Bermuda no excursions booked

[kevpeirce]

We are not booking any excursions in Bermuda, we plan to get the transit pass the first day and possibly rent scooters the second day. We are looking for recommendations of places to go that are cheap. We will likely spend some amount of time on a beach and the pirate ship in the harbor. I recently saw something within walking distance of the port about a snorkel beach but could not find info on that. Any other recommendations are appreciated.

[WAAAYTOOO]

There is a free tram that will take you all around the dockyard.  That’s good for a morning or afternoon.  It also stops by the beach.  

[JLMoran]

"Bermuda" and "Cheap" aren't really synonymous. Since it sounds like you have an overnight, you could do the Crystal Caves and/or Fantasy Caves; those are $24 per adult and  one of the less-expensive things my wife and I did there last October. Definitely a "one and done" item, but interesting nevertheless. From the caves you could take the #1 or #3 bus to St. George's, then take the Orange Line ferry back to the dockyard. (see the last paragraph for more on this)

You could also go to Horseshoe Bay beach for a good chunk of the day, although instead of the transit pass you'd want to just use the small shuttles / minibuses located just off the pier, right by the booth where you buy the transit passes. Costs $7 per person each way, and once at the beach you're under no obligation to rent a lounger, chair, or umbrella; you can bring towels (just don't lose them!) and then go in the ocean for no extra cost. Take the shuttle back to the ship when you get hungry and eat on board, since anything you buy food-wise will definitely not be cheap, at least at Horseshoe Bay's only on-site restaurant.

If it's available (wasn't yet posted as of yesterday), you can use the transit pass to take the Orange Line ferry to St. George's; it's only available weekdays, but that shouldn't be an issue on the 5-night Bermuda as long as it's back in service for the summer months. In St. George's you can wander around and window shop, as well as walk the half-mile to Tobacco Bay Beach and just hang out there a while for nothing. Once again, when done you can take the next ferry back to the dockyard and eat on board to save money. This option really is only viable when the Orange Line ferry is available, as otherwise you have to take the other ferry (Blue Line) to Hamilton, and then deal with a 1-hour bus ride to St. George's.

[coneyraven]

Oh Dear God --- Please DON'T RENT SCOOTERS!!! -- Narrow Windy Roads - Crazy Tailgating - You Drive On The Left Side -- On my visits to Bermuda, every time I saw  ambulances (note plural) with people in crutches... DON'T DO IT!!!!

[coneyraven]

You can see the beach/snorkel park along the right side of the photo .... this is the one that's an easy walk from the ship.

 

[kevpeirce]

@JLMoran I plan on checking what routes are available through the transit system the week before. The beaches are a must stop for us. The aquarium may be a stop. 

@coneyraven thanks for the picture, makes it seem pretty simple to get over there by walking and easy to go back to the ship for lunch. The scooters are probably a long shot on day 2 just cause of the costs, we could take transit and spend that money other places.

[coneyraven]

@kevpeirce --- When are you going?  I know the Orange Line Ferry to St. George had just been shut down for the season when were there in late October .....

Not sure when they fire that route up, so, definitely, double check before you go...

What we ended up doing was taking the ferry to Hamilton, walking to the main bus terminal (a couple of blocks), then taking the #1 bus to St. George .... what was nice about that was that on the return trip on the #1, we were able to stop at the Swizzle Inn...... love that place..

We've been to Bermuda 3 times .... getting around that island takes longer than people realize, but, geographically speaking, it's relatively simple.

[CazV]

I will second the recommendation to get the $7 taxi to Horseshoe Bay. I walked from there to Warwick Long Bay and back again, stopping several times along the way to just enjoy the shoreline and all the lovely little coves. Simply stunning! I was there for two and a half days on my cruise last summer. As well as the beach walk, I also went over to Hamilton on the Ferry late afternoon early evening. On day 2 I took the ferry to St George's and had a wander around the town, walked up by the Unfinished Church and went to Tobacco Bay. On day 3 I stayed in the Dockyard area.

[coneyraven]

20 minutes ago, CazV said:

I will second the recommendation to get the $7 taxi to Horseshoe Bay. I walked from there to Warwick Long Bay and back again, stopping several times along the way to just enjoy the shoreline and all the lovely little coves. Simply stunning! I was there for two and a half days on my cruise last summer. As well as the beach walk, I also went over to Hamilton on the Ferry late afternoon early evening. On day 2 I took the ferry to St George's and had a wander around the town, walked up by the Unfinished Church and went to Tobacco Bay. On day 3 I stayed in the Dockyard area.

That unfinished church is absolutely stunning .... I couldn't stop staring at it.

[rjac]

5 hours ago, coneyraven said:

On my visits to Bermuda, every time I saw  ambulances (note plural) with people in crutches

You know, that could be directly related to vast consumption of alcoholic beverages! 

[kevpeirce]

@coneyraven We will be there on May 6th and 7th. Am I mistaken in believing that horseshoe bay was a ferry ride to Hamilton?

[coneyraven]

No --- when it comes to public transportation, you have two choices from the Dockyard ....

Take the #7 Bus (the bus stop is right outside the Frog & Onion Pub) --- towards Hamilton --- let them know you want Horseshoe Bay, they'll let you know when it's your stop..... they're incredibly kind....

Or, take the ferry to Hamilton, and pick up the #7 bus going in the opposite direction (it'll say Dockyard on the destination sign). ---

Time wise, it's probably pretty much the same, just less of a hassle if you take the bus directly (fewer steps).

[JLMoran]

4 hours ago, kevpeirce said:

@coneyraven We will be there on May 6th and 7th. Am I mistaken in believing that horseshoe bay was a ferry ride to Hamilton?

The ferry you're thinking of is the Blue Line that goes from the Dockyard (where you're... um... docked) to Hamilton.

4 hours ago, coneyraven said:

No --- when it comes to public transportation, you have two choices from the Dockyard ....

The $7 pp shuttle that I mentioned is separate from the public transportation options that @coneyraven describes here. Advantage of the shuttle is that it will take you all the way down the road to the beach entrance, whereas the bus will stop at the top of a rather steep and long hill that you'll have to go down (there are walkways) and then back up later. Both are perfectly viable, but if you have anyone in your party who is mobility limited or would otherwise have difficulty with the walk / climb, best to take the shuttle.