A Good Walk in Hamilton

Any tour of Hamilton should begin on Front Street, a tidy thoroughfare lined with ice cream–color buildings, many with cheery awnings and ornate balconies. The Visitor Services Centre next to the Ferry Terminal at 8 Front Street is a good starting point. Continue west and swing down Point Pleasant Road to Albuoy's Point for a splendid view of Hamilton Harbour. Afterward, retrace your steps, passing the Ferry Terminal Building where passengers board boats for sightseeing excursions. (You can also depart from here on more affordable round-trip rides to the Dockyard and St. George's via the Sea Express ferry.) Stroll toward the intersection of Front and Queen streets, where you can see the Birdcage, a much-photographed traffic box named for its designer, Michael "Dickey" Bird.

Turn up Queen Street to see the 19th-century Perot Post Office. Just beyond it is the Museum of the Bermuda Historical Society and Bermuda National Library. Follow Queen Street away from the harbor to Church Street to reach the City Hall & Arts Centre, which houses the Bermuda National Gallery, the Bermuda Society of Arts, and a performing arts venue.

At the City Hall steps, turn east on Church Street and pass the Hamilton Bus Terminal. One block farther, the imposing Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity looms up before you. Next, past the cathedral near the corner of Church and Parliament streets, you'll come to Sessions House. Keep going down Parliament to Front Street for a look at the Cabinet Building and, in front of it, the Cenotaph for fallen Bermudian soldiers. From here you might head back to Front Street for a leisurely stroll past (or into) the shops, then linger over lunch in one of the many cafés overlooking the harbor.

If you're up for a longer walk (about 15 minutes east from the Cenotaph) or are traveling by scooter or taxi, head to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI). Fort Hamilton is another worthwhile destination, though the road to it—north on King Street, then a sharp right on Happy Valley Road—is a bit too steep for casual walkers. The moated fort has gorgeous grounds, underground passageways, and great views of Hamilton and its harbor.