OK, let’s get this out of the way first: I am fully a proponent of travel being about culture and experience and cuisine and life and learning how other people live. But I’m also a proponent of seeking and sharing the beauty of a place. On Instagram in particular.
I’m willing to bet the majority of us have either searched for “most Instagrammable places” in the destination we’re heading to, or searched the place on Instagram to see the cool places other people post pics from.
We’re in the age of the Instagrammable trip according to Travelzoo (it’s OK if that makes you roll your eyes a little, I did too). Travelzoo said in its Autumn Travel Trends Survey last month that the future success of tourism destinations will lie in their ability to deliver an “Instagrammable holiday.”
Sooo…I’m starting a new series on the blog where I’ll be including the coolest spots I find for photos in the places I travel to. First up: Bermuda, which I’ve said before, is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been.
The best stairs I ever did see
Being the color fanatic that many of you now know me to be, you can imagine what I felt like when I stumbled upon these stairs on Instagram. You’ll find them at the Hamilton Princess hotel in Bermuda’s capital city of Hamilton. Pass through the lobby, walk toward Marcus’ (more on this in a sec), go outside, walk round the back behind Marcus’ and you’ll find them. (If that sounds too complicated, anyone at the hotel will be able to point you in the right direction). While you’re there, treat yourself to brunch at Marcus’, as in Marcus Samuelsson, the very famous Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef. On the menu? Fried chicken and waffles, fish cakes, bread pudding French toast (yes), smoked salmon, deviled eggs, jerk pork at a carving station, you get the idea. Go hungry.
The bluest beaches
I can’t stress this enough, but I’m convinced Bermuda has beaches a color blue that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. The island is less than two miles across at its widest, so these beaches are everywhere. Hit them in the afternoon when the sun colors the water just right. This picture was taken at Coco Reef hotel’s beach, the same stretch of sea that eventually runs into Elbow Beach, one of Bermuda’s best.
An art wall, of course
Snapping Insta pics in front of giant murals has become such a draw that it’s like ‘If you paint it, they will come.’ This one I really liked, for one because it’s really bright and beautiful. But more than that, it was painted by a young Bermudian artist named Alshante Foggo. Check her out on Instagram @artbyalshante. This piece is called “Flourish Your Mind” and you can find it at Victoria Park in Hamilton.
More beaches. Because, Horseshoe
Horseshoe Bay can’t not make your list when you visit Bermuda. It’s the No. 1 ranked beach on the island, and has ranked among the top 10 beaches in the world. It has Bermuda’s promised pink sand and a string of coves all along the beach so you can find your own private slice of paradise.
Quintessentially Bermuda
Bermuda’s Britishness comes out in unique ways, but sometimes in the most literal way possible. Just as these phone booths are a must-snap in London, they are in Bermuda too. You’ll find this set at the Royal Naval Dockyard, where the Royal Navy used to be and now there are shops and craft markets and jet skis and restaurants. It’s also where the cruise ships dock. So you’ve been warned.
Get your Little Mermaid on
I promise you, this is the most “Under the Sea” (remember that song though?!) moment you’ll have had in a while, if not ever. At Admiralty Bay Park you can cliff dive into warm lagoon-like water, swim under caves and pop in a swimming hole like this one. It was probably my favorite place I visited in both trips to Bermuda.
Candy-colored ice cream shop
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what the ice cream at Bailey’s tastes like since it was closed each time I passed it (including on a Saturday at noon), but the place is too cute. And it says it’s famous, so maybe it’s famous. It’s also so typical of the pastel homes with white roofs that make Bermuda Bermuda, and it’s kind of an Instagram win.
I hope you have fun finding these and your own gems around the island. Please share with me if you find something I shouldn’t miss next time!