"Hamilton in Pembroke Parish" Hamilton by grandmaR

The City of Hamilton, a port city, has been the capital and administrative, commercial, entertainment and shopping center of Bermuda since 1815. I've done a walking tour of Hamilton - Places to visit in the city include Albuoy's Point, the Bermuda Historical Society Museum which is in the National Library, the Bermuda National Gallery which is in the City Hall, the Birdcage, Butterfield Bank, Cabinet Building, Cenotaph and War Memorial, Cathedral of St. Theresa, Par-la-Ville Park, Perot Post Office, Sessions House, and Victoria Park. And of course there is shopping.

Waterfront from ferry 1963

The top photo taken in 1995 is from a slightly different angle than this one taken in 1963, but the cathedral is still a landmark over the town. I think in this picture the building on the left is the hotel we stayed at in 1995.

Walking back to the hotel in 1995

We passed this building when walking from the bus station back to the hotel. I was fascinated by the building and found out that it is the Bacardi International Building. It is on Pitt's Bay Road, near city of Hamilton, between Waterloo House and the Princess Hotel where we were staying. It's not a tourist destination but it is the world-wide administrative headquarters of Bacardi. The distilleries are in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Bacardi was founded in Cuba in 1862 by Don Facundo Bacardi y Maso. It prospered there until Fidel Castro took control in 1959. When he nationalized the plant and assets, the corporation left Cuba, began afresh and picked Bermuda for their global Bacardi business. Today, Bacardi occupies this building, designed by Mies van der Rohe, and has since expanded it greatly.

Overseas businesses owned by Bacardi include the Scotch whisky firm of Dewars, of Perth, Scotland.

• Pros:The best shopping in Bermuda
• Cons:Crowded and full of traffic
• In a nutshell:Bermuda's Capitol