The Best Beaches in Bermuda

Bermuda’s beaches are world-renowned for their pristine, coral-tinged beauty, and there are hundreds of them around the island. You are never far away from the shoreline (Bermuda is less than a couple of miles wide at its widest point). Although some are officially private, there are plenty of public, easily accessible beaches, bays, and coves.

Elbow Beach, South Shore—Paget Parish. Photo © Cait Stewart, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.

Most Beautiful Beaches in Bermuda

• Horseshoe Bay (South Shore — Southampton): A sweeping pink stretch hemmed by emerald foliage and sparkling turquoise — plus showers, washrooms, a café, lifeguards, and beach gear rentals.
• Warwick Long Bay (South Shore — Warwick): A serene antidote to neighboring beach crowds, with deep white sand and crashing surf.
• Elbow Beach (South Shore — Paget): Offers pillow-soft sand and frolicking parrotfish, along with volleyball and kitesurfing.
• John Smith’s Bay (South Shore — Smith’s): Framed by coconut palms, this picturesque bay has shady caves, lifeguards, and nearby reefs for snorkeling.

Most Secluded Beaches in Bermuda

• Astwood Cove (South Shore — Warwick): Hard to access, except by a steep cliffside path, but the privacy and crystal-clear water are worth the trouble.
• Jobson’s Cove (South Shore — Warwick): A favorite of romantics and families with children due to its cliff-sheltered swimming hole.
• West Whale Bay (West End — Southampton): Hidden below Whale Bay Fort with a string of coves and caves connected by pristine sand at low tide.
• Turtle Bay, Long Bay, and Soldier Bay (East End — Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve, St. George’s): This 44-acre peninsula offers a plethora of gorgeous, off-the-beaten-track beaches, facing both Castle Harbour and South Shore and bordered by bird sanctuaries.

The beautiful waters of Church Bay. Photo © V. J. Matthew/123rf.

Best Snorkeling Beaches in Bermuda

• Church Bay (South Shore — Southampton): Easy-to-reach boiler reefs make it a perennial top pick among devoted snorkelers.
• Clarence Cove (North Shore — Pembroke): A sheltered, reef-fringed bay inside a national park. Popular with scuba divers, snorkelers, and children.
• Snorkel Park Beach (West End — Royal Naval Dockyard): At the foot of towering ramparts, shallow waters and reef-speckled coastline prove a hit with locals and visitors alike.
• Tobacco Bay (East End): A snorkeler’s heaven (when not crowded with cruise ship passengers), thanks to its natural underwater columns and reef life.

Where Locals Go

• Horseshoe Bay (South Shore — Southampton): Local teens and twenty-somethings lend a beach party atmosphere to summer weekend afternoons here.
• Somerset Long Bay (West End — Somerset Island): Turtles can be seen grazing in the shallows, alongside a public park and nature reserve.
• Clearwater Beach (East End — Southside, St. George’s): With its accessible water and nearby playground, parkland, and fast-food restaurants, this aptly named swimming venue is a summer hot spot with locals.
• St. Catherine’s Beach (East End): A sandy arc on the island’s easternmost tip where shipwrecked English colonists struggled ashore.

Excerpted from the Fourth Edition of Moon Bermuda.