The “Jewel of the Atlantic,” Bermuda is much closer than you think–less than 2 hours away from most eastern US airports. With our incomparable weather, pink sand beaches, breadth of historic sites and warm, friendly people, it’s no wonder Condé Nast Traveler readers have voted Bermuda “Best Island in the Caribbean/Atlantic” 17 times since 1994.
Location & Geography
To start with, many people mistakenly believe our island is part of the Caribbean. In fact, we rest hundreds of miles north of the Bahamas in an astoundingly beautiful stretch of the Atlantic, a mere 650 miles (1,046 kilometers) east of North Carolina. Flights from New York and other eastern US cities reach our shores in less than two hours.
- All of Bermuda fits in a cozy 21 square miles (54 sq km)
- We boast 75 miles (120km) of dramatic coastline
- Bermuda may seem like one continuous landmass to visitors, but is actually made up of 181 islands, islets and rocks. Most of these are uninhabited, but eight of the larger ones are linked by bridges and one causeway that form the subtropical paradise visitors cannot resist
- Our unique location in the Atlantic provides us with an extraordinarily pleasant climate that rarely sees extremes of either hot or cold. Learn more about our amazing weather
- The Island’s pink beaches are actually a combination of crushed coral, calcium carbonate and the shells of tiny single-celled animals called Foraminifera
Sublime Weather
Bermuda’s impeccable location in the Atlantic—not the Caribbean—keeps our island warmed by the Gulf Stream and the sun’s rays, but free of the tropics’ relentless heat. Our extraordinarily pleasant climate rarely sees extremes of either hot or cold.
- The hottest part of our year: May through mid-October, when temperatures hover between 75°F and 85°F (23°C and 29°C).
- During the winter months, temperatures average a balmy 70°F (21°C)
- Hurricanes are not as prevalent here as in the Caribbean, but they do occasionally visit our island. But not worry—many of our hotels provide a Hurricane Guarantee
Average High and Low Temperatures
Month | Avg. High Temp. | Average Low temp. |
January | 70°F / 21°C | 58°F / 14°C |
February | 70°F / 21°C | 58°F / 14°C |
March | 70°F / 21°C | 58°F / 14°C |
April | 72°F / 22°C | 59°F / 15°C |
May | 76°F / 24°C | 65°F / 18°C |
June | 81°F / 27°C | 70°F / 21°C |
July | 85°F / 29°C | 76°F / 24°C |
August | 86°F / 30°C | 76°F / 24°C |
September | 85°F / 29°C | 72°F / 22°C |
October | 79°F / 26°C | 70°F / 21°C |
November | 74°F / 23°C | 61°F / 16°C |
December | 70°F / 21°C | 61°F / 16°C |
Our Rich History
By straddling the old and new worlds, our island often finds itself a player in history’s crucial moments. And that is just how we like it.
A Quick Bermuda Timeline
1505 Spanish sea captain Juan de Bermúdez spots the uninhabited islands that will later bear his name.
1609 A violent storm wrecks the Jamestown-bound “Sea Venture” off St. George’s Island. Sir George Somers and his entire crew miraculously survive, marking the beginning of the colonisation of our island.
1612 Our island is surrendered by the private Virginia Company to the Crown, making the island Britain’s oldest colony.
1620 The first Bermuda Parliament convenes in St. Peter’s Church.
1812 The United States declares war on Great Britain. Bermuda becomes a staging area for British troops on their way to fight the United States.
1815 The City of Hamilton succeeds the Town of St. George as Bermuda’s capital.
1834 Bermuda’s slaves are emancipated.
1844 Gibbs’ Hill Lighthouse, the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world is constructed.
1861 US Civil War begins and Bermudians make their fortune ferrying supplies and munitions to the Confederates.
1877 Mark Twain visits Bermuda for the first time and declares, “You can go to heaven if you want to, I’ll stay here in Bermuda.”
1883 Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, visits Bermuda and helps to promote Bermuda as a tourist destination.
1941 During WWII (1939-1945) Britain and the United States sign a 99-year lease that grants the US one-tenth of the land area of Bermuda for military purposes.
1964 The phrase “Bermuda Triangle” is coined, but the myth is finally debunked in the 1970s.
1995 US Navy and British Royal Navy close their bases in Bermuda.
2000 The Historic Town of St. George and related fortifications are named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2008 A little over 500 years after Spanish sea captain Juad de Bermúdez spots the uninhabited islands, Bermuda receives one of the most knowledgeable taxi drivers, Arthur L.M. Wade…the Calypso Cowboy.
3 COMMENTS
Hi Arthur
Pleasure to meet you last night at Squire. Enjoyed your thoughts regarding America freedom etc. please stay in touch.
Warm regards,
Dan Gordon
Hello Arthur, i am staying at Warwick Apartments. Could you take me to the airport on Sunday morning. Flight to New York leaves at 10 am. So would like pick up at 7:15 am. Please confirm booking for two passengers with carry on luggage only. If you have an iPhone you can text me at 516 361 2341. Thank you.
I was stationed in Bermuda in the 1970’s, met my wife there and our favorite pub was the Country Squire in Somerset. We went to Bermuda by cruise on three occasion the last one being in 2010. We met people and friends we had known back in the ’70s and decided on the way back to the USA that it was not enough on island time. Every year since 2011 we go to Bermuda by plane and every year I email Arthur Wade with our travel plans to Bermuda and to meet us at the Bermuda airport. The Calypso Cowboy is my taxi driver, my friend, and my drinking buddy. He loves Americans and is proud to say that he is. I can call on him day or night (except when he is at the airport) to carry my bride and I to anyplace on the beautiful islands of Bermuda. He is a guide to Bermuda in all aspects of Bermudian life and I give him my best recommendation as a taxi driver and a tour guide. You cannot find anyone better than Arthur Wade!!