16 Best Sights in Hamilton and The Central Parishes, Bermuda

The park, site of the extravagant, now mostly demolished, home of a former admiral of the British Navy, has man-made caves to explore and trails with views of the north shore, but it's also notable as the perfect spot to attempt a favorite pastime of locals: cliff jumping. The cliffs are about 15–20 feet high, and the water below is deep and clear. Wear good water shoes, as the walk back up the cliffs can be a bit rocky. If you're less thrill seeker and more of a sun seeker, there's a small beach to relax off a calm cove and lagoonlike water to wade in.

Home to Bermuda's national art collection, the Bermuda National Gallery has permanent exhibits that include paintings by island artists as well as European masters like Gainsborough and Reynolds; African masks and sculpture; and photographs by internationally known artists, such as Bermudian Richard Saunders (1922–87). The fine and decorative art pieces in the collection reflect the country's multicultural heritage. Temporary exhibits are also part of the museum's program, and on any given day you can see a selection of local work along with a traveling exhibit from another museum. The gallery is on the second floor in the City Hall & Arts Centre, in the East Exhibition Room.

For a comprehensive look at the collections, join one of the free docent-led tours offered Thursday at 10 am (private ones can be arranged on request). Lectures and other programs are listed in the gallery's online calendar. Some of these are targeted specifically at children, and there is an interactive education space at the gallery entrance.

Home to Bermuda's national art collection, the Bermuda National Gallery has permanent exhibits that include paintings by island artists as well as European masters like Gainsborough and Reynolds; African masks and sculpture; and photographs by internationally known artists, such as Bermudian Richard Saunders (1922–87). The fine and decorative art pieces in the collection reflect the country's multicultural heritage. Temporary exhibits are also part of the museum's program, and on any given day you can see a selection of local work along with a traveling exhibit from another museum. The gallery is on the second floor in the City Hall & Arts Centre, in the East Exhibition Room.

For a comprehensive look at the collections, arrange a private docent tour. Lectures and other programs are listed in the gallery's online calendar. Some of these are targeted specifically at children, and there is an interactive education space at the gallery entrance.

The 40,000-square-foot Ocean Discovery Centre at the institute showcases local contributions to oceanographic research and undersea discovery. Highlights include the world-class shell collection amassed by resident Jack Lightbourn (three of the 1,000 species were identified by and named for Lightbourn himself) and a gallery honoring native-born archaeologist Teddy Tucker featuring booty from Bermudian shipwrecks. The equipment that made such discoveries possible is displayed, including a replica of the bathysphere William Beebe and Otis Barton used in their record-smashing 1934 dive. (Forget the Bermuda Triangle: the real mystery is how they descended a half mile in a metal ball less than 5 feet in diameter!) A more modern "submersible," Nautilus-X2, lets wannabe explorers take a simulated seven-minute trip to the ocean floor. Special events, like lectures, glowworm cruises, and whale-watching trips, are available for an added fee. The on-site Harbourfront restaurant is a lovely choice for lunch.

Pedestrians may access the facility by following the sidewalk on the water side of Front Street. Motorists must drive out of town on Front Street, round the traffic circle, and exit at the lane signposted for the BUEI.

For a ringside seat to the show of sailboats and passenger ferries zigzagging around the many islands that dot Hamilton Harbour, grab a bench beneath the trees at the newly renovated Point Pleasant Park, a small waterside park, which locals refer to as Albuoy's Point. Part of the renovation gives a nod to Bermuda's biggest mystery—the infamous triangle. The park's renovation created a walkway through the park in the distinctive shape, plus a great photo-op at the triangle's "most northern point." Nearby is the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, founded in 1844 and granted the use of the term royal by Prince Albert in 1845. Today, luminaries from the international sailing scene hobnob with local yacht owners and business executives at the club's 1930s headquarters. If you're around between April and November, you might even catch one of the many club-sponsored racing events.

On the upper floor of City Hall & Arts Centre, in the West Wing, the Bermuda Society of Arts displays work by its members. Its frequently changing juried shows attract talented local painters, sculptors, and photographers. Art collectors will be pleased to learn that many pieces may also be purchased.

When you're in the mood for a picnic in the park, pick up supplies at Bulli.Social right beside the Queen Elizabeth Park entrance or pull up a chair in the restaurant's outdoor seating area just inside the park. Come for gourmet burgers, poutine, or the Ultimate Bacon Butty—bacon jam, Bermuda Smokehouse pork belly, candied bacon, and pork cheek confit on a soft, crusty roll. For a taste of Bermuda's social scene, stop by instead for Friday-night happy hour.

The most rewarding time to visit the Cabinet Building, which was completed in 1841 and remodeled almost a century later, is during the formal opening of Parliament, traditionally held on the first Friday of November. His (or Her) Excellency the Governor, dressed in a plumed hat and full regalia, arrives on the grounds in a landau drawn by magnificent black horses and accompanied by a police escort. A senior officer, carrying the Black Rod made by the Crown jewelers, next asks the speaker of the House, elected representatives, and members of the Senate chamber to convene. The governor then presents the Throne Speech from a tiny cedar throne dating from 1642. 

