King’s Wharf Travel Guide

Print this Guide  | Email this Guide

Royal Navy Dockyard Clocktower

Overview: A former Royal Naval Dockyard (between 1814 and 1951), turned tourist resort, King's Wharf is a favourite port of call for cruise liners visiting Bermuda. The old Georgian maritime fort has been re-invented into a playground for the thousands of passengers who come ashore to enjoy themselves, do some sight-seeing, head off for nearby beaches or world-class golf courses, or take any of a number of shore excursions on offer. The old buildings of the dockyard, constructed by convicts from prison ships and once known as the 'Gibraltar of the West', have been cleverly adapted to suit the new resort role. The old Keep is now a fascinating Maritime Museum and headquarters for dolphin excursions, and what was once the Royal Navy administrative headquarters has become the Clocktower Mall shopping centre. A lively pub now occupies the old cooperage, where barrels were made, along with an art centre, craft market and cinema. In the buildings where strategic repair work was once carried out there are now a pottery studio and glassworks enterprises in operation, and the victualling yard has become the Visitor Information Centre. The original purpose of the dockyard was as a base for the Royal Navy to launch a raid on Washington DC, but now it is itself invaded every day by hundreds of American citizens, and others from around the world, who come for fun in the sun.
Shopping: Bermuda offers duty-free shopping where UK imports like tweeds and cashmere can be picked up as bargains. King's Wharf offers a shopping mall and several craft stalls where it is easy to spend your holiday savings on gifts and souvenirs. Favourite buys are cedar-wood items, hand-crafted jewellery, ceramics, candles, fabric art, local ginger beer and rum and so much more. Everywhere you can pick up the famous Bermuda shorts, which are a must-have.
Restaurants: There are plenty of restaurants at King's Wharf where you can linger over a tasty meal. Local dishes include fish chowder enhanced with rum and peppers, or shark hash. Don't miss out on anything that comes with Bermuda onions. Recommended is the Frog & Onion Pub, with its speciality conch fritters, or more simple delights like bangers and mash. For excellent local seafood (including the best fish and chips in the area) it is hard to beat the Freeport Gardens Restaurant. Afternoon tea is a tradition enhanced to perfect proportions at the Lighthouse Tea Room where delicious berried confections come amply doused in whipped cream, while for a quick burger or pizza try Pirate's Landing.
Activities: If you can dream it, you can probably do it at King's Wharf, where local operators offer a vast range of activities to amuse and amaze the thousands of visitors that flock into the Dockyard every week. Of course those interested in history need only step ashore from ship or ferry to begin their quest for interesting sights, and those who just want to soak up the sun and sea can head off by bus or taxi to any one of several pink-sand beaches in the vicinity. There are watersports aplenty on offer, from parasailing to scuba diving and swimming with dolphins. Golfers are especially well catered for, Bermuda being famed for its world-class courses, several of which are in easy reach of King's Wharf. Visitors can also shop till they drop, and watch artists and artisans at work.
Negatives: Most tourists find the resort quite expensive.