Somerset Village

So small that you might whiz right by it if you’re not paying attention, Somerset Village is a quaint, historic little community hugging picturesque Mangrove Bay. Mangrove Bay Road slopes through it to Dockyard [1]. Pastel storefronts, wooden verandas, and the kind of old-time languor you thought the Internet had forever vanquished make Somerset a relaxing little community.

Lanes like “Tween Walls,” which run off on either side of Mangrove Bay Road, are worth strolling. Take a swim in the palm-fringed bay, where the surface looks like a mirror when the wind is right, or from the public dock, where freight was once offloaded from ships onto horse-drawn carts.

Like Flatts Village [2], Somerset was a key maritime port for trade and boating around the island, in the days before roads and motorized vehicles linked the parishes. Illicit cargo was often taken to harbors like these to evade customs duties in Hamilton or St. George’s.

Today, Somerset doesn’t seem capable of such energy. Your time here is best spent sampling the several eateries and moseying around the sleepy shops. As part of a West End tour, it only takes a few hours to experience the village properly, though you might end up staying longer.

Getting to Somerset Village

Buses Nos. 7 and 8, which travel every 15 minutes between Hamilton [3] and Dockyard [1], service the village.

The Watford Bridge stop is the closest to Somerset Village, served by the Sea Express Blue Route ferries with scheduled stops within every two hours throughout the day. The adult fare is $4 one-way (tokens or tickets required, no cash or change accepted).

Oleander Cycles has an outlet at Cambridge Beaches Resort (30 Kings Point Rd., tel. 441/234-0331), renting single- and double-seat scooters.

Getting There