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Pembroke · Paget · Bermuda
The capital of Bermuda at Hamilton Harbour: Front Street, the cathedral, Fort Hamilton, the BUEI and, across the water, the Botanical Garden and Elbow Beach.
In the photo: The town of Hamilton and the harbourfront, in Pembroke.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
The town of Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital since 1815, sits on the north shore of Hamilton Harbour in the parish of Pembroke. It’s a small town with low-rise buildings painted in pastel tones, home to the parliament, banks and insurance companies that drive the islands’ economy. The parish of Hamilton, which has the same name, is farther away to the east.
The centre is walkable. Front Street runs along the water with the ferry terminal, shops and cafés; behind it, the Anglican cathedral dominates the streetscape, and up to the east Fort Hamilton overlooks moats with gardens and views of the harbour. On the waterfront, the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute shows the ocean around the islands.
On the other side of the harbour, a few minutes by ferry, is Paget, a parish of houses and gardens that reaches the south coast. There you’ll find the Bermuda Botanical Gardens, with the Masterworks art museum, the Paget Marsh mangrove reserve and Elbow Beach, a long stretch of pink sand.
Because buses and ferries depart from Hamilton to almost all parts of the island, the town functions as a base for visiting St. George’s, the Royal Naval Dockyard and the South Shore beaches.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Hamilton, Paget.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Dados cartográficos: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), in St. George's · 15 km to Hamilton
L.F. Wade Airport (BDA), on the east of the island, is about 15 km from town and is served by taxis and public buses. Cruise ships berth at the Royal Naval Dockyard, connected to Hamilton by ferry, and some dock in Hamilton harbour itself. Visitors are not allowed to rent standard cars.
Suggested arrival point: Hamilton
Bermuda’s capital on the north shore of Hamilton Harbour in the parish of Pembroke. Colourful buildings, Front Street along the water, the Anglican cathedral, Fort Hamilton above and the terminal where ferries and buses depart for almost the whole island.
Parish of colorful houses and gardens on the south shore of Hamilton Harbour, connected to the capital by ferry. It has the Bermuda Botanical Gardens with the Masterworks museum, the Paget Marsh mangrove reserve and Elbow Beach on the south coast.
The local experience
The city’s main street on the harborfront, with colorful buildings featuring balconies, shops, cafés and the ferry terminal.
A public park of about 15 hectares in Paget, created in 1898, with greenhouses, themed gardens, fruit trees and native plants.
A neo‑Gothic Anglican cathedral in central Hamilton, built of Bermudian limestone with French stone details, featuring a tower that can be climbed by stairs.
Art museum inside the Botanical Gardens, in a 19th-century former arrowroot shed, with works by Bermuda artists and foreigners who depicted the island.
Long pink-sanded beach on Paget’s south coast, protected by reefs, with public access from South Road.
A 19th‑century British fort on a hill east of the center, with a dry moat turned into a garden and views over the harbor.
A center about the ocean around Bermuda on the edge of Hamilton Harbour, with exhibits on the deep sea, shipwrecks, shells and the Bermuda Triangle.
Mangrove and freshwater marsh reserve in Paget, with a wooden boardwalk that showcases Bermuda’s original vegetation.
Park on the north coast of Pembroke where the British admirals' residence once stood, with trails, caves, cliffs and the small beach of Clarence Cove.
Public park in Devonshire, in the center of the island, with lawns, a lake and native and nonnative trees.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
May to October is beach season, with the sea warmest from June to October; the hurricane season runs from June to November. From December to March the air is mild, around 17 to 21 °C, with more wind and fewer visitors—good for museums, forts and gardens.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two days allow time to see Hamilton’s centre, the cathedral, Fort Hamilton and the BUEI and to spend an afternoon at the Botanical Garden and Elbow Beach. Because the town is the most practical base on the island, many people stay there for the whole trip—four to seven days—and take day trips by ferry or bus.
In the centre of Hamilton, to walk to Front Street and the ferry and bus terminal. On the harbour shore in Paget, near the Salt Kettle and Hodson’s piers, to cross by ferry to the town in a few minutes. On Paget’s south coast, by Elbow Beach, to have the beach nearby and reach the centre by bus.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Two days are enough for the town and Paget. Since Hamilton is the departure point for buses and ferries, it’s worth staying there for the whole trip and taking day trips to St. George’s, the Dockyard and the South Shore beaches.
No. The town of Hamilton, the capital, is in the parish of Pembroke. The parish of Hamilton lies on the east of the island around Harrington Sound, where the caves and the aquarium are located.
No. The centre is walkable, and buses and ferries depart from there to almost the entire island. Visitors cannot rent standard cars; those seeking more freedom rent electric minicars or scooters.
By bus along South Road, which stops near the public access points to the beach, or by taxi. The trip is short because Elbow Beach is on Paget’s south coast, across the harbour.
For the beach, May to October. To stroll the town and gardens with fewer people, November to April, when the air is mild. Hurricane season runs from June to November: follow the forecasts.
