The Best Child-Friendly Beaches in Bermuda

For anyone heading off on Bermuda holidays with the family, the prospect of spending a fair proportion of time enjoying the ubiquitous sun, sea and sand is no doubt high on the agenda. But if you're travelling with young children, while all the beaches here are, without question, some of the most beautiful in the world, not all of them are suitable for youngsters.

The following ones are the 'best of the best' family-friendly beaches you'll be able to enjoy on your Bermuda holidays.

Clearwater Beach Park

If you're up for a little exploring, take the kids over to Cooper's Island, which is situated just off St. David's Island. This is a wonderful place to get back to nature (and one of my personal favourites for getting away from it all) as the beach is set within a lush 12-acre park, with fabulous views over the ocean and some excellent easy nature trails. The shallow water is ideal for the little ones and a lifeguard is engaged in summer. In terms of facilities, there are easily accessible toilets onsite and there's also a lovely little bar and restaurant right on the beach.

Tobacco Bay Beach

Small, safe and perfectly formed for families, picturesque Tobacco Bay Beach is found over at St. George, in the east of the island. This is a beach I highly recommend if you have some budding snorkelers in your family, as the shallow water and unusual rock formations make for a fun and interesting experience for beginners. Nobody will go hungry, as there's a great little café right on the beach, and there are multiple toilets and changing rooms.

Horseshoe Bay Beach

Horseshoe Bay is one of the best-known and most favoured beaches – and for good reason. It's not only breathtakingly beautiful, it's one of the best facilitated you'll find anywhere. Along with a cafe, souvenir shop, Wi-Fi service, loungers and umbrella hire, and toilet and shower facilities, I've found one of the most appealing aspects for parents of young children is the small cove, at the western end of the beach, known as Baby Beach. Set against a backdrop of cliffs, the water is shallow, calm and perfect for some introductory snorkelling.

Shelley Bay Beach

Situated over in Hamilton Parish, Shelley Bay is one of the most convenient and accessible beaches for families. Whenever I go there I see lots of young ones in the water – as the shallows extend out around 30 metres – and it's perfect for kids finding their sea legs, or fins as the case may be. There's plenty of shade (great for the parents) and there's also a lovely little café if you want to introduce the youngsters to some genuine Caribbean cuisine. I've also noticed a lot of kids taking advantage of the small playground with swings and climbing frames.

Warwick Long Bay Beach

This delightful beach has a very secluded feel about it but, despite that, it's actually extremely well facilitated. It's very popular with families because there's also an adjoining playground, which offers some respite from the beach if attention spans waver. But what this beach really has going for it is that it's an outstanding place to snorkel – even for absolute beginners and very small children. The beach has public toilet facilities and you won’t go hungry, as a mobile food van visits regularly, selling snacks and refreshments during the busy summer periods. (A point to note: children should be well-supervised at all times here, as sometimes strong currents may appear.) Black Bay Beach

Another highly accessible location, Black Bay is very close to the famous dockyard in Sandys Parish. It's busy and buzzing and I've found the vibrant atmosphere is always very popular with families. This is the place to go if your kids want to try their hands at some safe, basic water sports, and you can hire snorkels, paddleboards, inflatables and even hammocks. Even after a long day of fun in the sun, this is one place I recommend you stick around just a little longer – watching the sunset from this beach is an experience nothing short of spectacular.

Snorkel Park

Snorkel Park is an absolute delight for young children – which makes it pretty perfect for parents as well! Situated right within the dockyard (so you can also take advantage of the arts and crafts studios, museum and dolphin training centre), it's the perfect full-day excursion on your Bermuda holidays.

As well as fantastic swimming, the kids can go snorkelling, get out on paddleboards or kayaks, play on the beach waterslides, explore the water splash playground and you can even take them out on a jet ski safari.

I've had the privilege of exploring the natural beauty of Bermuda's stunning beaches for many years, and the ones above are some of the best I've encountered for families with young children. They offer safe swimming conditions, excellent facilities and will provide plenty of lasting family memories of your Bermuda holidays.

John Dixon is an experienced world traveller and the Managing Director of Prestige Holidays. For over 30 years, he has been providing luxury Bermuda holidays, as well as holidays to Croatia, Sicily and many other destinations around the globe. John tries to visit each of the destinations regularly in order to ensure the quality of his properties, and stay up-to-date about the latest local news and events. He has a taste for the finer things in life and has an interest in arts, history and culture.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.