Baltimore to Bermuda with the Rogues

This pastel-hued island in the Atlantic has always been considered a romantic destination for couples. And while this still holds true, Bermuda offers something for everyone. Whether you are traveling solo or with a family, Bermuda's diverse activities offer an array of vacation options, including more golf courses per square mile and more wreck dives than anywhere in the world. Accommodations range from luxury resorts to intimate guest cottages and family-run inns, all incorporating the sophistication and hospitality unique to the Bermuda experience. As the climate is ideal year-round for sports, active travelers can enjoy some of the best wreck diving in the world, scuba diving, over 80 tennis courts and top-rated golf courses. Bermuda also has yacht-racing, museums, a top-rated aquarium, cricket and of course, its famous pink sand beaches. Wherever you are in Bermuda, you are never more than a mile from a beach! Bermuda's many forts help to trace its interesting maritime history. All British built, they give visitors an idea how important Bermuda was to the British government for centuries, as well as to its allies, the United States and France, during World War I and II. Most of these forts have been restored and offer magnificent views.

Because of these many attributes, Bermuda has also become a popular cruise destination, with major lines visiting here from April to October, when temperatures are in the 70s and 80s. The three main ports-of-call are Hamilton, St. George and King's Wharf in the West End. Cruises to Bermuda typically originate in New York of Boston and some are part of Transatlantic crossings. While often thought of as part of the Caribbean, Bermuda is actually located 650 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 774 miles from New York City and 3,000 miles from London. The 21-mile-long island is two miles at its maximum width. Bermuda has a year-round mild semitropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 68 to 84 degrees and relative humidity from 71 to 84 percent.

Although appearing to be a single island, Bermuda is actually comprised of six main islands and 120 islands or "islets." The six principal islands are now joined together by bridges and a causeway, comprising the mass of Bermuda. It is not divided by cities or towns, but rather by nine parishes (counties). They are, from west to east, Sandys, Southampton, Warwick, Pembroke, Paget, Devonshire, Smiths, Hamilton Parish and St. George's, each approximately 2.3 square miles. The oldest British Colony (self-governing since 1968), Bermuda holds the distinction of being the second oldest Parliamentary Democracy, after England, in the world. Its legal and legislative bodies are fashioned after Great Britain's and the custom of wearing wigs and gowns for official occasions is still practiced. Despite is proximity to the United States, Bermuda has maintained its British countenance. Its 58,000 residents are known as "onions," after the sweet Bermuda onion.

Many tourists opt to get around Bermuda via moped as there are no car rental firms there. Even residents are only allowed one car per family due to Bermuda's small size. As in England, Bermudians drive on the left side of the road. Several routes can be taken by moped, but a popular one is the Naval Dockyard as there is ferry service there that will return the moped and passenger to Hamilton.

Pink Sand Beaches
Surrounded by turquoise water, Bermuda beaches are famous for their pink sand. This unique colored sand is from finely pulverized remains of calcium carbonate shells, plus skeletons of invertebrates, including clams, corals and forams. This rare mixture offers another amazing feature: the sand does not get hot, even in the summer! Visitors will find, however, that not all beaches are open to the public, including the famous Natural Arches beach, and can be charged with trespassing if these rules are not observed. Most beaches are on the South Shore, though rip tides are strong here, and there are some on the North Shore as well. The island's 34 beaches offer picturesque environments, including coconut palms and cliff formations. Tobacco Bay Beach is one of the most popular in St. George's. Shelly Bay Beach in Hamilton is good for small children as it offers shallow water and a playground.

Dining
Bermuda boasts over 150 restaurants, with something to please every palate and for every price range. Hamilton is noted for its selection of international cuisine, including Caribbean, Indian, Italian, Greek, Chinese, English, French and Mexican. If you want to dine with the "locals," the Black Horse Tavern, a favorite with celebrities, offers "an authentic taste of Bermuda." Such local fare as mussel pie, Hoppin' John (black-eyed peas and rice), cassava pie (formerly just for Christmas dinner), codfish and potatoes for Sunday brunch, are just a few that can be tasted. Tom Moore's Tavern in Hamilton is Bermuda's oldest restaurant. Built in 1652 as a house, the 17th-Century building is in its original state. It attracts many famous visitors, including the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, who has lunched here. From the pub-like Hog Penny in Hamilton, to seaside dining at the Cafe Lido at the Elbow Beach Hotel, Bermuda offers a wide range of dining to suit any taste.

Golfing
November through March is Bermuda's "Fall Into Spring" season. Truly a year-round golfers' paradise and just a two-hour flight from most east coast cities, Bermuda features more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world. For those interested in combining a cruise with golf, Royal Caribbean International offers special "Golf Ahoy!" cruises where you are offered golf privileges at several courses in Bermuda. Royal Caribbean handles all the arrangements.

Shopping
Shoppers can find everything from sophisticated department stores to exclusive boutiques, as well as antique stores and art galleries in Bermuda, with a wide selection of both goods and prices.
Bargains are available in Hamilton and St. George's as well as other parts of the Island. The Royal Naval Dockyard in the West End offers extensive shopping facilities. Most stores are open Monday through Saturday, closing at 5 p.m. A commitment to excellence with top-rate merchandise is reflected throughout Bermuda's shops. Many area merchants have cultivated special arrangements with British and European wholesalers, offering unique goods. Some of the best buys can be found in British and Irish textiles, with prices at half the stateside cost. Hamilton offers the greatest concentration of shops, especially on Front Street, the most fashionable area. This popular shopping district is lined with pastel-color buildings and is a good place to find good deals on crystal and imported woolens, cashmere, English china and Irish linens. Britain's famous Marks & Spencer can be found here as well.

