Bermuda Beaches

[SSlipgloss]

Looking at some gorgeous pics of beaches on Webshots albums of past Empress Cruisers.. can anyone tell me if you can just walk/moped to a beach..that is close to one of the ports we stop at "St. George" or "Hamilton"...

Please also recommend the best things to do at each port.. (beaches, excursions,etc)

THank you so much!

 

Empress of the Seas.. Aug 19th

[GMoney]

You can easily get around the island from anywhere on scooters. RCI will warn you not to, and so will many people here. The roads are narrow, with twists and hills, and of course you drive on the left. You just have to know what you are capable of and comfortable with. I loved it and thought it was a great way to see the Bermuda, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[maxs mom]

Yes....You can easily walk to Tobacco Bay when you are docked in St. George, but as the above poster said, not if you have health problems. There are vans that can take you there if that's the case. Tobacco Bay is interesting, but not much of a "beach".

 

When you are in Hamilton, you can easily get to Horseshoe Bay by Bus #7 or taxi. I would suggest a taxi, especially if you have a group of about 4 or 6. They take you right down to the beach and then you don't have to walk back up the steep hill at the end of the day. They usually have a shuttle that will get you back up for $1.00, though, if you are taking the bus. Horseshoe Bay is beautiful....go early....it gets crowded later on, but it's worth it, even if it's crowded. You can rent chairs and umbrellas....you get a deposit back when you turn them in, You can get food and drink there, and there are nice changing facilities. We spend a day there every time we go to Bermuda. It's one of our favorite beaches.

[JaKetravels]

Hi, here are a few tips that may help you. I think it is well worth the $2 pp to get in a van for the drive to Tobacco Bay or St. Catherines. We passed many unhappy people walking to the beaches and it was HOT! We found by 11:30 Tobacco Bay was packed with people so our driver drove on to St. Catherines or Fort Catherines Beach, not sure the correct name. That too was crowded but thanks to my reading here I knew to go to Achilles Bay which was just a short 200 yards to the left. You'll see a restaurant on a hill and a driveway between that and the fort itself. Go to this beach if the others are crowded. It was very nice, plenty of room and the restaurant with outdoor seating was very good. Even if you do go to Catherines beach I still say eat at the restaurant. The view of the fort fromthere was awesome and the waterview was very scenic. As for Horseshoe BAy..we only drove by it but it was very pretty and I think would tend to get less crowded than Tobacco Bay. We saw people setting up as we drove by and it was about noon and it was not crowded yet so i think this is a good bet when you are in Hamilton. We were at Elbow Beach Resort and I loved the waves and it seemed like nore of the ocean rather than a bay if you know what I mean. Have fun and I really think you should skip the walk to the beaches when you are in St. Georges and take a van. (you'll thank me later..lol) Have a great time, we loved Bermuda and can't wait to go back!

[ballarinamom]

We got scooters and had a blast! You literally can hop from beach to beach! Each one is so different. It was not difficult at all riding the scooters and I'm a clutz!

[Tatka]

Is it possible to get to these beautiful beaches fro King's Warf?

 

And how?

 

We are in port from 9 to 5.

 

Thank you

[GMoney]

Is it possible to get to these beautiful beaches fro King's Warf?

 

And how?

 

We are in port from 9 to 5.

 

Thank you

 

I know you can get to Horseshoe Beach by scooter or bus.

[morgan1312]

You can get anywhere you want in Bermuda by scooter or bus, the island is very small, we've taken scooters and done the whole perimeter in an afternoon.

 

Another thing to remember in Bermuda, if the ship is moving to another location, there's no need for you to be on the ship for the move, unless you want to. You can easily take the bus to a beach in the morning from one port and take the bus to the new port in the afternoon. That way you don't lose part of one of your days on the island.

 

Bermuda is my absolute favorite place to cruise to and Horseshoe Beach is the best because of all the facilities available there.

 

Have a great time!!

 

Just one note of caution, if you opt for scooters, secure your bag tightly in the basket, 2 yrs ago our daughter had her bag snatched out of the basket while she was riding by someone who came up behind her then sped away on their own scooter. She was the tail end of a group of 7 scooters and riding double with her 6'3" boyfriend. The cops told us they were beginning to see crime and drugs in Bermuda, it's really a shame, that used to be the one island you could go to and not worry about your stuff or going into the wrong parts of town. Sorry to end on a down note, but better to be forwarned. That was our 5th cruise to Bermuda and definitely not our last, we'll just be more careful next time.

