Do you know that the caves in Bermuda started forming about one million years ago? Yes that's true. During that time, the sea level was 125 meters below the present level and Bermuda's land size was 20 times more than what it is today. There were enough fresh water in the island so that caves could be formed. But from the post glacial time, the sea level started to rise and many of the caves are now submerged in sea. There are totally some 150 known caves in Bermuda.
Most of these caves are concentrated along the strip of land between Harrington Sound and Castle Harbor towards the eastern side of Bermuda. While some caves have inland openings and can be explored by general tourists, there are many others which are underwater caves and can only be explored by the divers.
Caves in Bermuda were first discovered during the early colonization in 1600s. It is heard that Sir George Somers who came ashore after his ship Sea Venture got wrecked near Bermuda's shore in 1609, was the first to discover the Prospero's Cave. However Captain John Smith was the first to make a published reference of a Bermuda's cave in 1623.
So if you are planning for caving in Bermuda or spelunking as they call it, the island has plenty of caves to offer complete with lakes, stunning formations and even underwater caverns & grottos. Check out the links below to know about the best caves in Bermuda.
Take a guided tour through the underground Crystal and Fantasy Caves that have great formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Crystal Cave also has a lake with crystal clear water with a depth of 17 meters. You can not do cave swimming here though without special permission. The guided tour of each cave takes about 30 minutes. The cave complex is located at Hamilton Parish and is a very popular tourist attraction.
This dense forested area located in Hamilton Parish has several excellent grottos and caves many of which are fed with water from the adjacent Castle harbor through subterranean tunnels. Subway Cave is a large dry cave with stunning stalactite formations and a hidden cave in the forest. Walsingham Cave has a lovely clear lake to swim.
These two caves are located at the grounds of Grotto Bay Beach Resort in Hamilton Parish. Presently they are accessible only to the guests of the resort. The cave complex has a lovely lake where the guests are allowed to swim. The cave area is lit up with beautiful colored and hidden lights. There is also a spa here.
This is one of the largest dry caves in Bermuda located in Hamilton parish, having several pools and full with formations.
Located in Smith's parish, this cave is named after a slave who escaped his master and hid at this concealed cave for over a month before he was re-captured.
The hole is actually a collapsed cave, having formed a natural sweet-water aquarium. It's located in Smith's parish.
Unfolding the never-before seen mystery of underwater world and marine life of Bermuda.
Church Cave & Bitumen Cave
Both these caves are located in Hamilton Parish and below the Ship's Hill on the grounds of the erstwhile Marriott Castle Harbor Hotel. The hotel was later demolished in 2002 and a new one Rosewood Tucker's Point Hotel & Spa came up in its place.
The highlight of Church Cave is its 1,500 square meter lake which is the largest underground lake in the island. The maximum depth of the lake is 22 meters. Bitumen Cave is located just north of Church Cave and is the deepest underwater cave in Bermuda (25.5 meter deep).
It has an 8 meters wide pit that reaches into a lake. Unfortunately during the demolition of Castle Harbor Hotel, Bitumen Cave became a dumping ground.
X Closed to public
The cave has great crystal formations and underground pools. It's located in Hamilton parish, Bermuda.
Raj is an avid traveler, a travel journalist and a blogger. As an author of this website, he shares deep insights on Bermuda and related areas of interest. Since years, he has been helping countless viewers by posting quality articles, answering questions and sharing experiences on this website. Launched in 2008, this website is Bermuda's one of the leading sources of information since many years.
Visitors' Reviews & Comments
Christina (June 2016)
Hi Raj, Are there any caves looking out onto the sea....in the Hamilton and surrounding areas? Thanks:)
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) June 2016
Hi, yes the cave at Admiralty park house in Spanish Point area (north shore road). You can take bus #4 or a scooter. Enter the cave, let your eyes settle in the dark and you can see the stairway leading down into open water. Take a plunge if you want.
Brittany Johnson (April 2016)
Are there any good, free caves we could explore without a guide?
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2016
You can visit Tom Moore's jungle
in Hamilton parish (opposite Grotto Bay Beach Resort). There are caves and grottoes there which you can explore, and also swim in the grottoes. You can take bus #1, 3, 10 or 11 from Hamilton or St. George.
Marco (June 2015)
Hi Raj: Heading to Bermuda this Thursday 7/2/15. Where is the entrance to Church Cave? I am staying at Grotto Bay BC and am familiar with Tom Moore's Jungle. Would like to see/swim at Church Cave; how do I get there? (Walking...Bus Lines to which stop...etc.?) Since it's on a developed property, is it still open to the public?
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) June 2015
Hi, The entrance to Church cave was on the left of the front entrance of earlier Marriott Castle Harbor Hotel, which closed down in 1999, demolished in 2002 and a new hotel Rosewood Tucker's Point
came up at the same place. The entrance looked like a grotto with a trail. The new hotel (located at Tucker's Point) has made it inaccessible.
Warren (Apri 2015)
Hi Raj, Is there any place to go swimming in a cave? Coming in August on cruise.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2015
Tom Moore's Jungle in Hamilton Parish... several grottos and caves where you can swim. Better to go through a guided tour conducted by Hidden Gems.