Bermuda’s splendor: From historic landmarks to tropical adventures
Swim in an underground grotto at a local resort, and hit one of Bermuda’s many golf courses
THE RUM DRINKS. MORNING BREAKS IN BERMUDA, ALL SIGNS POINT TO ANOTHER MAGNIFICENT DAY. JUST 25 MILES LONG, BERMUDA HAS NINE PARISHES OR COUNTIES. THERE IS PAINTERLY SCENERY EVERYWHERE. EVERYTHING’S CLEAN HERE. EVERYBODY’S FRIENDLY. IN SAINT GEORGE, WE BUMP INTO A FAMILY FROM QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS. CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ, NATALIA FERNANDEZ AND FIVE YEAR OLD JAYLENE. THEY’RE VISITING A POPULAR LANDMARK THIS UNFINISHED 19TH CENTURY GOTHIC CHURCH. I THINK A LOT OF ARCHITECTURAL THINGS HERE, SO IT’S VERY ESTHETICALLY PLEASING TO SEE. AVID WALKERS FLOCK TO THE COOPER’S ISLAND NATURE RESERVE ON BERMUDA’S SOUTHEASTERN TIP. THESE 12 ACRES BELONG TO THE US MILITARY. UNTIL 1995, COOPER’S ISLAND WAS ALSO ONCE USED BY NASA TO TRACK SPACECRAFT AND SATELLITES. WE DISCOVER OTHER NATURAL WONDERS UNDERGROUND, A SERIES OF SPARKLING LIMESTONE GROTTOES OR CAVES THAT ARE OPEN TO VISITORS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS ONE HOUSES A SPA. YOU’RE SURROUNDED BY HALF A MILLION YEAR OLD FORMATIONS, STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES. YOU HEAR THE DRIPPING SOUNDS. IT’S AN OUT OF THIS WORLD EXPERIENCE. FOR 14 YEARS, DANIELA D’AMATO HAS WORKED AT THE GROTTO BAY RESORT, JUST A FIVE MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PROPERTY ITSELF IS MADE UP OF 17 DIFFERENT GROTTOES. WE HAVE REPURPOSED TWO OF THEM. ONE IS OUR SWIMMING CAVE. SO THE CATHEDRAL CAVE, WHERE YOU CAN GO AND SWIM IN THIS IS INCREDIBLE. AND IT’S ACTUALLY QUITE REFRESHING. IT’S NOT AS HEAVY AS SALTWATER, SO IT’S MAINLY A BODY OF SEAWATER THAT FILTERS THROUGH FROM THE OCEAN. AND THEN THERE’S A THIN LAYER OF FRESH WATER THAT SITS ON TOP THAT FILTERS THROUGH THE GROUND ABOVE. WHEN IT RAINS, THERE’S ALSO PLENTY OF BEACH THERAPY AT GROTTO BAY, THE ONLY ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT ON BERMUDA. WHEN IN BERMUDA, YOU MUST SIP LIKE A LOCAL. MANY OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE DARK AND STORMY, BUT THIS IS THE FAMOUS RUM SWIZZLE, A BLEND OF BERMUDA BLACK RUM, FRUIT JUICES, AND A LITTLE ISLAND MAGIC SET ON 21 ACRES BURSTING WITH TROPICAL FLOWERS, GROTTO BAY HAS 200 ROOMS AND 11 BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS POOLS, RESTAURANTS AND A NEW ROOFTOP LOUNGE, NOT TO MENTION DAZZLING SUNRISE VIEWS. SOME THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BERMUDA. FIRST, EVERYONE DRIVES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. SECOND, TOURISTS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO RENT MICRO CARS THAT SEAT 1 OR 2 PEOPLE. HELLO FROM BERMUDA AND THIRD, BERMUDA IS EXPENSIVE. ONE WAY TO SAVE A LITTLE CASH. VISIT A PLACE NICKNAMED THE PINK PALACE FOR ANYBODY ON A BUDGET OR NOT ON A BUDGET. WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE? IT’S FREE. WE’RE AT THE FIVE STAR HAMILTON PRINCESS AND BEACH CLUB, WHICH CELEBRATES ITS 140TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2025. DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING DERMOT O’SULLIVAN IS DECKED OUT IN CLASSIC BERMUDA BUSINESS WEAR, SHORTS AND ALL. I THINK IT REPRESENTS EVERYTHING THAT’S GREAT ABOUT BERMUDA. BE COMFORTABLE, ENJOY YOURSELF AND YOU HAVE A BRILLIANT TIME. TURNS OUT THE HAMILTON PRINCESS IS HOME TO A WORLD CLASS ART COLLECTION AVAILABLE TO VIEW FOR FREE. ARTISTS SUCH AS ANDY WARHOL, JEFF KOONS, JULIAN OPIE, MATISSE, PICASSO ALL ACCESSIBLE. ANY VISITOR CAN STROLL THE GROUNDS AND THE LOBBY, WHICH FUNCTION AS A HUGE COLLECTIVE ART GALLERY, SAYS O’SULLIVAN. EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE ART AND LEARN FROM IT. I HAVE