Bermuda has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It isn’t just because of the white and pink sand but it’s also the large limestone rock formations and turquoise blue waters that surround them by land and sea which also enhance this natural beauty.
Here we’ve organized the beaches in Bermuda into categories for you.
– Hotels with access to beaches
– Secluded beaches
– Beaches with facilities
– Beaches good for families
– Beaches with the best snorkeling
– Beaches with sea glass
Where are the famous Bermuda Pink Sand Beaches?
You’re going to find the beaches with pink sand all along the South Shore. The reason for this is the South Shore’s close proximity to an abundance of coral reef and the coral reef is where the sand gets its pink from. There is a red marine organism that grows under the coral, and when it dies, its pink shell mixes in with the white sand to give it its color.
The South Shore beaches in Bermuda have steep cliffs, hidden coves, and miles of nature trails scattered along its coastline. Just about anywhere along this coast you are going to find good beaches and an adventure. We highlight a few below – Horseshoe Bay, Stonehole Bay, Astwood Cove, & Church Bay.
Bermuda Hotels on the Beach or with Beach Access
Hamilton Princess & Beach Club (beach club is a 20 minute shuttle, leaving every 30 minutes)
Bermuda’s Best Secluded Beaches
– Somerset Long Bay Beach
This beach is close to the Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa. It is a public beach off the beaten path and faces the horizon where the sun sets. It is a perfect little spot if you want to watch the sunset here and then head over to Somerset Village to get dinner at one of the few casual sit down restaurants in the area. The Somerset Country Squire has a nice outdoor patio for dining.
– Whale Bay Beach
This beach is close to Port Royal Golf Course. You will be able to catch a #7 or #8 bus out of Dockyard towards Hamilton and will need to ask the friendly bus driver to drop you off here. Find Whale Bay Road across the street from the bus stop and take a 10 minute walk towards the very end of it. You will find Whale Bay Fort at the top of the hill and the beach at the bottom. Since it is away from most shops and attractions, you will find little to no people here.
– Astwood Cove
This beach is surrounded by high cliffs and will require a hike from the roadside. There isn’t much around here other than just laying on the beach and enjoying the water. The beach is surrounded by a park above it with picnic benches and portable toilets and is good for a little exploring. To get here, take a #7 bus and ask the bus driver to please drop you off at Astwood Cove.
– Stonehole Bay
This beach on the South Shore has stunning surrounding views. It is best to access it from Warwick Long Bay because this way you can hit a few beaches in one go to find the most secluded beach of them all. Walk over towards the small cove in Warwick Long Bay (just keep the ocean to your left), this is Jobson’s cove. And if you keep walking through the trails, you will come to Stonehole Bay. If you’re up for an adventure, make sure to explore the trails on the South Shore and find one of these three beaches.
– Warwick Long Bay
While in the summer this beach may not be as secluded, you will find that the park on either side of Warwick Long Bay leads to many secluded beaches. The trails that lead in either direction along Warwick Long Bay provide adventure and seclusion. Bring water, food, and towels, and you can make it a day of fun at the beach.
Bermuda Fact: Warwick Long Bay was recently put on the list of World’s 100 Best Beaches in the 29th position. The list was created by CNN and published on June 6th 2013.
– Deep Bay
This is another hidden beach but this time on the North Shore of the island. You’ll have to take the #4 bus out of Hamilton towards St. Georges and ask the bus driver to let you know when you reach Deep Bay (near Admiralty House). The bus drivers on the island are very knowledgeable and will be able to help you find this treasure cove. Admiralty House Park is just east of the beach (to your left if you’re facing the ocean) and so to get to Deep Bay you look for the cut in the wall just down the road from Admiralty House. The hole in the limestone cliff leads to a set of steep stairs that you will head down, and from there you will have a perfect little cove to relax in.
– John Smith’s Bay
If you’re staying in the East End of the island near to St. Georges, this is a well secluded beach for you. From May to September there is usually a lifeguard on duty, but just because there is a lifeguard that doesn’t mean it gets crowded. To get here, take the #1 or #3 bus and ask the bus driver to allow you to get off at John Smith’s Bay. You’ll also find public restrooms and some changing facilities on site. If you like to explore, take a walk away from St. Georges keeping the ocean to your left, and you will encounter Spittal Pond Nature Reserve which is huge for Bermuda’s standards. Make sure to bring water and a sense of adventure. This is also a famous spot among bird watchers in Bermuda and has interesting terrain to explore.
The Best Beaches for Families
– Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay will have the best facilities for a young family traveling to Bermuda. You can just about guarantee it to be a crowded beach.
– Shelly Bay Beach
This park has a large playground for young children to play in, and the beach is shallow up to 90 feet (27.43 m) out. There isn’t any pink sand or striking cliffs here, but it is perfect for young children.
– Snorkel Park
Located in Dockyard, you can entertain your children with all the various amenities at the facility. Jet-ski tours for adults and teens and if your crowd is a little younger, there are kayaks and paddle boats for rent as well. With beachside cabanas and ocean front beds and a bar and restaurant at your service, you are going to find that you can easily spend an entire day here.
– Tobacco Bay
You could also list this beach under one of the best beaches for snorkeling. You’ll find a variety of marine life around the bay. Walking here from the public ferry in St. Georges is a fun adventure, and you’ll be able to take some great photos along the way. From the Town Square, take a right on King’s Street and a left on Bridge Street. This is where it gets interesting. Continue on this road, and you’ll pass Sommer’s Gardens on your right, then the ruins of an old building built of Bermuda stone on the left and finally at the top of a steep hill you will encounter the ruins of the famous unfinished church. Explore all three of these sites and then on the other side of the hill walk all the way towards the ocean, and you can enjoy a nice cooling dip in the ocean at Tobacco Bay.
