Hamilton, in Pembroke Parish, is Bermuda’s administrative center and largest city. It boasts a large quantity of museums, some fine buildings and architecture, and numerous forts, fortifications and bits of Royal Naval heritage. There are cinemas, shops, bars, hotels and restaurants. The city is also blessed with markets, gardens, beaches, and squares and plazas with wide streets.
Tourist travel to Bermuda to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island’s economy, although international business has surpassed it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Bermuda also receives many visits from cruise ships during the summer months.
The islands benefit from an excellent and frequent bus service, which connects all parts of the islands to Hamilton. The buses are used equally by locals and visitors. Ride one to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, which has for its center piece a 140,000 gallon replica coral reef, Horseshoe Bay Beach, or Snorkel Park.