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Daily Mirror
12-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Gorgeous 'British island' with pink beaches and loads of shipwrecks
This beautiful British Overseas Territory is known for its stunning pink sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and fascinating shipwrecks - and it's a great winter sun destination Across the world, there are 14 British Overseas Territories. These areas fall under UK sovereignty whilst remaining separate from the United Kingdom itself. Nine such destinations are permanently inhabited and include places like the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Falklands. Bermuda stands among these territories - a small but breathtaking archipelago positioned in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. Often referred to as a 'British island', it's celebrated for its remarkable pink-coloured sandy shores and hundreds of shipwrecks just offshore. The distinctive rosy hue of Bermuda's beaches comes from microscopic red sea organisms known as foraminifera, which mix with white sand to produce a soft pink glow. This, after news that sunbed wars continue to see Brits forced to queue for 'over an hour' just to get to the pool. Horseshoe Bay is the most renowned shoreline in the area, though visitors can also see pink sand at Elbow Beach, Warwick Long Bay and Church Bay. The island has earned the title " shipwreck capital of the Atlantic". Approximately 300 vessel remains rest beneath its coastal waters, with some dating back several centuries, reports the Express. Divers and snorkellers travel from all over the world to explore these underwater sites. Well-known wrecks include the Cristobal Colon, Constellation and Montana. Bermuda comprises multiple islands and houses just over 60,000 residents. It attracts considerable tourist interest, welcoming over 700,000 visitors throughout 2024, based on Bermuda Tourism Authority data. The majority of tourists arrive by cruise ships, though direct flights are accessible as well. Once on the island, there are plenty of attractions to explore on beyond the beaches. The historic town of St George's, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the vibrant capital Hamilton, brimming with shops, colourful architecture, and eateries, are must-visits. Tourists can also visit the National Museum of Bermuda or delve into the island's forts, caves and verdant gardens. For thrill-seekers, Bermuda is fit for a range of water sports including kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing. That said, a large majority of visitors simply go to the island to unwind and bask in the consistently mild and sunny climate that graces Bermuda throughout the year. Bermuda boasts a rich tapestry of history dating back to 1609 when English settlers first arrived. The island's culture blends British, African and Caribbean influences, creating an atmosphere that many tourists find both familiar yet distinctively unique. Despite its allure, Bermuda has managed to avoid the pitfalls of mass tourism. It remains relatively tranquil, pristine and well-maintained, with a strong emphasis on preserving nature and local heritage. Though one of Britain's smaller territories, Bermuda certainly punches above its weight, packing a myriad of experiences into its compact 21 square miles.
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Travel + Leisure
21-05-2025
- Travel + Leisure
Centuries of Change Shaped Bermuda From an Uninhabited Island to a Modern-day Beach Paradise—Here's How to Experience Its Living History
Every Wednesday on the Lost Cultures: Living Legacies podcast, host Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure's associate editorial director, explores a unique culture around the world and shares how you can learn more about it on your travels, too. It's easy to overlook Bermuda on a map. Its largest island is just 21 square miles, roughly 600 miles off the mainland coast. But it's much harder to ignore the island's place in history. For more than four centuries, this tiny archipelago has been a landing point, a launchpad, and a cultural crossroads. But how does all that history show itself today? How did an uninhabited outpost become home to a culture shaped by shipwrecks, slavery, migration, and resistance? And what does it mean to be Bermudian today? Bermuda: The Crossroads of the Atlantic On this week's episode of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies , we're exploring Bermuda through the voices of the people who know it best, including Dr. Edward Harris, former director of the National Museum of Bermuda. Dr. Harris explains the island remained untouched by humans until the 1500s, as it was too remote for earlier navigators to reach. That changed with the rise of European sailing power, with Bermuda soon becoming a critical stopover for ships moving between Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. 'It was one of those rare islands that was not settled until 500 odd years ago,' Dr. Harris says. "That is to say, 100,000 years after we left Africa as a human species, it took until 500 years ago for Bermuda and other places to be settled by people. So, its geography has been very important to the development of its culture." But the culture of Bermuda goes far beyond being a maritime traffic stop. Enslaved Africans were brought to the island starting in 1616, just four years after British settlers arrived. Their labor and knowledge would define Bermuda's growth in ways that rarely get the recognition they deserve. 'In the first four years, they were getting through quite a lot of the resources on the island,' says Dr. Kristy Warren, a senior lecturer at the University of Lincoln in England, whose work focuses on the histories of colonialism and slavery and their legacies within Bermuda. 'They realized, 'We actually can't do this by ourselves.'' The story of Bermuda's people is also the story of how knowledge—agricultural, architectural, spiritual—was carried and preserved across an ocean. And that legacy lives on in the movement of the Gombeys. "The history of the Gombeys is, really, the history of the movement of Black people into this portion of the diaspora from Africa," Gary Phillips, a former director of tourism for the island, shares. As Phillips explains, the masked, costumed dancers form one of Bermuda's most iconic cultural traditions, rooted in African, Caribbean, and British influences. Once criminalized, the Gombey is now a symbol of celebration and pride. 'From the period of suppression to this period of almost celebration, the Gombeys appear almost everywhere,' Phillips adds. And this is all just a taste. To trace the long arc of Bermuda's identity—from pigs dropped onshore by passing ships to the critical role of onions—listen to this week's episode of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies , to unravel it all. It's available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Player FM, or wherever you get your podcasts.