Best Beaches with Facilities
– Snorkel Park
If you’re in Dockyard, you’ll most likely end up at Snorkel Park. This place is great. You have an upstairs bar, downstairs restaurant window, and you can rent all sorts of water toys to keep you and the family entertained. You can see in the picture the 30-foot-high fortress walls on one side and the ocean on the other. That fort is home to a museum displaying Bermuda’s rich history taking you back hundreds of years to when Bermuda was first settled as well as Dolphin Quest, a place where you can pay to go swimming with dolphins.
Since Snorkel Park is in the middle of the historic Dockyard you can spend a day exploring many other sites too such as the art gallery displaying local talent, a pottery and craft market, and a small shopping center. There are also a number of good restaurants to grab a bite to eat, including the Frog and Onion inside an 18th century building and Bonefish Bar & Grill located across from Dockyard’s ferry terminal with great outdoor seating.
– Black Bay Beach
Here you will find a small beach on the side of the road. It is a relaxing spot to watch the sun go down. It is a short ride in a taxi or bus out of Dockyard and a nice place to escape the crowds. There are no changing facilities, but there is a portable toilet.
– Horseshoe Bay
This is certainly one of Bermuda’s most popular beaches. It will be crowded on the days cruise ships are on the island, but still a great place to visit since it’s such a large beach. A little walk down the beach, and you will escape the crowds for the most part. If you do get here by bus (#7 only) you will have to walk down a steep hill for five minutes until you reach the beach.
You can rent chairs and umbrellas from the store off the beach and enjoy food and beverages in the same building. Keep an eye out for the Longtail birds and their nests high up in the rocky cliffs.
– Tobacco Bay
You can catch a minibus from King’s Square in the Town of St. Georges or if you’re looking for adventure, scroll down the page to see a number of available activities under the category, “Good Beaches for Families”. You will also find some interesting directions to walk to Tobacco Bay. This beach is about a 20-minute walk from the cruise ship terminal in St. Georges.
It’s very popular when a cruise ship is in town and can get crowded on those days. You can enjoy the view from the beach bar and make use of the changing and bathroom facilities on site. The café The Buzz has a great menu selection to choose from, so you can easily enjoy food and drinks while taking in the remarkable rock formations and striking water colors.
Being a shallow beach, it’s good for just getting wet and relaxing in the water, but it is also a great place to snorkel. A popular thing to do is rent or buy snorkeling gear from the facilities. Try to snorkel when the beach is less crowded, this way you will be able to see more fish.
Beaches with Sea-Glass
– Black Bay Beach
With someone working here every day except Saturdays, they will happily point you in the right direction of the sea glass scattered on a secluded beach a few yards up the shoreline closer to Dockyard.
– In Somerset Village
Across from the (now closed down) Salt Rock Grill in the Somerset Village are a few small beaches. The one that is closest to the Sandys Boat Club is filled with sea glass (in the nearby image with a pink building). Now here’s the secret that many locals don’t even know about. Once you find the beach with sea glass, look over at the outcrop of rock that comes out from the road. It’s about 8 feet (2.44 meters) high and 20 feet (6.1 m) long. It’s all the way to the left in the picture. Walk around this outcrop to the other side. Here you will find a beach 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and about 6 inches (15.24 cm) thick with sea glass. You may even find a piece of bottle that has a date on it – most are dated to the early 1900s when a factory was located across the street and ended up dumping thousands of bottles over the wall at the time.
– Alexandra Battery Beach
This beach is on the other end of the island compared to the previous two. You’ll want to head over to Fort St. Catherine in St. Georges and if you’re walking towards the fort you want to head over to the right side of it. Once you reach the shoreline that meets the fort, you need to start walking away from the fort along the coast. You will come across a number of small coves, but about a half mile along in your travels you will stumble into Alexandra Battery Beach. Here is where you will find your treasures to take home as a souvenir.
Best Beaches For Snorkeling
We might get in trouble for saying this, but snorkeling off a beach in Bermuda is nothing compared to getting out on the water on a boat. Let us explain. The way most coral reef feeds is by swaying back and forth with the currents and filtering microorganisms in the water. In shallow bays and coves (where you’ll be snorkeling) the water movements aren’t as strong or frequent as they are offshore. So if you go on the right snorkeling boat, a few miles out, you will be seeing the coral reef in their ideal feeding conditions. And where food is abundant, so is the coral. Trust us on this.
Below though are the best places you should visit if snorkeling by land is what you would like to do.
– Snorkel Park
You’ll be able to rent snorkeling gear and head out and around the fort’s towering walls. You can pretend this is where pirates were attacking hundreds of years back and create a treasure hunt for yourself. We’re not saying you’ll find hidden treasure, we’re just saying you can always pretend.
– Church Bay
This beach used to have a gentleman that rented out snorkeling gear but he is no longer there. You can still rent chairs and umbrellas but if you do have your own gear or can get some from the hotel this is probably the best beach to snorkel from in Bermuda.
– Horseshoe Bay
The beach store has snorkel and masks available for sale but not for rent. Still, you can purchase the gear and head out to the limestone rock formations that shoot out of the water and off the beach. Make sure to go on a day when the waters aren’t so choppy because if it is a windy day you will need to be a strong swimmer to snorkel here.
– Warwick Long Bay
From May 1 – October 30 there is a concession stand where you can rent snorkeling gear. Rent some gear, find a cove on either side of Warwick Long Bay, and explore.