Southampton Bermuda - Explore The Parish

Southampton Bermuda Parish

Southampton is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda located at the lower western end and forms a narrow stretch of land between Sandys and Warwick parishes.

Visit Bermuda Parish Map and see the relative position of Southampton parish with respect to all the other parishes.

Southampton was named after Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of the parish who made significant investment to colonize Bermuda in the early 1600s.

As you can see in the picture on the left, Southampton parish circles around a small water area which is known as the Little Sound. Above that is a larger water area opening out to the Atlantic ocean towards the northern side and is known as the Great Sound. The Great Sound is separated from the Little Sound by the two peninsulas jutting out from two sides, one from Sandys and the other from Warwick.

Within Little Sound and Great Sound, there are a number of tiny islets, some of which are also part of Southampton.

Southampton Hotels

Starting from our very first vacation in Bermuda, we stayed in Southampton Parish a number of times, and in a number of hotels. Check out Southampton Hotels to find out all our favorite hotels in Southampton.

Restaurants in Southampton

When it comes to dining options, Southampton parish in my opinion is the next best to Hamilton city. Here are our favorite Restaurants in Southampton Bermuda.

Southampton Bermuda Beaches

Some of Bermuda's most wonderful beaches, and that too the pink sandy ones are here in Southampton parish.

Here are our favorite beaches in Southampton Bermuda:

Horseshoe Beach Bermuda: This stunningly beautiful beach in Bermuda is a curved stretch of pink sand.

Church Bay Bermuda: It’s a little cove formed by coral cliffs in Southampton Bermuda, at the western end of the south-shore beaches. Church bay is one of the excellent Bermuda beaches for snorkeling.

Jobson's Cove: This is a small wonderful & secluded beach surrounded by steep cliffs. Jobson's cove is located at adjacent Warwick parish, very close to the Southampton border.

Chaplin Bay Bermuda: Quiet and ideal for relaxing, this beach stretches across the boundary between Warwick and Southampton parishes.

Whale Bay Bermuda: This beach is located at the western end of Southampton Bermuda. During season (March - April), you can see schools of humpback whales migrate through the blue waters off the South Shore.

Southampton Attractions

There are many attractions in Southampton Bermuda and in the adjacent parishes. Here are the top ones.

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

This is the oldest cast-iron lighthouse in the world and located at Southampton Parish.

St. Anne's Church Bermuda

St. Anne's Church is a beautiful picture perfect church located on Church road in Southampton parish. The original Chapel and Nave were built in 1717. The tower was added in 1905.

A Sunday service is held. The church also has a its own graveyard. The nearby Church Bay gets its name from this church. The south shore view from here is marvelous.

Whale Bay Fort and Park: The whale Bay Fort in Bermuda is located at the Whale Bay Park having a sweeping view of the ocean.

Seymour's Pond: A 2.5 acres nature reserve, Seymour Pond is a haven for birds. You will also see old cedars and pepper trees.

Great Sound Bermuda

This is a large water area having an opening towards its north-east connecting to the Atlantic ocean. It is surrounded on the other sides by many parishes including Southampton.

One of the best places to view this entire water area with many sailing boats on masts is a place called Queen's View located quite close to the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. It is so named because Queen Elizabeth II once took a view of the water area from here on November 24, 1953.

Boat Bay: This is a natural bay on the south shore on bus route #7. It was once owned by the Hunt's family and was called the Hunt's bay. There are two other bays next to it, the Sinky bay and the Cross bay.

This is where Bermuda's popular Sonesta Beach Resort was once located which later became Wyndham Resorts & Spa, and finally was demolished.

Boat Bay has many stories associated with it. In 1661, the ship Virginia Merchant was wrecked near Boat Bay and many lives were lost.

In 1741, a Spanish privateer ship came and seized many private fishing boats from the bay and toed them behind the ship.

Evans Bay Pond: It's a nice nature reserve covering an area of 7.5 acres and located at the Scroggins Hill. While the access is not easy, there are lot of endemic plants and wildlife that can be seen here including birds. The salt water pond is surrounded by mangroves and woodland area. You can see Bermuda cedars, giant toads, herons, lizards, sponges etc. in the reserve. It's open during the day time and admission is free.

Jews Bay: It's located off Middle road at the end of a lane by the same name. There is no direct bus service to this place. Reaching by a moped is most convenient. You get an excellent view of Great Sound water area from here. Sea Venture Watersports operates its Jet Skis from a dock on this bay.

Morgan's Point: This is one of the two peninsulas jutting into the Great Sound. During the World War-II, this used to be a sprawling US naval base operating over 250 acres of land. Since the U.S Navy left the island, this remains as the largest unutilized land in the island. It may be used for building a luxury resort in near future.

Sharon Wilson Art Gallery: Sharon Wilson is a well known artist in Bermuda specializing in pastel painting. Her art gallery is located in Southampton parish close to Horseshoe Bay Beach.

Activities in Southampton Bermuda

Some of the finest golf courses, diving centers and boating tour operators are located in Southampton Bermuda. Check out Southampton Activities to know all about the sports and recreational activities in Southampton Parish Bermuda.

Shopping in Southampton Bermuda

Wadson's Farm: This 30 acres farm is owned by Tom Wadson who has been farming in Bermuda since 1976. There is an on-site shop called the Wadson's Home Farm Market, which sells fresh vegetables, meet, poultry items, plants etc. The shop is open from Tuesday through Friday between 10am - 6pm and on Saturday from 9am - 1pm. They also operate a roadside stand at Whale Bay in Southampton 3 days a week. Wadson's Farm is located at 10 Luke's Pond Road, Southampton, Bermuda. Phone: 441/238-1862.

Rising Sun is a Country Shop run by Anne Powell and located 3/4 mile west of Waterlot Inn and off the Middle Road. The store sells many small and specialty items that you won't find anywhere else. Although a little isolated, it's definitely worth a visit. There is a moped and car park across the street. Phone: 441/238-2154

Lighthouse Gift Shop is located below the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. It sells many small items and souvenirs like postcards, key chains, disposable cameras, clay make ferries, baseball caps and so on. It's open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. 68 St. Anne’s Road, Southampton.

Market Place is a full service grocery store on Middle Road and on bus route #8.

Buses and Ferries in Southampton Bermuda

There are regular bus services in Southampton (routes #7 and #8) that operate from Hamilton City that and go all the way up to the Dockyard and back. Some buses terminate at Barnes Corner. The routes cover most of the attractions I mentioned above. Route #7 takes the picturesque South Road passing by most of the beautiful south shore beaches. Route #8 mostly takes the Middle Road.

There is also a daily ferry service (Hamilton-Rockway route) that connects Southampton with Hamilton City. The Rockway Ferry Stop is at George's Bay Road, Southampton, Bermuda.

Southampton Bermuda Map

Check out Map of Southampton Bermuda to see location of all the attractions and important places within the parish. This is an expandable map and you can zoom in to see great level of details in the parish.

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