Traveling with Children

There’s no end to child-friendly fun in Bermuda, and, best of all, a lot of it is absolutely free. Beaches, public playgrounds, gombey dances, and the serenade of treefrogs—kids fall in love with the island even faster than their parents. Traveling to Bermuda poses no special health risks; the island has a standard vaccinations program for infants and children, so there are few serious communicable diseases. Bermuda is also rabies-free. The short flight from U.S. East Coast cities—a mere couple of hours—is doable for kids (daytime flights from London are about seven hours). Many of the major hotels have special kids’ camps during the summer high season; inquire about their activities and age restrictions when you book accommodations. Some hotels and guesthouses can also arrange babysitting.

Most childcare products are easily available on the island at drugstores and supermarkets, including diapers, wipes, shampoos, vitamins, sunblock, and children’s pain relievers. The majority stock North American brands, except for The Supermart’s popular English Waitrose grocery line; if you’re traveling from Europe and will miss a favorite product, you might want to bring it with you.

There are numerous toy stores and kids’ clothing outlets, though prices generally run at least a third higher than in the United States.

Generally, local eateries are more than willing to try to make young diners happy, with kids’ menus, high chairs, and cheery waitstaff.

The best public playgrounds are located at Mullet Bay in St. George’s; Shelly Bay in Hamilton Parish [1]; Parson’s Road in Pembroke [2]; South Shore Road in Warwick [3] (just east of the entrance to Warwick Long Bay); Death Valley, Middle Road, in Southampton [4]; and outside Bermuda Maritime Museum [5] at Dockyard [6]. All are equipped with regulation climbing frames, tunnels, swings, and slides, for both toddlers and older children.