GO BERMUDA:It is far from cheap, and it hasn't been a fashionable destination since the days of mahogany suntans, but this chain of islands is ultra-relaxing, writes ALANNA GALLAGHER
AS THE CLOUDY ginger beer swirls around the dark rum and you squeeze in the juice from a wedge of lime to sharpen its smoky spirit, you hold in your hand a tempest of a cocktail, a tropical combination that tweaks the dark side of your taste buds. This is a dark ’n’ stormy, a Bermuda classic made with local black rum. It is this island country in a glass, a place that needs to have its surface scratched to really get a flavour of its personality.
Most holiday experiences come with a degree of local exaggeration, and Bermuda is no exception. The rum in a dark ’n’ stormy is not black so much as a warm mahogany, the kind of suntan shade that was in vogue in the early 1980s.
Like the tan, Bermuda hasn’t been in vogue as a destination since then, but with fashion mining the greed-is-good decade and the islands celebrating their 400th anniversary, now is the time to visit, before the hip crowd rediscover them.
Bermuda is a crescent-shaped atoll of about 140 islands in the north Atlantic, 1,000km east of the US state of North Carolina. (The capital, Hamilton, is on Main Island, one of six principal islands.) Surrounded by dangerous reefs, Bermuda was first settled by English colonists who were shipwrecked on their way to Virginia in 1609.
Tourism to the islands developed in Victorian times. Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was one of the first visitors to extol its virtues, and he went back several times. It was, however, the arrival of Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria of England, on a 10-week stay in 1883 that really put the island on the tourist map. The rise of prohibition in the US made Bermuda, particularly Main Island, a very attractive – and rum-soaked – proposition for wealthy Americans.
Tourism remains important to the economy, although the reinsurance industry is the islands’ main source of income.
As a British dependency, albeit a self-governing one, Bermuda is ripe with the vestiges of colonial life. Its nine parishes channel Britishness with American accenting – it’s a mid-Atlantic mash of cultures.
The typeface used on street signs is the same as that used in Mother England, and the post boxes are also red. Manners err towards the formal, and afternoon tea is an everyday occurrence, but the food has an American flavour. The attitude everywhere is extremely laid back.
The islands are dotted with houses in shades from banana yellow to disco blue; their stepped roofs are painted with a white lime mix that helps to purify the rain that each home must collect – Bermuda has no rivers, freshwater lakes or other conventional supplies of drinking water. The main roads are lined by low limestone walls, all quarried locally.
The landscape is subtropical, with lush glossy palms, ferns, aloe and other greenery. The air is rich with the scent of flowers, including Easter lilies, frangipani, gardenia, hibiscus and stephanotis. Rosemary, sage and native cedar, back from the brink of extinction, add spice.
This is a stag- and hen-free zone. There is no Club 18-30 and no Wallpaper*-toting weekenders looking for the next hip hotel to name-drop. There is nothing to attract them, and that is what is charming about Bermuda. As the cluster of principal islands, which are linked by bridges, is only about 35km long and a kilometre wide, you’re rarely far from the ocean.
The beaches of Bermuda, already famed for their pink sands, surpass all expectations. The palest blush in colour, they are powder-fine underfoot. The southern side of the island is home to its best beaches. Horseshoe Bay is one of the few with a beach-shack restaurant (which is, thankfully, not actually on the beach). All have pristine toilets and changing facilities, as well as oodles of bins to ensure the beaches stay pristine. The water is some of the clearest in the world, offering exceptional snorkelling and diving.
The reefs and surrounding seas have provided watery graves to more than 400 wrecks. Their presence casts an indigo shadow in these otherwise crystal waters. (Shakespeare’s The Tempest is said to have been inspired by tales of survivors of the Sea Venture, which was wrecked in 1610.)
The best way to see the islands is by sea. Numerous hire companies will offer you all sorts of boats, from Boston Whalers at Robinson’s Marina to swanky floatels for any remaining millionaires. (If you don’t have sea legs you can buy a ferry pass for a waterside view from a more stable setting.)
In summer movies are shown on the beach; they’re best enjoyed from the deck of a boat. And there’s lobster season, for which you need a licence, but what a thrill to catch and cook your own. For stargazers the lack of light pollution means the night sky is awash with brightly polished diamonds, leaving you in no doubt about the location of the constellations in question.
Like many tropical islands, Bermuda is not as easy to navigate as you might expect. Getting around requires hiring a moped, a mountain bike or a taxi, which can prove expensive. Take buses and ferries to really drink in the local atmosphere. (Local buses are hard to miss: they’re painted Bermuda pink, a blancmange shade that only the blue-rinse brigade can get away with wearing.)
Bermuda has always targeted upmarket tourists, so it is wallet-wallopingly expensive. It is also very hard to get away from the resort-type accommodation favoured by US visitors.
