The Mysterious Island of BERMUDA
Our Journey to Bermuda
By Angie & Danielle Leffler
This article contains information about the beautiful island of Bermuda, hot spots for beach glass, why the beaches are pink, and mysteries of the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
We traveled to Bermuda in May 2019 and enjoyed learning about the rich history surrounding the island. Let’s start by sharing more about the unique island before jumping into our experience.
Bermuda is a British island territory 600 miles due east of North Carolina. It’s only 21 square miles and 1 of the 9 smallest places in the world in total land area. There are 138 total islands and the main 8 are connected by bridges and causeways. It is the home of Somerset Bridge – the smallest drawbridge in the world – only wide enough to let through the mast of a sailboat.
Somerset Bridge
Bermuda’s coastline is 64 miles and there are 34 fabulous public beaches. Many of the beaches we visited in Warwick have pink sand which is a result of tiny single-celled red organisms that flourish under rocks. When they die their skeletons are eroded by waves and mix with other particles of shells, coral and sea urchins which together form grains of pink sand.
Not only does Bermuda have the most beautiful pink beaches, pictured above Horseshoe Bay, they also have a jaw dropping “Glass Beach”
Yes, living up to its name, Glass Beach is COVERED in sea glass. It’s on the west coast behind an abandoned turquoise painted apartment complex. You can access the beach by a pathway between the shore and buildings. In addition to the plentiful sea glass, locals have created unique sea glass art from the top of the staircase all the way to the old pier. There is a sign that indicates it’s unlawful to remove the sea glass from the beach and it feels very eerie … well, it is an old navel dump site!
SEA GLASS FACTS
Bermuda has an incredible array of unique shades of Green! The thick dark olive sea glass we found looks black at first. It’s very old glass from the 18th Century and was used to carry gin, beer and wine that needed to be stored in sturdy, light resistant containers to preserve their treasured contents
Even though Glass Beach in Bermuda has tons of sea glass, there are very few uniquely colored pieces (cobalt, pink, red, and yellow). We were fortunate to find beautiful amethyst sea glass which is a rare gem hardly found back home in Lake Michigan. Amethyst is created by the sun’s reaction to the manganese dioxide used to make glass back in the 19th Century. This glass is considered fairly rare and very old. We especially loved it because nature had more involvement in its creation.
Glass Beach Bermuda is by far the most glass we have ever seen however Alexander Beach is second! This beach is hardly known to tourists and there are NO signs saying you cannot take sea glass. While there is a lot of sea glass on the beach, if you go towards the right you will find a hidden cave.
We found our first light blue in the caves. The beach is next to Alexandra Fort which was constructed on a site where there was another old battery called Buildings Bay Battery built in 1840s. Like several other forts, this one too was built to guard the eastern water ways and was active until 1923. This fort/beach is named after the princess of Denmark Alexandra. She was married to Edward VII who later became the king of Great Britain.
Sights to See
Gibbs’ Hill Lighthouse in Bermuda has a 185 spiral step staircase and gives you the best views of the island. The 117-foot lighthouse was built in 1846 out of cast iron and is the oldest of its kind in the world, and one of the only 2 cast-iron lighthouses still in existence. Mount keepers monitored the horizon around the clock and signaled at the first sign of unwelcome visitors for two centuries. Interestingly they were paid in tobacco (and local currency).
Unfinished Church
This beautiful Gothic style church was supposed to be a replacement for St. Peter’s Church when it was badly damaged by a hurricane in 1874. Due to funding problems, parish infighting and yet another damaging storm, construction was never completed. It now stands as a picturesque historical ruin in St. George’s.
Bermuda’s Moongate
A national symbol with a history as mystical as the island itself. The Moongate is said to bring good fortune and love to those that pass through it. There are around 40 Moongates on the island, but the very first one was built by a local sea captain back in 1860 who was inspired after seeing them in a Chinese garden. We visited the Hamilton Princess and they encouraged everyone to go through the Moongate and make a wish… so we did.
The Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle is a mystery that is covered in history books worldwide. In the past 500 years at least 50 ships and 20 aircrafts have vanished in the “triangle”, most without a trace. Some say it’s cursed, and others say something paranormal. Reports of unexplained occurrences in the region date back to the mid-19th Century. Some ships were discovered completely abandoned for no apparent reason; others transmitted no distress signals and were never seen or heard from again. Aircraft have been reported and then vanished, and rescue missions are said to have vanished when flying in the area.
The Bermuda Triangle is 500,000 square miles located in an area of the Atlantic Ocean where storms from multiple directions can converge, making rogue waves more likely to occur. We talked with many locals about the mysterious Bermuda Triangle and their theory is ships would attempt to sail to land and wreck on the coral that surrounds the island.
Our version of the Bermuda Triangle
Won in our Giveaway!
Travel Tips & Tricks
Nearly everything is imported into Bermuda so it is very expensive! For example, milk is $13 a gallon, a block of 8oz cheese is $11, and gas is $8 a gallon.
What to bring: Pack a suitcase full of food and drinks (i.e., tuna, avocado, crackers, beef jerky, nuts, wine)
Where to stay: Stay at Airbnb’s. We stayed in Hamilton and St. George to have 2 experiences in 1 trip!
Warwick Parish, Bermuda - Clairfont Guest Apartments
St. Georges, Bermuda - Lily Ann's Villa Apartments: East
