British Government (British Army) · Public domainBermuda
Not the Caribbean, not America - 1,000 km out in the Atlantic on its own
“Not the Caribbean, not America - 1,000 km out in the Atlantic on its own”
Bermuda is routinely filed under the Caribbean and is nowhere near it: the island sits roughly 1,000 km (620 mi) off the coast of North Carolina, at the same latitude as Charleston, warmed by the Gulf Stream rather than by the tropics. It is a British Overseas Territory, self-governing since 1620 through the oldest continuous parliament outside Britain.
The look is unmistakable - white stepped roofs on every house, because they are rainwater catchments and the island has no fresh groundwater worth the name. St George's, founded in 1612, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the reef ringing the island has wrecked enough ships to make it one of the best wreck-diving grounds in the Atlantic.
Chapter 01
Highlights
St George's
Founded 1612 and continuously lived in since - a UNESCO site of lanes, a replica of the Deliverance, and the unfinished church that ran out of money in 1874.
The south shore beaches
Horseshoe Bay, Warwick Long Bay and the coves between them: pink sand from crushed red foraminifera, and cliffs to walk along the whole way.
Crystal Caves
Found by two boys chasing a cricket ball in 1907 - a clear underground lake under a floating pontoon walkway.
Wreck diving
Over 300 recorded wrecks on the surrounding reef, several in shallow enough water to snorkel.
Chapter 02
Entry requirements for Bermuda
Checking your passport…
We don't hold entry details for this passport group yet.
Before you fly
The detail
- Passport validity
- Most destinations want validity beyond your stay, and some want six months. Check yours against the return date.
- Onward travel
- Airlines may ask for a return or onward ticket at check-in.
- Arrival form
- Bermuda Travel Authorisation must be completed online before departure - airlines check it at the gate.
- Health
- A modern hospital in Hamilton, priced at US levels. Insurance is essential.
- Money
- Bermudian dollar pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and US dollars are accepted interchangeably. Cards everywhere. It is one of the most expensive places on earth to buy groceries.
Who needs a visa for Bermuda
12 common passports| Passport | Requirement | Stay | Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | eTA | up to 90 days | No United States record yet |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | - | No United Kingdom record yet |
| Germany | eTA | up to 90 days | eTA · €35 / $38 · 1–2 d |
| India | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| China | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| Brazil | eTA | up to 90 days | No Other passports record yet |
| Nigeria | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| Indonesia | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| Philippines | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| Vietnam | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| Egypt | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
| Nepal | Visa required | - | No Other passports record yet |
Holding a passport that is not listed? The picker above answers for any of them. See where your passport takes you. Source: Passport Index, updated 14 Sept 2026.
Chapter 03
When to go
BestMay–Aug. AvoidDec–Feb.
Season opens; sea finally warm.
The band above each month is our editorial verdict - it weighs crowds, prices and access as well as weather. The line is average daily temperature, the bars are monthly rainfall. Select a month for the figures. Climate figures: ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2005–2024 normals.
Chapter 04
What it costs
A day in Bermuda
Comfortable · sample day
≈ $259
Line items are real prices we track. The daily budget is an editorial estimate for this level, not their sum.
Where this sits among 244 countries we have costed
Rates roughly halve between November and March, when much of the island shuts. July and August are the top of the market.
Updated Aug 2026 · Editorial synthesis - Bermuda government transport tariffs, published hotel rates (2025–2026) · confidence medium
Excludes international flights - they depend on where you fly from.
Chapter 05
Regions to know
5Hamilton
The capital, the ferry hub and most of the restaurants.
St George's
The UNESCO old town at the east end and the quieter beaches near it.
The south shore
Horseshoe Bay and the pink-sand coves, linked by a cliff path.
Royal Naval Dockyard
The old naval base at the west end, now museums, glassworks and the cruise pier.
The parishes
Warwick, Paget and Southampton - the residential middle, and where most guesthouses are.
Chapter 06
Practical guide
Getting there
L.F. Wade (BDA) has direct flights from several US east-coast cities, Toronto and London. Cruise ships dock at Hamilton, St George's and Dockyard.
Entry formalities
Bermuda Travel Authorisation must be completed online before departure - airlines check it at the gate.
Getting around
The pink public buses and the ferries are excellent and use the same tokens and passes. Scooters are the local default; the electric two-seat minicars are the only four wheels a visitor may hire.
Money & costs
Bermudian dollar pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and US dollars are accepted interchangeably. Cards everywhere. It is one of the most expensive places on earth to buy groceries.
Safety
Low crime. The real risks are scooter accidents and the south-shore surf.
Health
A modern hospital in Hamilton, priced at US levels. Insurance is essential.
SIM & internet
Full 4G/5G coverage. Roaming is expensive; local eSIMs exist.
Chapter 07
Driving
The speed limit is 35 km/h (about 20 mph) across the entire island, including the one main road. It is enforced, and it is the reason the island still works.
Rules change - verify with an official source before you rent.
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Become ExplWorld Verified →Chapter 08
Before you go
BermudaChapter 09
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent a car?
No. Bermuda does not allow visitors to rent cars - a rule kept since 1946 to hold traffic down on a very small island. You get around by bus, ferry, taxi, scooter or a rented electric minicar.
Is Bermuda in the Caribbean?
No. It is a lone Atlantic island around 1,000 km (620 mi) off North Carolina. Winters are cool by Caribbean standards - around 18 °C - and the sea is genuinely chilly from January to April.
Do I need a visa?
Bermuda sets its own rules and a UK visa does not carry over. Most European, North American and Commonwealth nationals enter visa-free for up to 90 days, and everyone must complete the Bermuda Travel Authorisation online before departure.