Portuguese Rock

About

This fascinating natural site resides at Spittal Pond Nature Reserve and offers visitors incredible views at what is thought to be the point of the earliest humans in Bermuda. The letters “R’ and “P” can be found engraved in Portuguese rock alongside the date 1543. This was discovered by English settlers who assumed that the markings had come from Spanish sailors shipwrecked along the rocks, so the area was initially called “Spanish Rock.” Many years later, a Portuguese historian proffered evidence of a Portuguese expedition that had ended in a shipwreck nearby, suggesting that the letters had actually stood for “Regium Portuguese” (The Kingdom of Portugal.) The Portuguese influences on Bermuda are still evident culinarily, for instance in the spicy chouriço sausages or the inclusion of Portuguese-introduced herbs like thyme and rosemary. Today, Portuguese Rock offers visitors a fantastic panoramic view over the ocean and is particularly magical at sunrise.