[Host Kewlguy]

If you really want to see the most beautiful beaches in Bermuda the South Shore is where you want to go. I would never recommend anyone rent a scooter as many tourists are severely injured and even killed on them every year in Bermuda. Not worth ruining your vacation (or your life), IMHO. We use the buses and get to every place we want to go. All you need is a bus schedule and a good map which you can get from the tourist information center once you arrive. Bermuda is by far our favorite cruising destination.

[JaKetravels]

When your ship is at Kings Wharf I agree you can hop a bus and get to Horseshoe Bay. It is tough to get a taxi even when a ship is in port. They just don't like coming out to the end of the island. We found when we were on Bermuda for a land vacation a few weeks ago that Kings Wharf was Not a place you'd want to be after dark. Too remote and no cabs to hail. Even when we called for one on 2 different occassions they never came and we were lucky to catch a minibus and the other time locals ended up giving us a ride! I found Kings Wharf to be the least desirable area on the island. Good news though you will be heading to a beautiful beach or Hamilton for the fay most likely anyway. My vote is for Horseshoe Bay EARLY then go to Hamilton if you have time before heading back to the ship. Is it true you don't have to be on board for the ship when it moves to another part of the island? That would save time running back to catch it and just meet it where it docks next. I hadn't heard anyone offering that suggestion before but it certainly makes sense to me! I would check with the people when getting off at the dockyards what the policy is.

[Tatka]

How to get to Hamilton from Horseshoe Beach? Is there also a bus?

 

Is it possible to make this trip Kings Wharf ---> Horseshoe Beach ----> Hamilton ----> Kings Wharf by bus?

[GMoney]

How to get to Hamilton from Horseshoe Beach? Is there also a bus?

 

Is it possible to make this trip Kings Wharf ---> Horseshoe Beach ----> Hamilton ----> Kings Wharf by bus?

 

The site below has a lot of good info. Click on the "Getting Around for Visitors link in the "Beaches" section...

 

http://bermuda-online.org/cruises.htm

[crbonfiber]

You can easily get around the island from anywhere on scooters. RCI will warn you not to, and so will many people here. The roads are narrow, with twists and hills, and of course you drive on the left. You just have to know what you are capable of and comfortable with. I loved it and thought it was a great way to see the Bermuda, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

 

hummm....diddnt you wreck on that "great way to see Bermuda"?

 

LOL

[GMoney]

hummm....diddnt you wreck on that "great way to see Bermuda"?

 

LOL

 

I did have small accident, but the moped took the worst of it. :D Where were you when I needed some help? Oh that's right - half a mile ahead of me! :D BTW, I did just fine in the rain in St Thomas on Donkey Hill. :)

[negc]

Is it true you don't have to be on board for the ship when it moves to another part of the island? That would save time running back to catch it and just meet it where it docks next. I hadn't heard anyone offering that suggestion before but it certainly makes sense to me! I would check with the people when getting off at the dockyards what the policy is.

 

It is true. We were playing golf in St.Georges when our ship moved from St. Georges to Hamilton several years ago. After playing:rolleyes: 18 holes and making the obligatory 19th hole stop for some liquid nourishment, we took a bus back to Hamilton where we met up again with our wives who had stayed onboard the ship.:)

[morgan1312]

I did have small accident, but the moped took the worst of it. :D Where were you when I needed some help? Oh that's right - half a mile ahead of me! :D BTW, I did just fine in the rain in St Thomas on Donkey Hill. :)

 

When my daughter had her bag stolen and we were all at the police station so she could fill out the paperwork, my BIL had his own small accident, playing pinball between a couple of police cars with his scooter....he wasn't hurt and the police were great about it said it happens all the time and that's why they make you take out the insurance....

 

Next night we were meeting friends at a pub for drinks, when we pulled in there was a row of the locals scooters laying on the ground, BIL struck again, he mowed down a whole row of parked bikes. Again he wasn't hurt and the locals were great about it, some even bought him a drink.

 

Needless to say, my sister is not letting him get the motorcycle he wanted after that trip.....