The poet and lyricist Thomas Moore spent four months on the islands at the start of the 19th century, keeping data on captured enemy ships for the British navy. Initially, he extolled their “fairytale enchantment” – he also referred to them as a miniature heaven – but by the end of his stay he was bored and disparaging of what he regarded as parochialism.
You might feel the same way if you spent months here, but embrace the islands’ easy-living attitude on a two-week escape from the rat race and you’ll find yourself wanting to drink in more of Bermuda’s simple charms.
Go there
British Airways (www.ba. com) flies to Hamilton from London Gatwick. Aer Lingus flies to Gatwick from Dublin and Knock. Ryanair flies to Gatwick from Dublin, Cork and Shannon. Tour operators include Prestige Holidays (www.prestigeholidays.co.uk), BA Holidays (www.ba. com), Couture Travel (www. couturetravel company.com) and Purely Bermuda (www. purelybermuda.co.uk).
Where to stay
- You'll get much more bang for your buck with a package. Get your tour operator to secure you a new or renovated property, such as Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort Spa or Tucker's Point Hotel Spa. Also ask if breakfast is included; it's usually extra – as is the whopping 17 per cent service charge added to most of your bills.
- Rosedon. 61 Pitt's Bay Road, Pembroke, 00-441-2951640, www.rosedonbermuda.com. A colonial hotel with a veranda and pool, with the bonus of free transport to across-the-bay South Shore beach.
- Elbow Beach. 60 South Shore Road, Paget, 00-441- 2363535, www.mandarin oriental.com/bermuda. A large resort offering a variety of accommodation, pools, spa and private beach.
- Fairmont Southampton. 101 South Shore Road, Southampton, 00-441- 2388000, www.fairmont.com/ southampton. A hulking six-storey building that blights the landscape but offers attentive service, good food, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and a vintage-tram ride to its nearby private beach.
- Aunt Nea's Inn. 1 Nea's Alley, St George, 00-44-20-70846282, www.auntneas.com. A chintzy little BB in the back alleys of the World Heritage town of St George.
- Grape Bay Cottages. 34/36 Grape Bay Drive, Paget, 00-441-2362515, grapebaycottages@northrock.bm. Self-catering in Bermuda has many advantages, including direct access to some of the wonderful local produce and the absence of the disruption that hotel visits can create. It isn't a cheaper option, though.
Where to eat
- Blu Bar Grill. Belmont Hills Golf Club, 97 Middle Road, Warwick, 00-441-2322323, www.littlevenice.bm. Italian slant on fresh fish, with spectacular views across the sound. Try the shrimp ceviche.
- Barracuda Grill. 5 Burnaby Hill, Hamilton, 00-441-2921609, www.irg.bm. Contemporary cuisine in a classic setting. The short-rib ravioli is delicious.
- Harbourfront Restaurant. Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, 40
- Crow Lane, Hamilton, 00-441-2954207, www.diningburmuda.com/harbourfront. Great sushi that you can follow with a wander around Teddy Tucker's shipwreck collection and one of the world's largest shell collections.
- Tom Moore's Tavern. 7 Walsingham Lane, 00-441-2938020, www.tommoores.com. Italian fine dining in Bermuda's oldest eating house, set in a nature park. Some accommodation.
- Mickey's Beach & Bistro Bar. Elbow Beach Terrace, Paget, 00-441-2369107, www.mandarinoriental.com/ bermuda/dining/mickeys. Beachfront setting on the shore of Elbow Beach.
Where to go
- Swizzle Inn. 3 Blue Hole Hill, Baileys Bay, 00-441- 2931854, www.swizzleinn.com. Sip a smoky and refreshing dark 'n' stormy – black rum served with local ginger beer – at the home of one of islanders' other favourite drinks, a rum swizzle.
- The Crystal Fantasy Caves of Bermuda. 8 Crystal Caves Road (off Wilkinson Avenue), 00-441-2930640, www.caves.bm. When the midday sun gets too maddening, go underground to explore the stalactite and stalagmite glory of the Crystal Caves. The surrounding gardens and Cafe Ole are shady places to recover from the 89-step climb.
- Willow Stream Spa. Fairmont Southampton, 101 South Shore Road, Southampton, 00-441-2388000, www.willowstream.com. Spa fans should sign up for a Tranquillow face and back experience, said to be a favourite of Bermuda blow-in Catherine Zeta Jones. Ninety minutes of luxurious facial and a lavender back massage.
- The best way to see Bermuda is to hire a boat and get into its best attraction: the ocean. Hartley's Under Sea Walk (Hartley's Under Sea Adventures, Sandys, 00-441- 2342861, www.hartleybermuda. com) offers shallow-water diving that allows even non-swimmers to explore the reefs.
- Get out and see beyond the walls of your resort by hiring a scooter or mountain bike. But be careful: despite a 35km/h speed limit, 17 lives were lost on Bermuda's roads last year. Oleander Cycles (00-441- 2950919, www.oleander cycles.bm) offers rentals.
When to go
- From April to October – but beware of high humidity in July and August.