Bermuda
 

We will be in Bermuda in July on a cruise, so we only have 2 days. My husband wants to golf, my kids want to snorkel. What do you suggest for each? Thanks.

How old are your kids? Do they have snorkel gear? Do you want to go on your own or a guided tour? What end of the island will you be docked at? I don't know if the cruise line has any way of setting up tee times at the private courses, but Port Royal is public and recently hosted a PGA event, I'd start there.

We do have our own snorkel gear and are willing to go on our own. I heard that Church Bay is good, but don't know how to get there. Would it be easier to go with the cruise excursion? As for golf, my husband would like to play on a course near Horseshoe Bay beach so he could meet us for swimming afterward.
Thanks

Church Bay IS good - as long as the waves are calm, and easy to get to. Assuming you're docked at King's Wharf (aka Dockyard), you'll take the #7 bus and ask the driver to let you off at Church Bay. Simple.
If the weather has the South Shore beaches stirred up and it's not calm enough to snorkel there, you can check out Tobacco Bay in St. George's. It's off North Shore and will often be calm when South Shore is not.
Golf closest and most convenient to Horseshoe Bay would be the par-3 course at the Southampton Fairmont Hotel. It's GORGEOUS - I learned to play there. Same bus route as above. Might I suggest going one bus stop past Horseshoe Bay and checking out Warwick Long Bay and the other beaches along that stretch - more interesting and lots less tourists!!

Thank you so much for the GREAT info!
I don't have a good feel for distances/terrain on Bermuda. Is it possible to walk from Southampton Fairmont Hotel to Gibbs Point Lighthouse and from either Horseshoe Bay or Church Bay to the Lighthouse?
Also, is the snorkeling at Snorkel Park (at the Dockyard) really touristy or worth a try?
Thanks Again.

The Fairmont to the lighthouse is a reasonable walk, but the terrain has a lot of hills. The hotel itself is situated up high, so you'd walk (or take the trolley) down to the main road. The walk from there to the lighthouse is all uphill. If the humidity is high, by the time you get there, you can forget climbing the lighthouse. If your goal is to actually climb the lighthouse, I'd take a cab there and walk back.

Same thing with the beaches. The main road is uphill from the beaches, so although the walk along the road is ok, you have to get down and then back up the hill to the beach. The bus runs every 15 minutes along that road and as long as you're not in wet clothes, you can hop on and off. (Bring towels, dry off as much as possible, put your dry clothes back on over your swimsuit.) Get a two day transport pass, that will cover unlimited bus and ferry use - then you don't have to stress.

Snorkel Park itself is as touristy as Bermuda gets, BUT if you get out past the breaker wall, you have access to snorkelling that's about as good as you can get walking off the beach. For any comparable snorkelling in calm safe water, you'd have to be staying at a beachfront hotel or take a guided boat trip. (If you're standing on the sand at Snorkel Park, there's a man-made rock wall built to create a safe little cove, on your left. Find the cut in the wall that the kayakers use and get beyond the wall to the reefs. Easiest way to get an idea of what I'm talking about - visit the Maritime Museum in Dockyard before you go - you'll be up on a fortress wall overlooking Snorkel Park and can get a birds-eye view of where the best spots are.) BONUS - Snorkel Park is only one of two public beaches in Bermuda with full bathrooms including showers and changing rooms, as well as a place to grab snacks. Very handy if you've got the kids.

Do you know anything about the snorkel tour through the tour company Jessie James?

Thanks...you are the best source for info.

We have done the Jessie James Snorkel trip twice in previous trips to Bermuda.
Basically, they make three stops. The first stop is in waist deep water so beginners can get some instruction and get used to the gear.
The second stop is over two wrecks: the Constellation and the Montana. The water is very clear and you are able to see the wrecks.
The third stop is over a reef and you see beautiful coral and fish.
Not sure I noticed above your children's ages...Jessie James will not take children under 8 according to the website.
http://www.jessiejames.bm/snorkelling.asp
Agree with txgirlinbda that Church Bay is beautiful but can be difficult when the surf is up. I got tossed around quite a bit and found it uncomfortable.
My favorite "on your own" snorkel is Tobacco Bay in St. George's.

Thank you Bette. My children are 9 and 11, both good swimmers. What kind of boat does Jessie James use...is it easy to get in and out for non-limber adults? I think we are leaning towards doing the snorkel tour instead of going at a beach.

There is a photo on the website. Very easy to get out of - there are stairs at the rear.
Forgot to mention - it says on the website that they will make arrangements to pick you up closer to the cruise ship if you give them details when you make the booking - so be sure to put the details in the email if you proceed with this company. This will save you the trip into Hamilton on the snorkel day.

OK, if you had 2 days (from a cruise)to spend in Bermuda, what would you want to do? I am having trouble fitting all I want to do into just 2 days. Please help!

topping for GlasgowMum.

Does anyone know where I can buy a 2 day bus/ferry pass in the Dockyard area? The tour book says Post Offices sell them...is there a PO in the Dockyard?
Thanks.

Near the ferry dock is an octagon shaped, glass tourist shop with an info desk. one stop for water, maps, passes, etc.

Thanks txgirlinbda. You are a wealth of Bermuda info. I have been doing my homework and checking old blogs for cool things to do on our (very short) stay in Bermuda. I found something I'd like to ask you about: "For something different, walk the Royal Navy cemetery. Tons of history in this place. I've read that there's a sea glass beach nearby." Where is this place?
Thanks!

The cemetery is very cool, probably good for half an hour or so of keeping the boys busy. I know OF the sea glass beach nearby but haven't ever been, for two reasons - I'm not crazy about the neighborhood that it's in (a bit rough, and I have a little one always with me) and there's a fantastic glass beach in St. George's. In fact, we were just there yesterday with some visitors. We went at low tide, and there are holes in the rocks full of glass. The one at St. George's is at Alexandra Battery Fort Park. We came back with literally grocery sacks full of glass.