TRAVEL
A PERFECT WEEKEND GETAWAY 8 REASONS TO VISIT BERMUDA By Patricia Canole
Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure. ou realize the moment you arrive in Bermuda that this place is unique, an improbable Eden set in a dazzling blue, surprisingly temperate patch of the Atlantic just 90 minutes from New York City by air. Rich in beauty and British charmer offers travelers easy access, plus a unique blend of alluring landscapes (pink beaches and pastel cottages) and underwater thrills (the wreck diving is phenomenal). Read on and discover what this island has on tap. A PASTEL PARADISE MADE FOR SECLUSION Like a lovingly wrapped gift, Bermuda is awash in pale pink, mellow yellow, and dreamy turquoise. A pastel rainbow of tiny cottages with white-tiled roofs runs up, down, and around hillsides, which drop, sometimes dramatically, into the sparkling sea. Limestone walls, softened by drifts of vibrant bougainvillea and tufts of green moss, line narrow roads that curl around the rocky, crenulated coastline. And gaily hued flowers— lilies, hibiscus, oleander—are everywhere.
Around every turn of this 21-mile, fishhook-shaped island, cliffs, and hills frame shots of the sea splashed by million-dollar yachts. Waves funnel into small coves guarded by rocky outcroppings, then wash onto coral tinged sand. Have your hotel pack a picnic lunch, then claim some quiet time on one of these secluded beaches. The locals will point the way. Horseshoe Bay is Bermuda’s most famous strand, but often you can barely tell pink sands from the sunburns! Opt for Long Bay beach instead.
LEGENDARY ALLURE All over Bermuda, you’ll find pathways leading through large circle-shaped portals made from coral and stone. These curious crescents harken back to ancient China but take on new meaning in these surroundings. According to legend, they are said to bestow happiness on those who pass through one. A local captain built the first moongate in 1860, based on one he had seen in a Chinese garden. The oldest example is the ivy-covered one in Hamilton’s Par-la-Ville Park, but the gate overlooking the beach at Tobacco Bay is by far the most picturesque. MARCH/APRIL 2021 | NEW YORK LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | 27
