The windy reaches of Ferry Point Park sprawl over acres of land, riddled with rambling paths that wind visitors around mangrove swamps, past graveyards, and astride sea cliffs. My friend leads us, courageous, through the landscape, lead in turn by her GPS while her yellow strands of hair careen wildly about her face in the breeze. “Should be here,” she says, and our search begins.
We’re looking for a small waterproof box, hidden in the brush on the bluff. We search a ten-foot radius under shrubs and Bermudian limestone rocks, and finally find the prize to our hunt. Triumphantly we pull it from under the rocks – it was deliberately hidden here, at the end of the hike for adventurers like us to open.
Uniting people across cultures and geographic borders, geocaching brings a sense of adventure and accomplishment separate from just taking a leisurely promenade. If you have a travel bug, and you love to go on off-the-beaten-path hikes, then geocaching might be just the thing you need to add adventurous flair to your outings.
There are millions of geocaches hidden around the world, and Bermuda is one of the most densely populated areas for geocaching. This global scavenger hunt will delight any casual explorer, and bring your adventures to the next level.
Inside the geocaches you uncover, you can expect to find a logbook and various miscellaneous items left by other hikers who have found the same box as you. When you find the geocache, you can record your name and date you found the box in the logbook, and take a look at the trading items inside the box. In the spirit of camaraderie, you can take sentimental items that other hikers at this spot have left, and replace them with ones of your own.
Some geocachers make their own trading cards or other signature items to leave their own personal mark on the box. Disposable cameras are also a popular idea, as each player that has found the box can take a picture of themselves at the location, and these can be developed and later uploaded to geocaching websites or apps. In this way, you become part of a global community of hikers who uncover geocaches across the world, despite going on the hike with just a few friends.
To start geocaching, all you need is a GPS and an adventurous spirit. Download the geocaching app, which has coordinates and clues for geocaches around the world, and begin planning your trip. You’ll need to use the coordinates and GPS to get to the general area of the geocache, where you can look at clues and comments from other hikers who have found the cache to zero in on its location.
After you’ve logged your find, you must return the box to the exact location it was moved from so that other players may find it.
In Bermuda, the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources has set up a GeoTour, and you can visit this page for more information on how to participate and earn a beautiful GeoCoin upon completion!
