Kings Wharf , Bermuda
Credit : Pr3t3nd3r
Famous for blush-colored beaches and colorful signature shorts , Bermuda combines a genteel atmosphere with a staggeringly lovely landscape . Filled with high-end resorts , chic restaurants , and water sports galore , it ’ s easy to forget that the island is bursting with history . Founded as a permanent British settlement in 1609 , Bermuda boasts historic sites at every turn . As a British overseas territory located in the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean , this tiny 21-mile-long island packs a lot of antiquity lessons in a small area .
ST . GEORGE
Step into the cobblestone streets of St . George , Bermuda ’ s first capital , founded in 1612 and the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the New World . A UNESCO World Heritage site , the town overflows with limestone cottages and picturesque alleyways with names like Shinbone Alley and Petticoat Lane . King ’ s Square , or town ’ s square , forms the center of St . George , with colonial-era buildings lining the perimeter . Stocks , pillories , and whipping posts , used to punish citizens guilty of crimes , dot the area , and costumed reenactments using these replicas take place most summer afternoons .
Further into town , stroll around Pilot Darrell ’ s Square , commemorating the enslaved man who earned his freedom by piloting the HMS Resolution battleship through Bermuda ’ s dangerous reefs . His small stone house is the first house known to be purchased by a Black person . Don ’ t miss the Tucker House Museum , inside the 18th-century home of merchant Henry Tucker . The museum has antique furniture made from Bermuda cedar , portraits , and historical artifacts .
FORT ST . CATHERINE
Stroll to the northern tip of St . George to view Bermuda ’ s largest fort . Built in 1614 , Fort St . Catherine perches between St . Catherine ’ s Beach and Achilles Bay , rising above pink sand beaches and offering stunning panoramic views . Enter the fort ’ s museum and browse exhibits about 17th-century Bermuda life , and then explore the fort ’ s drawbridge , ramparts , and tunnels .
ROYAL NAVY DOCKYARD
Travel to Bermuda ’ s West End to explore the historic Royal Navy Dockyard , a hub of shops , restaurants , and galleries . For more than 150 years , this 19th-century fort served as a strategic defense base for the British Royal Navy after the U . S . won independence from Great Britain . The fort ’ s stone walls feature a prison , old munitions warehouse , the stately Commissioner ’ s House , a victualling yard once used to collect and serve provisions to the fleet , and barracks turned into the Clocktower Mall , topped with twin 100-foot towers . Discover local shops , artisan markets , and galleries , including glassblowers
FLYWASHINGTON . COM 34 SPRING 2024