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I visited a spa inside a 500,000-year-old cave in Bermuda. Here’s what I learnt
Bermuda is becoming one of the hottest destination for wellness-focused travel – on a trip to the island Lynn Rusk discovers nirvana in a spa
Lying face-down in a floating cabana during an aromatherapy massage in a 500,000-year-old cave is the closest thing to nirvana I’ve ever experienced.
My cabana sits above an azure underground lake, and I’m entirely surrounded by stalactites, hanging like icicles from the roof, and stalagmites (mounds formed on the floor) in Prospero’s Cave, Bermuda.
It’s hard to imagine a more calming setting as I feel my muscles relax, to the soundtrack of the drips of water (or calcium carbonate deposits, more accurately) falling from the ceiling, echoing around this ancient cavern.
This cave and the nearby Cathedral Cave form a pair of expansive ancient underground limestone grottos beneath Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa.
Guests can also take a dip in the Cathedral Cave’s naturally cool waters – which reaches depths of nine metres – a welcome relief from the balmy outside temperatures.
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These caves were first discovered during Bermuda’s early colonisation. It’s thought that Sir George Somers, whose ship was wrecked near the country’s shore in 1609, first discovered Prospero’s Cave.
Now, the resort’s Natura Spa, set inside the cave itself with just three overwater cabanas, offers an exclusive setting for a variety of treatments – and it’s said to be one of the few places in the world for such a unique experience. It also marks the beginning of my wellness journey on this beautiful archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Famous for its pink-sand beaches and turquoise waters, the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, comprising seven main islands within an archipelago of 181 in total, is positioning itself as a leading destination for wellness-focused travellers.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the mild winter temperatures in January, ranging from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius, a respite from the harsh British winter and some eight hours away by air.
But Bermuda feels worth visiting for the warmth and hospitality of its people alone. Walking around the capital, Hamilton, on Main Island, with pastel-coloured buildings lining the waterfront, splashes of street art, and charming shops and cafés, it’s almost impossible to pass anyone without being greeted with a smile.
I’m staying at the luxurious five-star Rosewood Bermuda on Tucker’s Point in Hamilton Parish, home to Bermuda’s largest private pink‑sand beach.
The sand has a subtle pink hue on several beaches here, thanks to the presence of a microscopic marine organism, foraminifera – its bright red or pink shells mix with white sand and tiny coral fragments, giving the distinctive colour.
And a trip to Bermuda wouldn’t be complete without a visit to nearby Horseshoe Bay, the island’s famous crescent-shaped pink-sand beach with dramatic limestone cliffs.
My spacious room, complete with its own private balcony and a dark-wood, four-poster king bed, has views straight over the North Atlantic Ocean.
This 240-acre resort also features a spa, five scenic swimming pools, and three restaurants with two bars, the perfect setting to relax and unwind.
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The island’s food and drink scene celebrates flavours and produce unique to its shores. A driver, Tim, insisted I couldn’t leave without trying a Dark ’n’ Stormy, made with Gosling’s Black Seal rum and ginger beer, and the famous Bermuda fish sandwich: fried white fish served on toasted raisin bread. It’s a challenge I happily accept.
The main objective on this trip, however, was to explore the full range of wellness experiences Bermuda has to offer.
One stop on the wellness tour is a barre class at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Also known as the ‘Pink Palace’, the hotel boasts an impressive art collection, including original works by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, and prides itself on being Bermuda’s only luxury urban resort.
But no one embodies Bermuda’s wellness ethos quite like Jessica Burns, founder of The Retreat House, described as “a sanctuary for connecting more deeply with yourself, others and the natural world of Bermuda”.
A Bermuda native, Burns established the business after losing her mother, Kim, to ovarian cancer in 2023. Leaving behind her corporate career in London, she returned home to transform the beach-facing property her mother had rented to tourists for more than a decade into The Retreat House.
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Since 2024, she’s hosted a range of retreats, from the Kim Burns Retreats for people living with cancer, to programmes designed for expectant mothers. Her aim, she tells me, is to help establish Bermuda as “one of the world’s leading wellness destinations,” encouraging travellers to embrace the island’s healing nature.
With its turquoise waters, lush tropical greenery, and unhurried pace of life, Bermuda naturally fosters relaxation and restoration.
But it’s also rich in natural culinary sources and medicinal plants. I join a foraging tour with local vegan chef Doreen Williams-James on Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve, at the south-eastern tip of the island. She leads us on a leisurely walk, pointing out edible and medicinal plants along the way, including Old Spice, fennel, wood sorrel, hibiscus, and scurvy grass.
“I grew up eating scurvy grass, a coastal, vitamin C-rich plant, as a child,” Williams-James explains.
“My father would take me out at this time of year to pick it – it only grows once a year. When sailors first arrived on the island, their diet consisted largely of salted pork, which led to vitamin C deficiency and scurvy. They discovered that eating this plant cured the disease, which is why [we know] it’s so high in vitamin C.”
She also touts the health benefits of eating seasonally: “At this time of year, there are so many plants naturally high in vitamin C. Eating what’s in season can help prevent illness and support healing through food.”
Foraging isn’t just a popular activity on the island, it was once a way of life. Williams-James adds: “For the older generation, foraging was simply how they lived – that’s what they ate and relied on. When I go foraging now, younger people often look at me and think, ‘What is she doing?’ But I’m seeing more of them join my tours because they want to eat better and embrace a different lifestyle.”
From a massage in an ancient cave to foraging in the wild and spending time on unspoilt beaches, I leave Bermuda feeling refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of city life once again.
Lynn’s trip was hosted by the Bermuda Tourism Authority.
How to do it
British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Bermuda five times weekly with return economy flights starting at £891.
Nightly rates at the Rosewood Bermuda for a double room begin at £437. Spa treatments at Grotto Bay Beach Resort start at USD $100 (£73).
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