Why Bermuda Is the Perfect Island Vacation All Year Round

Presented in collaboration with our partners at Bermuda Tourism Authority.

BERMUDA – Let’s get this out of the way: Bermuda is a beauty of a gem. The pink sand beaches are pristine. The turquoise-blue waters are as luminous as they get. And the candy-colored houses, many of them well-preserved emblems of a fascinating past, are even cuter in person. But if you think Bermuda is only worth visiting during the high season, when the sun burns brightest and the rum swizzles are at their coldest, you’re missing half the island’s charm. Travelers of all kinds — families, friends, romantics, culture creatures, and thrill-seekers — can have a great vacation every month of the year. And at only two hours from most major East Coast gateways, there should be nothing holding you back from taking a dreamy Bermuda trip, no matter the season.

What are you waiting for? There’s something going on in Bermuda all year round.

January

While your friends back home are buttoned up in four layers, you could be teeing off in a tee-shirt on one of the island’s six world-class golf courses, jogging past beautiful vistas in perfect weather during the Bermuda Marathon and Half-Marathon (or hiking your own course through Bermuda Rail Trail National Park), or eating your way through the best island has to offer (at a discount!) during Restaurant Weeks. Sure beats Netflix and the big chill.

February

Everyone’s looking for that perfect romantic escape. Here’s what yours looks like: Horseback riding on pink-sand beaches, scuba diving in wetsuits in search of buried treasure, spa treatments inside an ancient limestone cave, and toasting to your love aboard a scenic sunset cruise. Riding solo this February? You don’t need a date at one of the women-empowerment-themed shows put on through The Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts, which include appearances by 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Chaka Khan and Bermudian singer-songwriter Heather Nova. Longing for a romantic seaside stroll? Take one with your dog — this time of year, they’re allowed on the beach.

March

Lingering winter winds may spell woe back home, but in Bermuda, it’s cause for celebration — kite surfing and sailing conditions are at their best, and make for an exhilarating (and very local) way of enjoying the country's famed waters. After a long day at sea, indulge in one of its tastiest treasures: spiny lobster, which comes fresh from the ocean at most local seafood restaurants up until the end of March.

April

Take advantage of ideal springtime weather and small tourist crowds to enjoy the great outdoors. Hike Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve, a former NASA space tracking site only open to the public since 2011, for pristine beaches, trails, and vantage points, and Walsingham Nature Reserve for blue swimming holes and subterranean caves. Head to Horseshoe Bay Beach on Good Friday (April 19), where locals flock to fly homemade kites, a beloved springtime tradition that started as a way to commemorate the ascension of Christ. This time of year is also great for whale watching as humpbacks parade past the island on their way north to feeding grounds in Canada, Greenland, and Iceland.

May

Bermuda Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer — swim trunks, Bermuda shorts, and all. Locals celebrate with a big parade in The City of Hamilton, complete with floats, bands, and performances from the traditional Gombey dancers. A half-marathon derby from Somerset to Hamilton run by locals only is another sight to see. Or you could just wander off and take a horseback ride along the South Shore, go on a deep-sea fishing excursion in search of yellowfin tuna and wahoo, or try your hand at stand-up paddle boarding to usher in the season.

June

Summer is officially here and — no surprise — it's awesome. Channel all your seasonal glee with a cliff-jumping session at Admiralty House Park. Don’t forget the Art Mel’s fish sandwich and Barritt’s Bermuda Ginger Beer, best enjoyed post-jump in one of the hidden caves carved into the cliff-face below. Another great way to celebrate: Bermuda Heroes Weekend (June 7-17), a carnival-style blowout party featuring local cuisine, parades, boat rides, and the best in soca music.

July

Looking to spend quality family time together? Do as the locals do: Raft up on a boat with food and cocktails, listen to Soca, and have a lazy summer float. Paradise Lake, as the name implies, is the place to do this. If it’s a Wednesday, head to Hamilton in the evening to see the Gombey dancers perform at Harbour Nights. In town for the Fourth of July? Catch another fireworks show by booking a tour in a glass-bottom boat to watch bioluminescent glow worms light up the water.

August

Cup Match (August 1-2) centers around a heated cricket match between rival teams St. George’s and Somerset, but the event isn’t just about the sport. Beach parties, DJ sets, plenty of eating and drinking, and the comical Non-Mariners’ Water Raft-Up, wherein barely viable boats bearing political commentary “race” in no particular direction, make this cricket party weekend an event you can’t miss.

September

Vacation’s over. Time to get schooled. Head to the National Museum of Bermuda to learn more about the country’s maritime heritage. Take a lesson in perfumery and craft your own custom scent using local aromatics at Lili Bermuda Perfumery. Book a watersport lesson and go home with a new skill (jet skiing, parasailing, flyboarding, reef and shore fishing, and rock climbing are all in season). Or hit the bar scene and take note of all the ways the locals use their famous export, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum.

October

October is a great month to visit Bermuda — the weather is still warm, the crowds thin out, and the beaches are yours for the taking. Take advantage of The City Food Festival to discover the range of Bermudian cuisine via wine tastings, walking tours, and a full-day food festival.

November

November in Bermuda is for sports lovers: The World Rugby Classic comes to town (bringing with it passionate fans and plenty of drinking), the Bacardi Keelboat Races draws sailors to the country's turquoise blue waters, and the Bermuda Family Championships offers families the chance to compete in a new-to-the-island USTA National Category II doubles tennis tournament at the storied Coral Beach & Tennis Club.

December

Christmas in Bermuda is something special. Santa makes an appearance at the Hamilton Christmas Parade. Historic and lavishly decorated homes open to the public during the Christmas Walkabout in St. George's, wherein historical re-enactors lead people through town to the sound of much holiday cheer. Folks gather on picturesque Elbow Bach to celebrate Christmas Day with champagne and music. And Gombey dancers take to the streets — their performances to the sounds of goatskin drums, beer bottle fifes and tin whistles a traditions since the 1800s.

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