After the original Anglican sanctuary on this site was torched by an arsonist in 1884, Scottish architect William Hay was enlisted to design a replacement: true to his training, Hay erected a Gothic-style structure in the grand European tradition. Inside, the clerestory in the nave is supported by piers of polished Scottish granite; soaring archways are trimmed in stone imported from France; and the choir stalls and bishop's throne are carved out of English oak. The pulpit is modeled on the one in Hay's hometown cathedral (St. Giles in Edinburgh), and the whole thing is crowned by a copper roof that stands out among Bermuda's typical white-topped buildings.

Despite the European flourishes, Bermuda Cathedral still has a subtropical flair. After all, the limestone building blocks came from the Par-la-Ville quarry, and one of its loveliest stained-glass windows—the Angel Window on the east wall of the north transept—was created by local artist Vivienne Gilmore Gardner.

After sauntering around the interior, you can climb the 155 steps of the church tower for a heavenly view of Hamilton and its harbor.

City Café is a New York–inspired deli that serves made-to-order sandwiches (including vegetarian variations) as well as tasty breakfasts. Because of its location next to the bus terminal on Church Street, City Café is a convenient place to grab a bite before catching a bus to other parts of the island. If you have time to fill up before your bus departs, continue walking past the deli (away from the harbor) to Victoria Park, where you can chow down in style amid ornamental shrubbery.

Located next to the Ferry Terminal, the Visitor Services Centre is a good place to start when you're ready to explore the rest of Hamilton. The distinctive building was built out of repurposed shipping containers, and it's the place to pick up pamphlets and maps, to book tours and excursions, and to have your questions answered. Look for brochures for self-guided city walking tours. You can also purchase Bermuda-branded merchandise. On the top floor, the Birdcage has front-row harbor views and inventive cocktails featuring locally sourced ingredients.

Running along the harbor, Hamilton's main thoroughfare bustles with small cars, motor scooters, bicycles, buses, and sometimes hordes of cruise-ship passengers. The prime attractions here are the high-class low-rise shops that line the street, but be sure not to overlook small offshoots and alleyways like Chancery Lane, Old Cellar Lane, and the Walkers Arcade, where you'll stumble upon hidden-away boutiques. If visiting between May and August, on Wednesday evenings Front Street is closed to vehicular traffic to make way for the popular Harbour Nights, which features entertainment, food, and locally made products.

To some, this rather austere 1840s structure is simply a place to mail a letter, but to stamp collectors the Perot Post Office, named for Hamilton's first postmaster, is a veritable shrine. William Bennett Perot (1791–1871) was certainly a genial fellow: he would meet arriving steamers, collect the incoming mail, stash it in his beaver hat, and then stroll around Hamilton to deliver it, greeting each recipient with a tip of his chapeau. But it was his resourcefulness that made him most famous among philatelists. Tired of individually hand-stamping outgoing letters, Perot began printing stamps in 1848. Of the thousands he produced, only 11 still exist—and several of those are owned by the British royal family. If you'd like to get your hands on one, be prepared to dig deep. In 2005, a Perot-era one-penny stamp sold at auction for a record-breaking $244,000.

Next to the Perot Post Office is the entrance to pretty Queen Elizabeth Park (formerly Par-La-Ville Park), which was officially renamed in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II. Once postmaster William Perot's private garden, it has winding paths, luxuriant blooms, plentiful benches, and a photogenic Bermuda moongate. Long popular with people-watchers, it is now the site of the Bermuda National Library and Bermuda Historical Society Museum, too. The Bermuda National Gallery has created a sculpture garden in the park by installing several major outdoor works. Enjoy a refreshing cup of iced tea from NovelTea, which sells its inventive freshly brewed teas from a small stall here with flavors including cherry blossom and creme brulée, as well as a small selection of tea accessories and the company's packaged loose leaf teas. On summer Saturdays you will find Gombey dancers entertaining visitors here at noon.

This eye-catching Italianate edifice, erected in 1819, is where the House of Assembly (Bermuda's lower house of Parliament) and the Supreme Court convene. The Florentine towers and colonnade, decorated with red terra-cotta, were added to the building in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The Victoria Jubilee Clock Tower made its striking debut—albeit a few years late—at midnight on December 31, 1893. Bermuda's Westminster-style Parliament meets on the second floor, where the speaker rules the roost in a powdered wig and robe. (The island has approximately 14 times as many politicians per capita as Europe or North America, so maintaining order is no small feat.) Sartorial splendor is equally evident downstairs in the Supreme Court, where wigs and robes—red for judges, black for barristers—are again the order of the day.

You're welcome to watch the colorful proceedings: bear in mind, though, that visitors, too, are required to wear appropriate attire.

Call first to find out when parliamentary sessions and court cases are scheduled. Tours can also be scheduled, except on Fridays, when Parliament is in session.

Just behind the Hamilton Central Bus Terminal is a green oasis with plenty of benches and leafy shade to rest after sightseeing around the City of Hamilton. The highlight of the park is the ornate, grand bandstand erected in 1889 in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Today, it, along with the park, hosts many cultural events including concerts and festivals. Make sure to come to the park with an empty stomach—Leslie's Desserts creates European-style treats served out of an Airstream in the southeastern corner of the park. The freshly baked bubble waffles topped with caramel gelato and Lotus Biscoff cookie crumbles will not disappoint.