently reading about your Bahamas itinerary as we are taking all 3 kids in April on the Breakaway again. Thanks!!

So did you just come back from Bermuda and did all this?

This information is AWESOME. Thanks so much for everything. Jump in any time you want.

Did you get any pictures on your boat rental? (You KNOW I'm a picture girl) :D

Ok, so I had that backwards. You can get off at Castles but not nonsuch.

I guess I'm a little confused when I read things about visiting St George because when I think of St George, I'm thinking of...like where we just were around Tobacco Bay and stuff. So looking at the boundaries, you can go in some type of channel and out to St George area. What is there to do in that area? You obviously can't go around the outside where the beaches are along there.

We were just there last week for our honeymoon (3 kids later, a bit late!)- it was such a great place. I am guessing you agreed since you are already planning a trip back. At one point I think you said you were considering the breakaway- I will say, if you plan on trying it I highly recommend it. It was an amazing ship. I will say we aren't lay out by the pool people- if we were I think we would have not liked how small and busy the pool was.

When we took the boat out in Castle Harbour we had the rental for 4 hours. We went directly to the beach on Castle Island for some snorkeling and beach time. Then we checked out Castle Point and Nonsuch Island. This is where we would have gone to the half submerged wreck but it was too choppy to get out there.

Across from the beach (in photos in the link) you can see St. David's lighthouse which is near Cooper's Nature Reserve. I am not sure if you can get there from the boat. We didn't try because we knew we were going there as part of a tour at the end of our trip. (It is pricey but hearing how adventurous your daughter is, I would look into The Hidden Gems tour- if for no other reason than to get ideas for your itinerary, especially exploring the wet and dry caves near Tom Moore's Jungle)

We looped back around and checked out Tuckers Cove (our first sea turtle sighting) and then looped back towards St. George so my husband could do some fishing. (He had brought his own gear.) You are right, you can't go to any of the beaches that way, just the town side. People get off and dock and have lunch. We just packed our own so we did not get off.

Photos from boat rental day: https://www.flickr.com/gp/mytworoos/73Nm00

Photos from Hidden Gem tour (all places you could visit on your own too):https://www.flickr.com/gp/mytworoos/d03d7S

We were just there last week for our honeymoon (3 kids later, a bit late!)- it was such a great place. I am guessing you agreed since you are already planning a trip back. At one point I think you said you were considering the breakaway- I will say, if you plan on trying it I highly recommend it. It was an amazing ship. I will say we aren't lay out by the pool people- if we were I think we would have not liked how small and busy the pool was.

 

When we took the boat out in Castle Harbour we had the rental for 4 hours. We went directly to the beach on Castle Island for some snorkeling and beach time. Then we checked out Castle Point and Nonsuch Island. This is where we would have gone to the half submerged wreck but it was too choppy to get out there.

 

Across from the beach (in photos in the link) you can see St. David's lighthouse which is near Cooper's Nature Reserve. I am not sure if you can get there from the boat. We didn't try because we knew we were going there as part of a tour at the end of our trip. (It is pricey but hearing how adventurous your daughter is, I would look into The Hidden Gems tour- if for no other reason than to get ideas for your itinerary, especially exploring the wet and dry caves near Tom Moore's Jungle)

 

We looped back around and checked out Tuckers Cove (our first sea turtle sighting) and then looped back towards St. George so my husband could do some fishing. (He had brought his own gear.) You are right, you can't go to any of the beaches that way, just the town side. People get off and dock and have lunch. We just packed our own so we did not get off.

 

Photos from boat rental day: https://www.flickr.com/gp/mytworoos/73Nm00

 

Photos from Hidden Gem tour (all places you could visit on your own too):https://www.flickr.com/gp/mytworoos/d03d7S

Oh I definitely agree that it's such a great place. :D

Yes, we have been on the Getaway (last year), which is the BA sister ship so know exactly what to expect from the ship itself since they are basically the same.

Thanks so much for the link to your pictures. The beach pictures look fabulous and the jumping off the rocks look like a lot of fun.

Do you feel like you had enough time with the 4 hour rental? We definitely want to hit up the areas you mentioned and we also want to be able to go down the little "channel" looking thing on the map (LOL) over to the St George Harbour, if only just to look around and get pictures.

4 hours was enough for us- but I think that was mainly because it was choppy. I think had we been able to do a bit more snorkeling in calmer water I would have liked to do a couple more hours. I would base that decision making on whether you wanted fit in anything else that day (we broke it up so we could explore St. George and Tobacco Bay/St. Catherine's in the morning and then the whaler from 2-6pm).

8 hours might be too much for me though- I tend to get restless though- unless you planned a lunch stop off in St. George or something like that.

4 hours was enough for us- but I think that was mainly because it was choppy. I think had we been able to do a bit more snorkeling in calmer water I would have liked to do a couple more hours. I would base that decision making on whether you wanted fit in anything else that day (we broke it up so we could explore St. George and Tobacco Bay/St. Catherine's in the morning and then the whaler from 2-6pm).

 

8 hours might be too much for me though- I tend to get restless though- unless you planned a lunch stop off in St. George or something like that.

Good to know and get an opinion. I would just like to visit boths bay areas and maybe stop at an island and snorkel.

We just did the St George area, so I would like to try the new shuttle to the other side of St George this time around. So maybe we would only do 4 hours instead of 8 and we could fit it all in hopefully.