Bermuda’s Beaches Reimagined

Every Bermudian has their favourite beach, whether it be a secluded unnamed bay or a bustling, noisy shoreline but some beaches are better than others for very specific reasons. Here’s our list of worthy beaches and why each should be treasured.

For Couples – Tobacco Bay, St. George
This re-vamped beach has lots of activities that couples will love. Unlike Horseshoe Bay, the bar is just a few steps away from the water, which means you’ll be ordering Rum Swizzles in no time. This beach has its own speaker system to pump out summer tunes and keep the party spirit alive. For more adventurous couples, it also offers wonderful snorkeling, and has cliffs to explore together.

Alone Time – Southlands Beach, Warwick
Many locals don’t know that Southlands Beach exists, and to access the beach, you must climb down a series of steep steps cut into the cliff, which discourages most from enjoying it. The high, eroded cliffs provide a sound barrier so that all you can hear are the waves crashing against the shore. Those seeking alone time will love wandering the undisturbed coastline.

Accessibility – Buildings Bay Beach
While no beach in Bermuda offers a solution for those with limited mobility, Buildings Bay Beach is an example of a beach with flat surfaces nearby. Cars can drive on to the grassy Alexandra Battery Park and let those with limited mobility access the concrete pier constructed astride the beach.

A Great Swim – Turtle Bay, St. David’s
Turtle Bay is a lesser-known St. David’s beach a little farther along than Clearwater Bay. It drops off into deep water quickly and serves as a great place for an invigorating swim, in waters that are usually calm and pristine. Swimmers can challenge themselves by doing circuits around the small island off the coast, and the narrow beach provides the perfect place to relax after a workout.

Body Surfing – Warwick Long Bay, Warwick
This large beach is notorious for swells, and is battered incessantly by south shore currents. There is plenty of chop for body surfing, and Warwick Long Bay is one of the choppiest shores. Surfers should be careful of strong currents, and always know how to escape a riptide.

The Luxury Experience – Elbow Beach, Paget
Elbow Beach offers the most comprehensive beach-going experience on island. While some of the beach is public, a large part of it belongs to Elbow Beach Resort, where you can unwind during the sultry day on a cushioned beach chair. After a long day spent swimming and warming feet on sunny sand, why not head up to Sea Breeze Lounge for a decadent and well-deserved meal?

Beachcombing – Annie’s Bay, St. David’s
Annie’s Bay was restricted until 1995 as it was part of a U.S. military base. Now, it contains years of undisturbed sea-tumbled treasures, a benefit from being seldom cleaned or visited. In particular, visitors can find a multitude of sea glass and china washed up on its shores. Besides these recycled finds, the shores also hold many coral skeletons, seashells and sea beans.

Snorkeling – Gravelly Bay, Smiths
Seldom thought of as a snorkeling beach, Gravelly Bay actually holds a wealth of biodiversity. The reefs abound with all manner of rare reef dwellers, including gold-spotted moray eels, yellowtail damselfish and trumpetfish. Though parrotfish can be spotted on almost any reef, this reef is packed to capacity, truly showcasing the amount of biomass the habitat can sustain.

A Swim in the Sunset – Somerset Long Bay, Bermuda
Anywhere in Somerset is a fantastic place to watch the sunset as it rises in the east and sets in the west. Somerset Long Bay’s crystal clear waters give rise to healthy sea grass beds offshore, which attract many green sea turtles. It is a charming place to watch as the sun sets the sky and the water aglow in brilliant oranges.

Most Instagrammable – Blue Hole Beach, Bermuda
Everyone has put Horseshoe Bay on their Instagram, but why not post something a little more exotic? This beach’s sand is yellower than many Bermuda beaches as Tom Moores’ characteristic red soil has washed into the basin. Mangroves rise with their long roots straight out of the sand, shading the beach with their little leaves, and making the landscape look alien. This quirky beach is sure to turn heads.

The Works – Cooper’s Island Beach, St. David’s
Peaceful, romantic, and breathtaking, with spectacular snorkeling and beach combing, Cooper’s Island Beach truly takes the cake when you’re rating Bermudian beaches. On the headland of Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve, the long beaches are shaded by tall casuarinas and give way to shallow waters bustling with marine life. Once part of a U.S. Military base, the beach is beautifully maintained due to low amounts of human traffic. No matter what your reasons for beach-going, Cooper’s Island Beach ticks all the boxes.