Hamilton, the hub of Bermuda, serves as both its capital and commercial center. While it's not a large city, it has a surprising amount of hustle and bustle - at least compared to the rest of the island. Locals refer to it simply as 'town' - 'going to town' means, without a doubt, going to Hamilton.

The city's pulse is located in Front St, a harborfront road lined with turn-of-the-century Victorian buildings in bright pastel lemon, lime, apricot and sky blue. Many buildings have overhanging verandahs, where you can linger over lunch and watch the boats ferry across the harbor.

When the British were no longer able to use ports in their former American colonies, they chose this site as their 'Gibraltar of the West'. In addition to the Bermuda Maritime Museum, you can pass a pleasant hour or two strolling about the Dockyard grounds, stop in at the pub, the movie theatre, the craft market or the Bermuda Snorkel Park.

The fort is built of limestone blocks in Georgian style and was first used by the British navy as a base to launch their raid on Washington, DC, in 1814. It later served as a North Atlantic base during both World Wars but was abandoned as a costly outpost in 1951. Since then the buildings have been renovated and given a second life.

This coastal reserve protects some of Bermuda's finest beaches. A coastal trail runs through the park, linking a series of coves and bays divided by outcrops of craggy rocks. The 12 beaches range from medium-sized half-moon bays like Horseshoe Bay to postage-stamp-sized inlets like Peel Rock Cove.

One of the most appealing areas, forming the eastern fringe of the park, is the splendid stretch of pink and white coral sands known as Warwick Long Bay. Since it's unprotected by headlands, this beach generally has good waves suitable for bodysurfing.

This unspoilt town overlooking St George's Harbor was Bermuda's first capital and remains the sightseeing hotspot. Steeped in period charm as befits a place that was Britain's second settlement in the New World, many of its original twisting alleyways and colonial-era buildings remain intact.

Attractions include Kings Square, where the attractive Town Hall overlooks the pillory and stocks once used to publicly chastise those who offended colonial mores. Nearby is the ducking stool where gossips and petty offenders were forced to endure the humiliation of being dunked in the harbor.

Activities

There are pleasant swimming beaches all around Bermuda, but the best area is South Shore Park, which has nearly a dozen coves linked by coastal trails. Other notable beaches are Elbow Beach near Hamilton and the exotically named John Smith Bay in Paget Parish. Islanders say it's easy to tell the nationality of people splashing in the waves; locals won't swim after September, Americans quit around November and Brits swim year round. Most locals take their first dip on Bermuda Day on 24 May; the more timid wait until the Queen's Birthday in mid-June.

Bermuda's shallow waters, warm currents, numerous shipwrecks and coral reefs make for great diving. Popular wreck dives include the Constellation, which sits in only 30 feet of water and the nearby Montana. The main season is from April through October. There are a number of dive operators and most offer introductory courses for novices. Snorkellers can find interesting underwater terrain just about anywhere the water is calm and the shoreline rocky. Favored spots include Church Bay in Southampton Parish and Tobacco Bay north of the Town of St George.

Windsurfing tends to be good in the Great Sound but the best locations change with the wind. Sailing is popular in the protected waters of the Great Sound and Little Sound. You can rent sailboats, take lessons or charter a skippered yacht. Chartering a fishing boat will enable you to chance your rod and reel skills against game fish such as marlin, tuna and barracuda. In the interests of conservation, sports fishers are encouraged to release their catch and, thankfully, most do.

The longest walking trails on the islands are along the now covered tracks that once carried Bermuda's narrow-gauge railway. Unfortunately the Bermuda Railway Trail is not a single continuous walkway, but it does add up to some 21 miles of trails. The government produces a nifty guide that details the historic and natural points of interest in its seven sections. Other good areas for walking are Spittal Pond Nature Reserve and South Shore Park.

If you need more exercise, there are numerous tennis courts and whopping eight golf courses, which must be some kind of record on only 21 sq miles of land.