Bermuda - Port City - Pembroke Parish

The highlight of Pembroke Parish is Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda and undoubtedly one of the prettiest ports in the world. Facing the harbor is Front Street, defined by its quaint two-story buildings painted in bright pastels from pink and blue to yellow and orange.

The charming buildings are home to some of the most sophisticated shops in the world. Most of the city attractions are within easy walking distance of one another. Point Pleasant (Albuoy’s Point), a small grassy park behind The Bank of Bermuda and near the ferry dock, offers a stunning view of the harbor. A lush tropical park, public facilities and the Visitors Service Bureau are also in the vicinity.

Bermuda - Port City - Sandy’s Parish

At the westernmost part of Bermuda, Sandy’s Parish comprises several islands: Ireland North, Ireland South, Boaz, Watford and Somerset. The parish is reached via a 45-minute ferry ride from Hamilton. At the tip of Ireland Island North is the Royal Naval Dockyard. The fascinating historic complex, which served as a naval base for Britain’s Royal Navy, is now home to stores, museums, art galleries and other attractions. The Gladys Morrell Nature Reserve, part of the Bermuda National trust, is located on Somerset Island. The two-acre reserve abounds with endemic trees and plants and is also a nesting area for the Bermuda bluebird. At Mangrove Bay, once a smugglers’ harbor, visitors can rent boats for sightseeing, sailing and fishing. At the nearby Sea Gardens are coral reefs, brain coral and parrot fish. Tour companies offer glass-bottom-boat excursions, several of which depart from Point Pleasant, Hamilton.

Bermuda - Port City - Southampton Parish

Many of Bermuda’s most spectacular vistas of the Atlantic Ocean can be seen from Southampton Parish. Numerous trails lead from South Road to the beaches, and there are several paths perfect for walking, jogging and horseback riding. Lighthouse Road leads to Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, built between 1845 and 1846, almost 15 years--and 39 shipwrecks--after the project was initially proposed. Made almost entirely of cast iron, the lighthouse towers 362 feet above the ocean and offers a panoramic view of the area. It’s an easy climb of 185 steps. A tea room and small gift shop are adjacent to the lighthouse.

Bermuda - Port City - Warwick Parish

Bermuda’s first airport was located on Darrell Island, which can be seen from Harbour Road. The island has served as a quarantine station for arriving ships, a site for a prisoner tent-camp during the Boer War and a refueling station for transatlantic clippers during World War II.

Bermuda - Port City - Paget Parish

The headquarters of The Bermuda National Trust is located in Waterville, an 18th-century home that is a fine example of Bermudian architecture. The trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings and wildlife preserves throughout Bermuda, occupies most of Waterville.

The grounds include a Victorian rose garden with arbors and benches; inside, the drawing and dining rooms are furnished with museum-quality antique furniture, china and artworks. Waterville is open Monday through Saturday and features a gift shop, called Trustworthy.

Bermuda - Port City - Devonshire Parish

Peace and quiet are definitely the order of the day in Devonshire Parish, marked by green, hilly countryside, marshes, nature preserves and a notable lack of hotels, shops and restaurants. The parish was named for the first Earl of Devonshire. Palm Grove Garden mansion is the home of many species of tropical birds and the setting for a romantic Chinese moongate. Just east of the Garden is the small Edmund Gibbons Nature Reserve, a Bermuda National Trust property with local flora and fauna, as well as a pond and marshlands that attract migratory birds.

Bermuda - Port City - Smith’s Parish

Smith’s Parish is home to Flatts Village, one of only three villages in Bermuda. Known for its picturesque setting, the village rests on the water’s edge facing Flatts Inlet. Houses are perched on the hillsides, stores are scattered below and a striking row of palm trees marks the waterfront. Once thought to be a smugglers’ cove, Flatts Village is now a popular mooring site for pleasure crafts.

Verdmont, a 17th-century mansion situated atop Collector’s Hill in Smith’s Parish, is considered one of the most important of The Bermuda National Trust’s historic houses. Now a museum set in a beautiful walled garden, Verdmont displays a fine collection of Bermuda cedar furniture, as well as English china, Chinese export porcelain and paintings.

Bermuda - Port City - Hamilton Parish

Named after a 17th-century English nobleman, Hamilton Parish surrounds most of Harrington Sound. Fort Hamilton is a substantial hilltop fort with a bird's-eye view of Hamilton Harbour. It's one of a series of fortifications erected in the mid-19th century during a period of rising tensions between Britain and the USA.The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo is located at Flatt’s Inlet, the only boat entrance into the sound. Among the aquarium’s highlights is the new North Rock Exhibit, which aims to re-create Bermuda’s living reef system in a hi-tech, 145,000-gallon tank.

South Shore Park - This 1.5 mile (2.4km) long coastal reserve protects some of Bermuda's finest beaches. A coastal trail runs through the park, linking a series of coves and bays divided by outcrops of craggy rocks. There are 12 beaches in total, ranging from medium-sized half-moon bays like Horseshoe Bay to postage-stamp-sized inlets like Peel Rock Cove. The splendid stretch of pink and white coral sands known as Warwick Long Bay forms the eastern fringe of the park. Since it's unprotected by headlands, this beach generally has good waves suitable for bodysurfing.