48 hours in Bermuda is the perfect amount of time to explore this incredible island.

I spent the weekend there with my sister and we decided to really make the most of our time by seeing as much of the island as we could.

This guide has been designed to give you a balance of both exploring and relaxing, and doing so on a fairly low budget. Warning: Day 1 is absolutely jam packed with activities. If you can fit it all in you are an absolute travel pro.

Click here to jump straight to the Bermuda On A Budget tips.

The Caves:

I would recommend starting off your 48 hours with lots activities packed in. This means hopping on a bus and journeying to the Northern part of the island for a visit to the Crystal Caves.

Public transport on the island is really easy to use. Invest in the all day bus pass for $19, it will be the most cost effective way to get around Bermuda. All buses heading North to St. George’s will take you to the caves in around 30 minutes.

The caves are so stunning in the Grotto Bay area.

There are two options here – either do the Fantasy Crystal Caves that cost $30 entry, or if you are on a budget there are also equally as beautiful caves located on the premises of the Grotto Bay Hotel.

Not very well advertised for obvious reasons, however they are open to the public and are free for anyone to venture in to.

Absolutely mesmerising and you can swim in these ones too – bonus!

The caves are conveniently located right by Bermuda’s oldest pub – The Swizzle Inn.

If it isn’t too early in the morning for you, make sure you stop by and try one of their famous cocktails, The Swizzle. A mixture of two types of rum, pineapple juice and some secret flavours. Very more-ish, and very strong. You’ve been warned!

If you fancy something a little more tame grab an ice cream at Bailey’s, Bermuda’s most famous ice cream. This place is only open during summer months, however if you read on you’ll find out about another place that sells the good stuff.

Another great little find in this area is the Blue Hole lagoon.

Tiny nestled away beach coves and hidden caves along this trail.

It’s the perfect place to take a picnic and spend the afternoon with good company or a good book!

 

St. George’s:

After a morning at the caves, tipples at The Swizzle and ice cream at Bailey’s get more use out of your bus pass and head up to St. George’s. It is about a ten minute journey from the Grotto Bay area.

The town itself is quite small so it is easy to get around. Hop off the bus in the centre of St. George’s and have a wander through the cute little streets and main square.

 

Things to do in St. George’s:

Eat: Wahoo

Having spent hours trying to find somewhere to eat in Hamilton on Easter weekend, to describe ourselves as starving felt like an understatement by the time we reached St. George’s.

We asked around for a restaurant that would satisfy our cravings for fish, and all fingers pointed to Wahoo. We even managed to bag ourselves a prime spot out on the deck.

Our waitress ran us through a tempting list of daily specials consisting of local red snapper and octopus stew.

After what almost felt like too much choice we ended up settling for fish tacos and a signature Wahoo fish burger from the main menu. Both equally delicious, and no regrets there. Make sure you try their homemade tartar sauce – it is wonderful!

Follow up your meal with that good ol’ Bailey’s ice cream served at CV cafe.

We opted for scoops of butter pecan and strawberry.

This cute cafe is is located on Water Street nestled in amongst all the quaint little shops.

See: The Unfinished Church

It is a short walk up hill from St. George’s main square.

The church is absolutely stunning in its unfinished state.

It looks like an unmaintained, crumbling church. However, it actually is the uncompleted framework of a newer church that has never been finished.

This is a result of financial setbacks, stormy weather and conflicting interests of those funding the build.

Admission into the Unfinished Church is free.

Do: Tobacco Bay Beach

A short walk on from the Unfinished Church will take you to one of the most idyllic little coves in Bermuda.

The rock formations in the water are absolutely stunning.

As an added bonus they also shield out the harsh Atlantic waves making this a calm, little bay for sunbathing and swimming.

During the summer months the restaurant/bar opens up and the place turns into a bustling little paradise with lots to eat, see and do for all the family.

We were ever so slightly too early for the summer season, however it was pretty nice having the beach all to ourselves.

Flatts Bridge:

Something magical happens in this little town every six hours.

En route back to Hamilton, make sure you get off the bus at Flatts Bridge – where the aquarium is located. Although in my opinion that isn’t the pull factor to this place.

At 9am, 3pm and so forth the tide changes and the water rapidly flows in and out of the bay area in sporadic sweeps. It happens for only a few minutes then resumes back to normal. It was pretty mesmerising watching the water’s powerful currents.

 

Back to Hamilton:

Arriving back into Hamilton and it is time for some grub.

 

If sitting in somewhere cosy, eating delicious food and drinking wonderful coffee sounds good to you then take a walk up to Burnaby Street to sample delights from the Devil’s Isle Cafe.

This place is so versatile it suits any preference from a slice of cake and a coffee to a full three course meal. Something I would completely recommend as the menu is so creative here.

It can be a struggle to find restaurants in Bermuda that are daring with their menu choices, many opting for run of the mill food, but this place is far from boring.

Today, we opted for just dessert to go with our tea and coffee.

A heavenly portion of chocolate avocado mousse and churros stuffed with vanilla creme, served up with coffee ice cream and fruit wontons. Incredible is an understatement.

A last wander through Hamilton brought us to these colourful steps. Make sure to look up the little alleyways as you stroll, there is always something cute and quirky just around the corner in this town.

By this time in the evening it’s time to use that unlimited bus ticket one last time or, as we did, get a ferry back to your hotel.

I always stay in Southampton when I visit Bermuda, so I enjoy catching the evening ferry back from Hamilton.

It is a great way to watch the sun go down and enjoy looking at the stunning views / nosey in on people’s amazing homes along the water front as you sail past.

 

Budgeting Tips:

Below I have summarised my top tips for a budget friendly weekend in Bermuda:

• Use the bus and ferry instead of taxis or private car hire. The public transport system in Bermuda is very reliable and by far the cheapest option to get around.
• Eat street food instead of dining in expensive restaurants. Hamilton is packed with options of street food vendors.
• Visit the free caves at the Grotto Bay Hotel instead of paying to visit the tourist caves
• Go to the public beaches – Horseshoe Bay/Tobacco Bay are both absolutely stunning and have free access

 

 

Stay tuned for 48 Hours in Bermuda, part 2.