off the beaten track …

Being approximately twenty-one miles long by one mile wide, Bermuda is a compact country by any standard. Like many locations offering comparable amenities and lifestyle, it is also subject to ever increasing development. But despite being densely populated, Bermuda still retains plenty of nature relative to its size. Some of its open spaces are close at hand while others are tucked away off the beaten path—at least as far off the beaten path as one can travel in Bermuda. Most surprising perhaps, is the diversity of nature these places offer.
The beaches provide, of course, our most resplendently evident nature. Stretching almost from one tip of the island to the other, they insinuate themselves into coves and caves that for the most part remain far from crowded and in some cases may even seem undiscovered. On the north side, this South Shore chain is complemented by an island-long trail—a walking route popular with visitors and locals alike—created by the demise of a train that traversed the island from St. George’s to Somerset between 1931 and 1948. In addition, parks, public gardens and abandoned forts all provide flora, vistas and peaceful moments. Here are just a few suggestions for getting away from it all in every part of the island.

Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve | St. David’s
This wooded area at the very eastern end of the island, on what until 1995 was part of a U.S. base, is a fairly recent addition to the Bermuda park system. It lies alongside two calm, shallow and child-friendly beaches—Clearwater Beach and Turtle Beach—that are virtually unpopulated during the week but can get noisy on weekends, when families congregate for picnics. It doesn’t matter, because inside the reserve nature filters out sound as it is also quietly obliterating mementoes of the area’s military past. Special here are glorious views of Castle Harbour and its islands, some of which are protected breeding grounds for endangered species.

Walsingham, Blue Hole Hill | Bailey’s Bay
From Cooper’s Island you can also glimpse, on the western end of Castle Harbour, the dense woodland that Bermudians call `Tom Moore’s jungle’ because the Irish Romantic waxed poetic over a calabash tree growing here. The area derives its proper name, Walsingham, from an even earlier visitor, the coxswain on the Sea Venture, who apparently loved exploring the pools and caves in this most geologically ancient part of the island. The wilderness is accessible through Blue Hole Park at the western end of the causeway that connects St. David’s and St. George’s to the rest of Bermuda. Follow the unmarked trail to its heart and encounter awesome caves—complete with dripping stalactites—that look much the same as when Sea Venture survivors first discovered them back in 1609. Hiking boots and a companion are essential for making this trek.

Spittal Pond Nature Reserve | South Shore Road, Smith’s Parish
For a less strenuous, less isolated nature experience than that offered by Walsingham, try Spittal Pond, located not too far west of the popular bathing spot, John Smith’s Bay. This coastal preserve, one of the first tracts to be designated open space by the Bermuda Government, is a good place to take a leisurely walk and enjoy views of the South Shore reefs and surf. The brackish pond from which the area derives its name is—at almost two-and-a-half acres—the largest salt marsh remaining on the island and host to several native plant species as well as many birds, many of which drop by unexpectedly to join the resident coots and yellow-crowned night herons.

Fort Hamilton | Happy Valley Road, Pembroke
Fort Scaur | Scaur Hill, Somerset
You don’t have to be a devotee of military history to enjoy these two sites! They are worth a detour for the views alone. From the lofty, carefully manicured grounds of Fort Hamilton you can look over the white rooftops of the island’s capital and watch the comings-and-goings in its busy harbour. From the equally well-maintained grounds of Fort Scaur be impressed by the splendid views of Bermuda’s largest body of inland water, the Great Sound, and—in the opposite direction—turquoise Ely’s Harbour and the open ocean beyond it. Either location would be a wonderful spot to stop for a picnic.

Paget Marsh | Lover’s Lane and South Shore Road, Paget
This valuable tract lies unobtrusively alongside one of the busiest stretches of road in Bermuda and would be easy to drive right past. That would be a mistake, particularly for anyone with ecological and environmental interests. At approximately 25 acres, Paget Marsh is the largest of the island’s surviving peat marshes, a boggy inland habitat that nurtures a diverse array of wildlife and native species. With ponds and paths designed by noted Bermudian ornithologist David Wingate, explanatory signs and a boardwalk extending into its depths, this delightful and peaceful sanctuary is a true natural `study room.’ The boardwalk allows a close view of red mangroves whose aerial roots swing in the breeze. Access it by turning onto Lover’s Lane near the lights that regulate traffic at the junction of South Shore and Middle Roads in Paget.

Hog Bay Park | Middle Road, Sandy’s
For a glimpse of what Bermuda must have looked like a hundred years ago, when farming was a vital and commonplace occupation, turn off into this `park’ that in fact includes several terrains and levels as it stretches out to the coast. Field after field planted with crops that vary to accommodate changing soil conditions between inland and coast suggest that serious farming still persists to a limited extent on the island, which now imports most of its produce. Once past this arable land, clamber up one of the park’s rocky crests to take in the view. And don’t leave without visiting the area’s most dramatic sight: a stand of dead cedars that look oddly beautiful and silvery against the blue sea behind them. Through their juxtaposition to the protected fields nearby, these relics of some bygone storm are stoic reminders of our mid-ocean island’s vulnerability to the whims of nature.
For an extensive listing of the island’s parks and nature reserves consult the free brochure published by the Bermuda Government and available at the Visitor’s Service Bureaux.