Bermuda glistens with pink sand beaches and rainbow-colored reefs.
The island lures beach lovers, water enthusiasts, history buffs
and golfers plus those who want a sun and surf vacation in an
luxury destination that has a touch of British panache.
Divers come to explore the more than 350 wrecks, several of which
can be seen by snorkelers too. Duffers like the fact that the
21-square-mile island offers seven courses, among the highest
concentration per square mile anywhere in the world. The island's
relatively mild year-round weather -- daytime winter highs average
70 degrees Fahrenheit and summer highs range between 75 to 85
degrees Fahrenheit -- make the island a golf haven and a good
pick for families, especially for east coasters looking for a
quick, easy getaway.
History aficionados can trace more than 400 years of Bermuda's
occupation by visiting museums, exploring forts and strolling
St. George, a World Heritage Site that served as the island's
capital until 1815. View a replica of the Deliverance, built by
Sir George Somers and his crew in Bermuda in 1610 after their
ship Sea Venture bound with colonists and supplies for Jamestown,
Va., foundered off Bermuda's shores in 1609. The Deliverance,
true to its name, did deliver Somers and his crew to the New World's
Virginia colony. On a subsequent visit to Bermuda to pick up supplies,
Somers died. As he requested, his heart was buried in Bermuda
while his body was sent back to England.
Somers was the first of many who have metaphorically lost their
hearts to Bermuda. Mark Twain, in 1877 after his first visit to
the island, said, "You can go to heaven if you want to, I'll
stay here in Bermuda."
Bermuda, an island in the Atlantic, is 650 miles east of Cape
Hatteras, N.C. (and not an island of the Caribbean). Named for
Spanish navigator Juan de Bermudez who arrived in the 1500s, Bermuda
became a British colony in 1684. It still is, reigning as Britain's
oldest colony.
The British legacy remains in such traditions as afternoon tea,
Bermuda shorts (business attire for men adapted from British military
attire for warm climates) and a national passion for cricket.
Bermudians celebrate the two-day annual Cricket Cup match, held
on the Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August,
as a national holiday. If you visit April through mid-September,
the season for balls, bats and wickets, take in a game. It's likely
that a friendly islander will explain the rules of the sport.
Written by Candyce H. Stapen
Overview