Wreck Diving Capital
Bermuda has established itself as one of the world's top dive destinations by offering ideal conditions. Aquatic adventurers can immerse themselves in summer water temperatures averaging 83 F, considered to be the clearest water in the Western Atlantic and the world's most northernmost coral reefs. This underwater paradise invites people to purely enjoy the underwater experience. Bermuda waters offer historic shipwrecks and has won awards for its excellent dive sites. The ocean floor is covered with hundreds of wrecks dating from the 15th to the 20th century, earning it the title "Wreck Capital of the Atlantic." A "Bermuda Shipwreck Certificate Program" is offered through several island dive operators, affording visitors the opportunity to dive at any of 18 designated shipwreck sites. These include a Spanish luxury liner and two Civil War paddlewheelers. Upon completion, visitors are awarded a signed Bermuda Certificate documenting the dive. "Helmet" diving is another popular sport in Bermuda. An alternative to scuba diving and snorkeling, helmet diving allows you to "walk" in waters that are about 10- to 15-feet deep. The helmet diving season runs from May through October in Bermuda. The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute also provides divers with an excellent opportunity to immerse themselves in the Bermuda experience -- without getting wet! Visitors can take a multimedia visit to key dive sites around Bermuda, play interviews using a video touch screen and see a display of technology that includes explanations of SCUBA, science of air, depth control, physical diving and dive equipment. The highlight of the visit is a seven-minute simulated dive to 12,000 feet below the ocean surface in a capsule that holds up to 21 people. Visitors emerge from the dive capsule into a tunnel simulating the ocean floor with bioluminescent creatures.

St. George's
St. George's (often referred to as St. George), settled in 1609, was the original capital of Bermuda and is the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking town in the Western Hemisphere. It is filled with 17th- and 18th-Century buildings. In November 2000, "The Historic Town of St. George's and Related Fortifications" was approved as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This means that the architecturally rich, four-century old Town of St. George's is among a select group of legendary and cultural sites around the globe.
This historic town has museums, including the antique-filled Tucker House Museum, featuring 18th-Century Bermudian life, while relics of the American Civil War can be found at the Bermuda National Trust Museum.
Fort Scaur is located here, perched on the highest hill in the rural community of Somerset. Gates Fort, a reconstruction of a 17th-Century fort, overlooks a pink sand beach and Whale Bay Fort. Another fort and one of the most impressive, is the restored Fort St. Catherine. Historic reenactments of are offered midday in King's Square, including the town crier shouting the latest news and events. St. George is also home to Victoria Park, which was built in 1887 in honor of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and opened in 1890.

Hamilton
Hamilton is Bermuda's capital and is reminiscent of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. Walking through Hamilton, you will pass historic sites as well as government buildings and churches. One of particular note is the neo-gothic Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. The Bermuda Library & Historical Society Museum is found here as well as the Bermuda National Gallery. Fort Hamilton, on the eastern end of Hamilton, features a moat, 18-ton guns and underground passageways. It offers magnificent views of both the capital and the harbor. Visitors can enjoy the Bermuda Isles Pipe Band perform on the green every Monday at noon from November to April. The Crystal Caves are caverns 120 feet underground and are filled with stalactites and stalagmites. These caves are very small and children under age 11 are not permitted. Hamilton is also home to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, which opened in 1997. It was designed to acquaint visitors with the ocean and its inhabitants. Glass-bottom boat tours are also offered in Hamilton, leaving twice daily from the ferry terminal. "Tucker's Town" is an ultra-elite area filled with beautiful homes that are owned by some of the "rich and famous." The Natural Arches are also found here as well as the Devil's Hole Aquarium.

The West End
The West End is the home of the Royal Naval Dockyard where the popular cruise ship port-of-call, King's Wharf, is located. Many of the attractions here are natural, such as the harbors and wooded areas. A major attraction here for wreck divers is the HMS Vixen in the waters off Daniel's Head called Sea Gardens. Visitors can walk through the Royal Naval Dockyard, beginning at the former fortress that houses the Maritime Museum and see Bermudian art at the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard. A good way to see the area is by bicycling from here down the main road to Lagoon Park and the inlet called the Crawl. In nearby Somerset Island, Somerset Village and Long Bay Park and Nature Reserve are popular places to visit. Another stop here for history buffs is the Maritime Museum, opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1975.

Bermuda Explorers Program
In addition to all of this, Bermuda offers even more enriching experiences. Visitors have the opportunity to gain an even deeper understanding of local attractions through "Bermuda Explorers Program," as series of new tours and programs. As the Island develops its cultural, heritage and ecological tourism products, owners, operators and even local residents are creating new and exciting opportunities to present travelers with an in-depth and unique look at Bermuda. Some programs that are offered include: the "Art and Architecture Walk," a pre-opening hours tour that originates at the Bermuda National Gallery with a museum curator, then continues into the town of Hamilton. Guests receive a map of art in public places and local galleries and can meet with the gallery owner/artists on their own. "The Heritage Passport" is a pass that allows the visitor unlimited admission to eight attractions over a four-day period. Sites include the Bermuda Maritime Museum, the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. Bermuda is a unique island offering visitors beautiful beaches, dive sites, fine dining, history and much more in a relaxed, genteel atmosphere with a distinct British flavor.


More Information:
·  Golf on a Bermuda Cruise

Photos: Courtesy of the Bermuda Department of Tourism