Hamilton Parish

Even if you have limited sightseeing time, try to budget at least a half-day for Hamilton Parish. It has some of the most intriguing attractions on the island, notably the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo; and Crystal Caves and Leamington Caves. If you have time for only one set of caves, we recommend Crystal Caves. However, if you've seen some of the great caves of America or Europe (or beyond), you may find Bermuda's caves less thrilling.

Stepping Back into the Ice Age -- Bermuda has one of the highest concentrations of limestone caves in the world. Most began forming during the Pleistocene Ice Age. As early as 1623, the adventurer Capt. John Smith wrote that he had encountered "vary strange, darke, cumbersome caves [sic]."

In Bermuda, nature's patient, relentless underground sculpting has left behind a dream world for even the casual spelunker. Deep in the majestic silence of the earth's interior, you can roam in caverns full of great stalactites and stalagmites of Gothic grandeur, delicacy, and beauty. This awesome underground has been the inspiration for creative achievements as diverse as Shakespeare's The Tempest and Henson Associates' Fraggle Rock.

You can visit Crystal Caves on guided tours; the cave complex is along Harrington Sound Road in Hamilton Parish.

Special Places Where You Can Be Alone: Hamilton Parish

Bermuda is both popular and small -- but that doesn't mean that you can't escape the crowds and find peace and serenity in a lovely spot, hopefully with someone you love.

The Bermuda National Trust (tel. 441/236-6483; www.bnt.bm) administers 25 hectares (62 acres) of land at Walsingham, along Harrington Sound Road in Hamilton Parish. Bus no. 1 or 3 runs to the site, and hours are daily dawn to dusk, with no admission charged. The site of Walsingham that visitors find most appealing, especially bird-watchers, is called the Idwal Hughes Nature Reserve, which takes up only .5 hectare (1 1/4 acres) of the lush Walsingham wilderness area sometimes called "Tom Moore's Jungle" by islanders. Walking is rather challenging here, but rewarding because of the scenic landscape and the bird life. Access to the Idwal Hughes Nature Reserve is from the road leading down to Tom Moore's Tavern off Harrington Sound Road. Access is also possible through Blue Hole Park (take bus no. 1, 3, 10, or 11 to the Grotto Bay Hotel bus stop), which features its own trails for bird-watching and a wooden deck where you can view a water-filled sunken cave.