Bermuda

02 December 2012

Beaches are packed during the summer, but they are blissfully uncrowded in the fall and spring off-season.

Bermuda is a wonderful geographic oddity: Isolated as the only inhabited island way out in the U.S. side of the Atlantic (almost 700 miles east of Cape Hatteras, Nouth Carolina). It's closer to New York than Miami and it's thousand miles from "the Carribean" but it's usually thrown into that category of islands for various historical reasons. Bermuda is also much more affluent than its poor southern cousins.

The main islands (merely 21 square miles altogether) are so close together (connected by tiny bridges) that many maps like this one make Bermuda appear to be a single fish-hook shaped island. It's a remnant of the vast British empire and most residents seem content to remain a UK territory.

Only two hours from New York and enjoying mild weather year around, Bermuda is a beautiful and friendly destination. It's not as exotic as I prefer and is a bit expensive, but we had a nice post-Thanksgiving getaway thanks to a United fare sale. I also found a tolerably priced, well located, favorably reviewed B&B.

Lots of superb beaches with fine white sand that for some reason looks more pink in photos

Subterranean Bermuda has many small limestone caves.
The Crystal and Fantasy caves are among the best.

Front Street in Hamilton (Bermuda's capital) viewed from the ferry going to the Royal Navy Dockyards

Bermuda shorts
Kingston House B&B



And, yes, I did see a few guys dressed in "formal" Bermuda shorts while wearing coats, ties, and long socks.