Hamilton is the capital of Bermuda, and this guide covers the whole territory, from the pink-sand beaches of the south shore to historic St. George's and the Royal Naval Dockyard. Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic rather than the Caribbean: the closest land is North Carolina, about 1,035 kilometers to the west-northwest, and its 181 islands, the largest joined by bridges, cover only about 54 square kilometers.
Hamilton itself is a small, tidy port city on the north side of Hamilton Harbour, with pastel shopfronts, ferries and the island's main bus terminal, and it suits short city stays. Most visitors spread out across the nine parishes instead, renting cottages, apartments and guest houses near the south shore beaches in Paget, Warwick and Southampton, in quieter Sandys at the west end, or in the old town of St. George's in the east. The climate is subtropical, warmed by the Gulf Stream, so summers are hot and humid while winters are mild rather than tropical. Visitors cannot rent conventional cars, which shapes how and where people choose to stay.
Hamilton and the surrounding parish of Pembroke suit travelers who want restaurants, shops and the ferry and bus terminals within walking distance, and they make the easiest base for anyone without a scooter. Just across the harbor, Paget and Warwick line the south shore, with Elbow Beach and a string of coves; cottages and apartments here suit families and beach lovers who still want a short ride into town.
Southampton, farther west, is home to Horseshoe Bay and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and has many rentals set on hillsides above the sea. Sandys Parish, at the far west end around Somerset and the Royal Naval Dockyard, is quieter and connected to Hamilton by public ferry, a good choice for longer, slower stays. In the east, St. George's offers history on the doorstep, calm Tobacco Bay nearby and the airport only minutes away, although it is the farthest point from the south shore beaches.
Bermuda was uninhabited when the Spanish navigator Juan de Bermúdez came upon it in the early 1500s, and it remained unsettled for a century. In 1609 the Sea Venture, flagship of a fleet carrying settlers to Jamestown, was driven onto the reef; everyone survived, and the castaways built two new ships, the Deliverance and the Patience, to continue to Virginia. Permanent settlement followed in 1612 at St. George's, the first capital, and the House of Assembly dates from 1620, making it one of the oldest legislatures in the world.
UNESCO inscribed the Historic Town of St. George and its fortifications in 2000, describing it as the oldest English town in the New World. Its State House of 1620 was the island's first stone building, and St. Peter's Church is the oldest surviving Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. Hamilton was planned from 1790, named for Governor Henry Hamilton, and became the capital in 1815; its Anglican cathedral was consecrated in 1911.
The famous pink tint of Bermuda's beaches comes from tiny red organisms called foraminifera mixed into the fine white sand. Horseshoe Bay, on the south shore in Southampton, is the best-known beach, with a lifeguard station in summer, while Elbow Beach in Paget often has calmer water; part of it belongs to a hotel, with public access to the rest. In the far northeast, Tobacco Bay is a national park beach with reefs close to shore for snorkeling, and the reefs around the islands hide many shipwrecks for divers.
On land, the Bermuda Railway, which ran from 1931 to 1948, left a right-of-way that was dedicated in 1984 as the Bermuda Railway Trail, about 29 kilometers of path for walking and, on some paved stretches, cycling. Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, a cast-iron tower first lit in the 1840s, has 185 steps to a gallery with wide views over the south shore and the Great Sound.
The Royal Naval Dockyard took shape on Ireland Island in the early 19th century, and for well over a century it was Britain's main naval base in the western Atlantic. Its massive fortified Keep now houses the National Museum of Bermuda, and the Dockyard is one of the island's most visited sights, especially when cruise ships are in port.
Bermudian culture blends British, African, Caribbean and Native American roots. Gombey troupes, whose costumed dances draw on African, Caribbean, British and Native American traditions, perform at festivals and holidays. Cup Match, a two-day cricket contest between Somerset and St. George's, is played over the Emancipation Day and Mary Prince Day public holidays, the Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August. Bermuda shorts, worn with knee socks, a jacket and tie, still count as business wear. With no rivers or lakes, every house must collect rainwater from its roof, and most homes store it in a tank built into their foundations.
L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), in St. George's Parish about 11 kilometers northeast of Hamilton, has flights from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and a new terminal opened there in December 2020. A taxi to Hamilton or the south shore takes roughly 20 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic and destination.
Visitors are not allowed to rent conventional cars, a long-standing rule meant to limit traffic on narrow roads. Instead they can rent scooters or small electric two-seater vehicles, take taxis, or use the government's buses and ferries. Almost all bus routes start from the central terminal in Hamilton, and public ferries cross the harbor and the Great Sound to Paget, Warwick, the Dockyard and other stops. Traffic drives on the left, roads are winding and speed limits are low, so plan journeys with plenty of time.
Bermuda's climate sits on the border between humid subtropical and tropical, softened by the ocean and the nearby Gulf Stream. Summers are warm and humid, though temperatures rarely pass 30 degrees Celsius, and the sea reaches about 28 degrees in August, which makes May to October the main beach season. The coolest months are February and March, when average temperatures are around 18 degrees, and the sea drops to the high teens; winter suits walkers, golfers and travelers looking for lower demand rather than swimmers.
Rain is spread through the year, peaking in October. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, and Bermuda often lies in the path of storms curving north. Direct hits are rare because the islands are small, but Fabian in 2003, Gonzalo in 2014, Nicole in 2016 and Paulette in 2020 caused damage, and Melissa cut power to about half the island in 2025.
No. Bermuda is in the North Atlantic, about 1,035 kilometers east-southeast of North Carolina and far north of the Caribbean islands. It shares some cultural ties with the Caribbean, but its climate is subtropical, with mild winters and warm summers rather than year-round tropical heat.
No. Visitors cannot rent conventional cars in Bermuda. You can rent scooters or small electric two-seater vehicles, take taxis, or use the public buses and ferries, which reach most parishes. Traffic drives on the left and roads are narrow, so allow extra time.
May to October is the main beach season, with the warmest sea in July and August. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, so flexible plans help in late summer and autumn. Winter is mild and quieter, better for walking, golf and sightseeing than for swimming.
Hamilton suits short stays and travelers without their own transport. Paget, Warwick and Southampton on the south shore suit beach lovers and families. Sandys at the west end is quiet and linked to Hamilton by ferry, while St. George's suits history lovers and those who want to be near the airport.
L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA) is in St. George's Parish, about 11 kilometers northeast of Hamilton. The drive usually takes around 20 to 30 minutes, longer to the south shore or the west end. Taxis meet arriving flights, and buses also serve the airport area.
The pink color comes from foraminifera, tiny single-celled marine organisms with red shells, whose fragments mix with the fine white sand. The effect is strongest on south shore beaches such as Horseshoe Bay and Elbow Beach, especially near the waterline.
Bermuda uses the Bermudian dollar, which has been pegged at par with the US dollar since its introduction in 1970. US notes and coins circulate alongside local money and are accepted almost everywhere, and cards are widely used.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .