Ruth's Travelogue on the South Shore Beaches

Our first morning we eagerly finished a delicious Willowbank breakfast, hastening to the front desk to learn about bus transportation to Horseshoe Bay and be on our way. We obediently headed out front to catch the #7 bus, joining a local lady waiting at the bus stop. Only the bus didn't stop. Two buses sped past, one every half hour as scheduled, if ever a schedule were to be posted. Now we learn why, as the lady explains cruise ships jam-pack the buses at the Dockyard, which then don't let anyone else aboard. Having waited an hour, she opts for a #8 bus. Standing (nowhere to sit) on the road after another two #7 buses pass us without slowing, we trudge up the office. Gretchen now inquires if we want her to call a taxi for us. That's not what we wanted, but we didn't know what else to do. On our visit 3½ years ago, days of rain kept us from the South Shore beaches and they climbed to top priority this time. On our taxi ride, the driver explained cruise ship tourists cram the public buses at the Dockyard to capacity. Chock-full, the buses ignore everyone else (until Horseshoe Bay), an ongoing problem for the last for two years. Considering mid-May is springtime, school time, yikes for summer!

We got out at cruise ship tourist destination Horseshoe Bay to stroll 1½ miles of public "pink coral" beaches (really pink in summer, we understand), trek park trails on sand dunes past Port Royal Cove, Peel Bay, Butts, Middle, Wafer Rocks, Angle, Hidden, Chaplin Bay, Stonehole Bay, Jobson's Cove, and Warwick Long Bay, admiring the shoreline of some of the world's most beautiful beaches. A geological feature of low round offshore rock outcrops sheltering many colorful fish species, the "Algal-Vermetid Reefs" or "Serpuline Atoll" known as "boilers" or "reefs", makes great snorkeling in calm seas. On our return flight home we reminisced that visiting the South Shore Beaches was the highlight of our sightseeing in Bermuda.

We activated our 3-day 14 zone $23 unlimited transportation pass to get a one 3 zone ($3 token) ride back Willowbank in time for their 4:00 Afternoon Tea, a daily highlight for us, followed by a late afternoon swim.

Return to Bermuda page