Planning Your Time

If you’re staying at a hotel or guesthouse in Warwick [1] or Southampton [2], you will find yourself close enough to the beaches or Railway Trail for early-morning dips and evening strolls any season of the year. Most Bermudians swim strictly June–October, but visitors will find the ocean’s average 65°F winter temperature quite balmy, especially if escaping winter snow.

There are more than a dozen beaches, bays, and coves lining the southern side of both parishes, offering the island’s best variety in swimming and beach venues. Depending on how much of a beach bum you are, you can enjoy a different spot every day of your trip. Outdoorsy types will enjoy activities like diving [3], whale-watching [4] (in season), snorkeling [5], and horseback-riding [6] on the dunes.

The area is a magnet for golfers, thanks to four major courses in the two parishes, including the Belmont Hills Golf Club [7], which was redesigned in 2003, and the world-renowned Port Royal championship course [8], which underwent a complete renovation in 2008 and 2009.

Warwick [1] and Southampton [2] make convenient starting points for excursions to other parts of the island; they’re well served by the island’s buses, taxis, rental scooter outlets, and ferries. If you’re staying elsewhere on the island, you will definitely want to visit Warwick and Southampton, if only for the views.

Beach aficionados can do what the locals do, and make day trips to these parishes to swim and sunbathe. Some of the best-known restaurants and spas, located in hotels and patronized equally by Bermudians and visitors, are also reason enough to come here. Travelers heading west on excursions to Somerset [9] and the Royal Naval Dockyard [10] can make the most of the panoramic scenery, various eateries, and sights like Warwick Pond [11] and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse [12] en route.