Bermuda is a small island with a long record, and most of what you want to know fits in a table. These are the figures the island's own bodies publish, from its size to its first town. If you are planning Bermuda guided tours, they tell you what one day can cover.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 21 square miles | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| Where | The North Atlantic, 600 miles from the nearest mainland | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| Flying time | About 90 minutes from New York; two to three hours from Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Philadelphia | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| Parishes | Nine, from Sandys in the west to St. George's in the east | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| Population | 63,779 at the 2016 census | Government of Bermuda |
| Towns | The City of Hamilton and the Town of St. George's | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| Currency | The Bermuda dollar, at the same rate as the US dollar | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| Cars | Visitors may not hire standard cars | Bermuda Tourism Authority |
| World Heritage | The Town of St. George and its fortifications, inscribed 2000 | UNESCO |
| National drink | The Rum Swizzle | The Swizzle Inn |
Every figure above comes from an official source, named in the last column. The size and the parishes explain why you can cross the whole island on one tour.
Bermuda sits alone in the North Atlantic, about 600 miles from the nearest mainland. It is often grouped with the Caribbean, but it lies far to the north of it. That changes your trip: the sea passes 80°F only from July to September, and it is cool in winter.
You can fly in from New York in about 90 minutes, the tourism authority says. Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Philadelphia are two to three hours away, and London about seven. If you come by sea, your ship berths at the Royal Naval Dockyard.
The South Shore beaches are known for their pink sand. Horseshoe Bay is the one the drives stop at most often, and Warwick Long Bay and Elbow Beach lie along the same shore.
The island drives give you a few minutes at a beach, enough for a photograph. The beach hop gives you two hours at each of its beaches, and the cave days two hours at one. The beaches themselves are compared on things to do in Bermuda.
Bermuda's record starts in St. George's. The Town of St. George was founded in 1612. UNESCO calls it "an outstanding example of the earliest English urban settlement in the New World". Its forts show English military engineering from the 17th century to the 20th.
You can see both ends of that timeline in one short walk. St. Peter's Church was first built in 1612 and is described as the oldest Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. The Unfinished Church, a few streets away, was begun in 1874 and never completed.
You do not need a ticket to walk the town. The private history walk meets you at the St. George's ferry terminal and includes entry to every venue it visits, so you go inside as well as past.
The private St. George's walk takes you through the church, the ruin and the museums, with every venue's entry in the fare.
Work on the Royal Naval Dockyard began in the 1790s on Ireland Island, at the west end. It was a Royal Navy base for more than 150 years, through the War of 1812 and both world wars. The navy left in 1951.
Today the Dockyard is where the cruise ships berth, at King's Wharf and Heritage Wharf. The National Museum of Bermuda fills the Commissioner's House and the Keep. Adult entry is US$20, and the last entry is at 4pm.
Those rules are why so many visitors book a drive. The Dockyard and St. George's sit at opposite ends, and the direct ferry runs only from May to October. The full chain of ferries and buses is on how to get to Bermuda.
You reach the reef line by boat, not from the beach. In rough offshore seas the shipwreck snorkel swaps to an inshore wreck and a shoreline reef, so your day still runs. The boats that go out are compared on Bermuda snorkeling tours.
The Swizzle Inn calls itself Bermuda's oldest pub and the home of the Rum Swizzle, the national drink. Most of the catamarans pour it on board. The Dark 'n Stormy is a name Gosling's has registered, made with its Black Seal Rum.
The size, the flying times, the parishes, the currency and the car rule are the Bermuda Tourism Authority's, checked 21 September 2026. The population is the Government of Bermuda's 2016 census. St. George's is UNESCO's and St. Peter's Church's own; the Dockyard, the lighthouse, the caves and the museum are from their own pages. The wrecks are the Department of Environment's.
A private walk of two and a half hours through the Town of St. George, from the ferry terminal or St. Peter's Church, with admission to every venue and bottled water in the fare. Priced per person, for two or more.
From $95 per person (minimum 2)
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Ninety minutes riding a Segway round the Royal Naval Dockyard with a guide in your headset, after hands-on training. Seven riders at most, from age 16; closed-toe shoes required.
From $106 per person
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Three hours to the offshore reef and the wrecks of the Constellation and the Montana, with gear and flotation in the fare. For competent swimmers from age 5; in rough seas it moves to an inshore wreck and a shoreline reef.
From $105 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see things to do in Bermuda, read the visitor guide, or compare every tour on Bermuda Tours.