Seemingly the victim of as many rumours as its mysterious Triangle, Bermuda isn't what most expect. Yes, it's an island, but it's not in the Caribbean and it's not a wild, exotic kingdom of eternal sunshine and isolated beaches.
Instead, yachts dapple its neat bays, tennis, cricket and golf are the locals' favoured pursuits, and the sea in winter can be a mite too chilly for swimming. It's also, as history would have it, one of the wealthiest countries in the world per capita, free of poverty, crime, and income tax.
Lying east of the United States in the Atlantic, the string of islands making up Bermuda is nevertheless far more British in character than American. It was first settled in 1609 by British shipwreck survivors, and is today a self-governing British territory - and it shows. Pastel Victorian buildings line the seafront of the capital, Hamilton, whose Bermuda National Gallery displays works by many English masters.
In the former capital of St George, narrow streets bearing such names as Petticoat Lane and Featherbed Alley twist past traditional pubs and churches, and restaurants serve up fish and chips, and steak and ale pie.
Quaint British charms aside, Bermuda offers a wealth of attractions and a very relaxing pace of life (the driving speed limit is 20mph). All of its islands can be easily reached by boat, bridge or causeway, opening up a treasure trove of crystal waters, secluded sandy beaches, swimming, snorkelling, diving, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, and nature hikes.
Of course, if you really want to get away from it all head south into the Bermuda Triangle to find out if there's anything to its reputation for spiriting away ships and aircraft - or if it's more about paranoia than the paranormal.
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