The eco-tourist will find Bermuda a rich stomping ground with its bird-watching, nature trails, and tours.
Some of these chief attractions include the following:
- The Arboretum, Middle Road in Devonshire Parish, is 7.7 pristine hectares (19 acres) close to the City of Hamilton, with a large expanse of open space and a small woodland.
- Bermuda Railway Trail, West End. Totaling 34km (21 miles), this trail provides a scenic route from East to West. It is used by walkers and birders alike.
- Blue Hole Park, Hamilton Parish. An abundance of wildlife exists in nearly 5 hectares (12 acres), with a natural small pond and caves close by.
- Hog Bay Park, Sandys Parish. On 15.4 hectares (38 acres), this park has well-maintained trails, vegetable gardens, and wooded hillsides with native and endemic vegetation.
- Spittal Pond Nature Reserve, Smith's Parish. At South Road, 13.8 hectares (34 acres) of nature form the largest and most accessible nature reserve on the island. There are excellent trails plus bird-watching at several observation points, where you can see a large variety of wildlife.
General Resources for Green Travel
In addition to the resources for Bermuda listed above, the following websites provide valuable wide-ranging information on sustainable travel.
- Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.
- Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.com), and Carbon Neutral (http://coolclimate.org) provide info on "carbon offsetting," or offsetting the greenhouse gas emitted during flights.
- Greenhotels (http://greenhotels.com) recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental requirements. Environmentally Friendly Hotels (www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com) offers more green accommodations ratings.
- For information on animal-friendly issues throughout the world, visit Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org).
- Volunteer International (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a list of questions to help you determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program. For general info on volunteer travel, visit www.volunteerabroad.com and www.idealist.org.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.