10 Best Towns and Resorts in Bermuda

St George's is the oldest continuously inhabited British settlement in the New World. The town is nestled into its own harbour beneath the cannons of Fort George towards the north-eastern tip of Bermuda. It offers a glimpse at an age-old place that still oozes old-world charms.

White-painted houses jumble up the steep hillsides and cobbled alleys connect the lot of them. So, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the whole place is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Kings Square and the 17^th-century St. Peter's Church topping the bill. When it's time to swim, hit up Tobacco Bay to the north, where turquoise water sloshes around the rocks.

Hamilton is the bustling capital of modern Bermuda, though it took on the mantle way back in 1793. It's wedged into the V-shaped inlet of Hamilton Harbour just before it opens up into the coral islets of the Great Sound, offering good road access to pretty much anywhere else in the territory.

The town makes itself known with the yacht-dotted walks of Front Street. Behind that are terraces of pastel-painted houses and mansions, which eventually give way to important government buildings and the prestigious exhibition halls of the Bermuda National Gallery. Fort Hamilton keeps watch on the east side of town while leafy Victoria Park offers a break from the hubbub in the blocks to the back.

North Shore Village is a lived-in corner of Devonshire Parish that's great if you're after a taste of authentic islander life. It's got great connections to the capital in Hamilton – the city centre is only a 30-minute walk away – but also its own unique spot on the less-busy side of the territory.

There are many relaxed and peaceful condos and home rentals up for grabs in North Shore Village. These string along the North Shore Road between craggy rocks that tumble into the azure Sargasso Sea. For those who want to hit a round of 18, there's the well-rated Ocean View Golf Course. The hidden swimming cove of Deep Bay Beach is just up the street.

Southampton scythes around the western edge of Bermuda, bending between the Little Sound and the vast expanse of the Sargasso Sea. It's famed for its chic hotels, elegant villas, and powdery beaches.

Southampton is one of the top resort areas to consider if you're after real R&R on your trip to Bermuda. It touts big-name hotels like the Fairmont Southampton, which has hosted American presidents and British royalty in its time. When it comes to chilling, there's nowhere that can beat the iconic Horseshoe Bay, a rare pink-sand beach that's washed by teal waves.

Hog Bay is a complex of walled villas and lawn-fronted homes on the western end of Bermuda. It sits just off the Middle Road as you drive north out of Southampton. You can expect a good mix of traveller and local vibes here, combining tasty eateries with handsome beaches and a few top-notch golf courses.

The star of the show in Hog Bay has to be the vast Hog Bay Park on the north side of town. It’s riddled with hiking and biking tracks that eventually meet the sea in a symphony of rocky coves and coastal sunflower fields. The hallowed PGA fairways of Port Royal Golf Course are just to the south, just in case you fancied testing out those iron shots where the pros have been.

Somerset Village is a charming enclave of hotels, shops, and pubs, all hemmed in by a clutch of Bermuda’s lesser-known bays. It's the last town on Somerset Island before Bermuda fragments into a trio of smaller islands that reach up to the historic Royal Naval Dockyards.

But before you ditch your villa to see the great bastions and barracks that lie north, there's plenty to see on the doorstep. Check out the soft sands and bath-warm waters of Mangrove Bay and the reef-ringed cays of the Cambridge Beaches, which provide some of the top shoreline snorkelling around. Don't miss the Railway Trail, where you can hike an old train track through 29 km of ocean views and tropical wonders.

Spanish Point sits on a finger of central Bermuda that pokes out into the Great Sound north of Hamilton. To get here from the capital takes about 10 minutes by car, but there are local buses that run the route. Today, the area is famed for its yachting marinas, rocky beaches, and relaxing shoreline parks.

You'll want to head to the eponymous Spanish Point Park to see the sunken remains of an old drydock, which once repaired British naval vessels over in the dockyards. The area south of that hosts some particularly grand villas with pools that gaze over the shimmering bays. Then there are the coves of Admiralty House Park, offering cool, deep waters under sheer-cut cliffs and forests.

Flatts Village was once an important harbour in the heart of Bermuda, but it's now a sleepy little getaway that hosts only small vessels and yachts. You'll find it at the junction of North Shore Road and Harrington Sound Road, straddling the divide between Hamilton Parish and Smiths Parish.

There's a speckling of intriguing attractions here, but there's also something to be said for simply soaking up the charms of the old docks, enjoying local food at the shoreline pantries and pizza kitchens. A must-visit is the Bermuda Aquarium, which has been going since the 1920s. It offers glimpses of pink flamingos, rare sea turtles, corals, and much more.

Tucker's Town occupies a single headland on the south side of St George's Parish, where it wiggles its way into Castle Harbour in a medley of sprawling mansions and pristine beaches. It was once a gathering place for fishing folks, but it's now up there with the most prestigious postcodes in Bermuda.

You won't be short on sands when staying in Tucker's Town. Choose Frick's Beach to see that trademark Bermudan white powder and turquoise seawater or go to Cable Bay for excellent diving and snorkelling in reef-strung coves. There's also epic golfing to be done in these parts, mainly thanks to the links fairways of the stunning Mid Ocean Club and the award-winning Tucker's Point Golf Club.

St. David's Island is likely to be your first experience of Bermuda. That's because it hosts the archipelago's main airport, which occupies the bulk of the land, though the town itself spreads north and east of the runways and terminals. There are also easy road links via The Causeway to western Bermuda.

Those who stick around on St. David's itself can look forward to a nice mix of historic attractions and rock-fringed coastal parks. St David's Lighthouse offers sweeping views of the territory's eastern coastline. Walk the headland to see the Figurehead Memorial to Bermudan sailors. You can also jump on a yacht to skim across the crystalline waters of Smith's Sound.