SEEN THESE ARCHWAYS ALL OVER THE ISLAND. THEY’RE CALLED MOON GATES. THE STORY IS IF YOU WALK THROUGH IT, YOU WILL HAVE ETERNAL LOVE. SO I WILL HAVE ETERNAL LOVE FOR BERMUDA. ABSOLUTELY. TOURS CAN ALSO EASILY ENJOY ONE OF THE ISLAND’S MOST POPULAR ATTRACTIONS. BERMUDA HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST GOLF COURSE RATES PER CAPITA. WE HAVE SEVEN RUNNING GOLF COURSES FOR SUCH A SMALL ISLAND. IN THE CENTER OF BERMUDA IS THE NINE HOLE OCEAN VIEW GOLF COURSE, A PUBLIC COURSE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 1950S. EBONY COX IS ONE OF TWO PROFESSIONAL FEMALE GOLFERS IN BERMUDA AND A COACH AT OCEAN VIEW. OCEAN VIEW HAS A RICH GOLFING HISTORY WITH CLOSE TIES, AND A LOT TO DO WITH BREAKING THAT COLOR BARRIER. IT’S THE PEOPLE’S CAUSE. IT’S THE LOCALS COURSE, AND IT’S ALSO A PLACE WHERE WE INVITE AND ACCEPT ANY AND EVERYONE, INCLUDING THESE ASPIRING PROS. JOSHUA SIMONS IS TEN YEARS OLD. YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR HANDS WORN LIKE A L SHAPE THAN LIKE, GO BACK. OKAY, MORE LIKE AN L SHAPE. 13 YEAR OLD DARINA BEDFORD HOPES TO JOIN THE LPGA TOUR ONE DAY. THE CONDITIONS ARE VERY WINDY HERE, SO IT’S GOOD TO TRAIN HERE. AND I STARTED COMPETITIVELY PLAYING ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO AND I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH. AND THEN YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR YOUR EYES ARE LINED UP WITH THE BALL AND THEN JUST MAKE A BACK STROKE AND A FORWARD STROKE. NICE AND EASY TIME TO GIVE THIS MY BEST SHOT. THAT’S A BOMB. AND IF YOU’RE A GOLFER, YOU HAVE LIKELY HEARD, OF COURSE, OF BERMUDA GRASS. IT’S FOUND ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT’S USED ON GOLF COURSES AND OTHER PLACES FOR ITS HEAT AND DROUGHT TOLERANCE. AND BACK TO GROTTO BAY RESORT. THEY JUST COMPLETED A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION, AND THAT LIMESTONE CAVE THAT I SWAM IN, THEY’RE ALL OVER THE ISLAND, AND IT LITERALLY FELT LIKE I WAS SWIMMING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EARTH. IT WAS FANTASTIC. AND BACK TO HAMILTON, PRINCESS. LOOK AT THIS COOL DISPLAY OF ART THAT THEY CREATED FOR US
Bermuda’s splendor: From historic landmarks to tropical adventures
Swim in an underground grotto at a local resort, and hit one of Bermuda’s many golf courses
Updated: 8:19 PM EST Jan 26, 2026
Editorial Standards ⓘ
St. George’s, Bermuda, features an unfinished Gothic church, while Cooper’s Island has a nature reserve for avid walkers. Dive into the sparkling grotto caves at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa Bermuda.Daniela D’Amato tells us, “You’re surrounded by half-a-million-year-old formations, stalactites and stalagmites. You hear the dripping sounds. It’s an out-of-this-world experience.”You can also sample cocktails, like the island’s famed “Rum Swizzle.”For art lovers, the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is a must-visit, showcasing works from Picasso and Warhol. Golfers can enjoy sprawling courses, including Ocean View Golf Course, which is rich in local history.
St. George’s, Bermuda, features an unfinished Gothic church, while Cooper’s Island has a nature reserve for avid walkers. Dive into the sparkling grotto caves at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa Bermuda.
Daniela D’Amato tells us, “You’re surrounded by half-a-million-year-old formations, stalactites and stalagmites. You hear the dripping sounds. It’s an out-of-this-world experience.”
You can also sample cocktails, like the island’s famed “Rum Swizzle.”
For art lovers, the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is a must-visit, showcasing works from Picasso and Warhol. Golfers can enjoy sprawling courses, including Ocean View Golf Course, which is rich in local history.