Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 10 miles, approximately 1/2 hour. Walking up to 1.5 miles, approximately 1.5 hours, and standing; mostly flat terrain, some steps. Fort St. Catherine and St. Peter’s Church both have several stairs to get inside. Walsingham Nature Preserve is unpaved and has an uneven dirt/ gravel trail.
The resort's breakfast buffet offers choices such as eggs, an omelet station, cereals, fresh fruit, yogurt, breads, and beverages.
At the hotel, we’ll have a presentation by our Group Leader on Bermuda’s oldest inhabitants, from indigenous peoples to native animals. Next, we’ll board a motor coach and head to St. David's Island. Here, we will visit Carter House and Settler's Cottage. Carter House is believed to be one of the oldest farm houses in the country. Constructed in 1640, the house holds exhibits and artifacts of 17th century island life. The Settler's "Cabben" is a recreation of what an original cottage looked like when the island was first getting settled. Following this field trip, we will visit Walsingham Nature Reserve — known locally as Tom Moore’s Jungle — with commentary by our Group Leader. This is one of the oldest geological areas on the island, with a bedrock of limestone more than a million years old. We’ll learn about Bermuda’s natural history before the island was colonized, as well as its indigenous plants, ecology, and geography as we walk back to the hotel.
Hotel buffet.
We’ll board a private motorcoach and travel back to St. George’s Island. There, we’ll set out on a walking field trip through the historic town of St. George, Bermuda’s original capital, and a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. From the UNESCO inscription: “The Town of St George, founded in 1612, is an outstanding example of the earliest English urban settlement in the New World. Its associated fortifications graphically illustrate the development of English military engineering from the 17th to the 20th century, being adapted to take account of the development of artillery over this period.” Among its highlights are Saint Peter’s Church, established in 1612, the oldest Anglican church outside the British Isles and oldest Protestant church in continuous use in the New World, given a royal designation by Queen Elizabeth II. We’ll also see the pleasant green space of Somers Garden as well as the Tucker House Museum. Built in the mid-18th century, the Tucker House is a typical example of early Bermudian house construction. It was the home of merchant Henry Tucker and is furnished as it was in his time with many family artifacts including furniture, portraits, and silver. After some time for independent exploration, we’ll return to the hotel via motorcoach.
Hotel buffet.
At leisure.
