2 Best Sights in Bermuda

Because parts of this whitewashed stone church date back to 1620, it holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating Anglican church in the Western Hemisphere. Befitting its age, St. Peter's has many treasures. The red cedar altar, carved in 1615 under the supervision of Richard Moore (a shipwright and the colony's first governor) is the oldest piece of woodwork in Bermuda.

The late-18th-century bishop's throne is believed to have been salvaged from a shipwreck, and the baptismal font, brought to the island by early settlers, is an estimated 900 years old. There's also a fine collection of Communion silver from the 1600s in the vestry. Nevertheless, it's the building itself that leaves the most lasting impression. With rough-hewn pillars, exposed cedar beams, and candlelit chandeliers, the church is stunning in its simplicity.

After viewing the interior, walk into the churchyard to see where prominent Bermudians, including Governor Sir Richard Sharples, who was assassinated in 1973, are buried. A separate graveyard for enslaved and free Blacks (to the west of the church, behind the wall) is a reminder of Bermuda's segregated past.

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.