Touring Pembroke Parish

Although some Bermudians might argue, Pembroke Parish is not only the heart of the islands, it’s also the key that opens them up. On the southern bank of Pembroke Parish is Bermuda’s capital city of Hamilton. Everything seems to begin and end here. The government of the colony is based in the heart of the city. Buses begin and end their routes at the main terminal on Washington Street. Ferries cast off for ports on Great Sound from the dock at Front Street. And most of the fancy shops are in Hamilton.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism, 441-292-0023, is in Global House on Church Street. The staff is extremely helpful and will provide you with lots of informative material, including maps and brochures. The Visitors Service Bureau, 441-295-1480, is on Front Street at the entrance to the ferry terminal. Here, too, the staff is helpful, knowledgeable and can give suggestions for making the best of your vacation.

The City of Hamilton

The nerve center of Pembroke Parish and the only city on the islands, Hamilton was founded in 1790 and was named for Henry Hamilton, a one-time Royal Governor of the colony. Bermuda’s capital was moved from St. George’s to Hamilton in 1815. Its main thoroughfare, Front Street, presents a facade of pastel-painted buildings to the cruise ships that arrive weekly at Hamilton Harbour. Hamilton Harbour plays host to literally hundreds of boats. Today, the three-masted British naval ships and fast sailing clippers have been replaced by giant modern cruise ships, seagoing freighters, pleasure craft of every shape and size, and public ferries. Passengers disembark directly onto Front Street, where they browse what once was known as the “Shop Window” of the British Empire. Even though the last vestiges of the British Naval presence left Bermuda in 1995, the area remains intact. Enjoy a pleasant walk along the seafront past dozens
of colorful shop windows. To the west, at the junction of Front and
Queen streets, you’ll find one of the few remaining police-operated traffic islands in the Caribbean (there’s another in Nassau, Bahamas). Inside the painted “bird cage,” a Bermudian police officer – immaculately dressed in Bermuda shorts, crisp white shirt and traditional English bobby’s hel met – directs traffic with an infectious enthusiasm. It’s no wonder that they’re the most photographed people on the island!

If you plan to travel around the island by bus, you’ll be making a number of visits to the bus terminal on Washington Street, 441-292-3854. Here you can purchase three- or seven-day travel passes. From Front Street, walk north on Queen Street, turn right onto Church Street and cross the road in front of City Hall; the bus station is next to City Hall on the left. You’ll see the rows of pink and blue buses.

At the top of the hill on Church Street is Hamilton’s magnificent Anglican Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, a superb example of
Gothic architecture. Completed in 1991, the cathedral can accommodate a congregation of 1,000. The magnificent alter screen depicts all the saints for whom the island’s parish churches are named, such as St. Andrew, St. George and St. Paul. Services are held every day and visitors are welcome. The Cathedral’s tower booms 140 feet above this pastel-colored city. In the evening, the
entire city becomes a fairyland of lighted buildings, capped by the cathedral. Hours: weekdays 10 am-3 pm. For services, 441-292-4033. Free admission to the Cathedral, admission to the tower is $3 for adults and $2 for children under seven and 65 and over Government House, the official residence of His Excellency, The Governor of Bermuda, stands high on Langton Hill overlooking Hamilton. The immaculate grounds of the house cover more than 45 acres. Unfortunately, the House is not open to the public.

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Know Before You Go!