No matter how long you’ve lived in Bermuda, there’s still plenty to discover, or rediscover if you are a consummate Bermudian and have actually done it all before. The beauty in seeing your own home in a way you haven’t before is found in stepping outside your usual routine and going in search of something different. Here are three natural wonders you should experience again as we enter the quieter fall months.
Hog Bay
Hog Bay is a seldom-visited, 32-acre nature reserve, full of agricultural land, parkland, and woodland. The extensive trails are wonderful for dog walking, and you can spot many Bermudian birds during your walk. The reserve is hilly, and is sure to give you a good work out. Near the end of the trail, you can reach the water to cool off after traversing steep cliffs populated with the silver trunks of dead cedars. If you want somewhere quiet and secluded to explore, Hog Bay is the perfect place, and you can spend hours winding through the network of trails. After hurricanes, the little beach at the edge of the park is often home to a variety of exciting creatures stirred up by the harsh tides, including eels and octopi.
John Smith’s
This charismatic local south shore beach is the perfect place for body surfing. Powerful winds blowing in from the eastern end of the island stir up the waters around John Smiths into rough seas. Though it’s not a good idea to swim too far away from shore, the beach is perfectly safe for experienced swimmers. The beach has a small area of parkland attached to it, which is a great place for summer cookouts and sunbathing. Around the headland on the western side of the beach, explorers may find the snorkeling to be fantastic. This seldom-visited site is home to many unique reef creatures, including eels and trumpetfish.
Vesey Nature Reserve
This new nature reserve was formed in 2009, when a Ms. Sharon Vesey donated the land to The Bermuda National Trust and The Bermuda Audubon Society. The reserve stretches all the way to the Little Sound. Evan’s Pond is contained within the reserve, and is an important tidal marine pond fringed by mangroves and populated by herons and various other migratory birds. It also supports populations of toads and killifish, which are an important part of our ecosystem. The park’s flora is slowly being restored, by removing introduced spice trees and planting native trees instead. To explore a part of the island that has never been open to the public before, head down to this new reserve in Southampton.
