Can You Guess This Island Mystery Destination? (Play Along!)

This is the story of my first surprise trip – a vacation where I didn’t know where we were going until we were practically there, and as you read this, you might not either. SPOILER ALERT: If you want to play along with the game and see if you can guess the location by reading this short story, or watching my stories about it on Instagram, DO NOT CLICK any links until you’ve read the whole story!

For our latest trip, my husband took me to a place the guide book described as “dull but beautiful.” Now, don’t get me wrong – I hadn’t read the guide book before the trip.

I had no idea where we were even going until we got to the airport. Here’s the video of how that went. (NO spoiler.)

And now that I’m on the flight home, reflecting on this beautiful experience, I think that old guide book actually nailed the description. (And it’s probably the reason why this place is such a popular honeymoon destination.)

Clues that I posted on Instagram (@TiltedMap) to reveal the destination of the surprise trip my husband planned for my birthday. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — Visual person? Click to follow along with the clues! Otherwise, read on.

Mystery History

This tiny string of islands makes up what used to be Britain’s oldest colony, before its quasi-independence in 1968.

Although it’s a mystery to me why it ever even was a colony. It’s never belonged to anyone but the seabirds and the Brits, ever since a shipload of English colonists, bound for Jamestown, Virginia, crashed here – and some decided to stay. That was more than 400 years ago.

Statue of Sir George Somers in St George, Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — Sir George Somers, known as the founder of this country, after crashing his ship here.

(For contrast, the Portuguese landed on the Azores islands, which were also uninhabited at the time, in the 1400s, and simply made them part of Portugal.)

A statue of Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama in a plaza in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores. ©KettiWilhelm2024 — Another bronze man with a cape: Explorer Vasco de Gama, who spent time in the Azores while passing through the Atlantic.

Those original Brits created the town of St. George’s, and I bet they wouldn’t have described their new home as “dull” at the time, without any other people to keep them company.

An Island of Calm & Quiet

Today though, it certainly does have that British calm, stability and order. You can drive from one end of the country to the other, over bridges connecting the close strung islands, in about an hour and a half. But you’ll have to do it on a scooter, since they won’t rent cars to tourists.

The travel writers riding a scooter with helmets in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

Small pink elective vehicle parked at the parking lot of Horseshoe Beach in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

Okay, as of recently, they will rent you these small EVs.

(After all, there’s no room for extra vehicles in a country that’s 22 miles long (35 km) and no more than 2 miles wide (3 km).)

Fun fact: One of those bridges is the shortest draw bridges in the world – just enough to let the mast of a sail boat sail on through.

And that’s one of the few superlatives this islands nation can boast of, except maybe “more churches per square mile than any other country in the world.”

Unfinished Church in St. George's, Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

That little fact came to us from a local who’d had at least enough rum drinks in the White Horse Pub. But I checked it out and it’s true!

Island Food & Drink

Speaking of the White Horse, it’s one (of several) that claims to be the oldest pub in the country – founded in 1700, about 90 years after the shipwreck. And it was a perfectly good place to hide from a heavy rainstorm and sample the island’s most famous cocktail: the rum swizzle (also recommended by our new friend).

If you’re a cocktail connoisseur, don’t get your hopes up. It’s basically fruit punch with lots of rum. The Yellow Bird is another similar one – just as sweet and just as rummy. Otherwise, Dark and Stormies are also common and beloved here.

PIC – add us at the bar?

Nearly empty rum swizzle and yellow bird cocktails sitting on the bar at the White Horse Inn in St. George, Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

And when it comes to not getting your hopes up, I hate to say it, but the food here has inherited the famous British blandness. Don’t get me wrong, we had some good meals, but nothing to write home about if you’re a serious foodie. (Which, I confess, I am.)

Pretty much every restaurant on the island has the same menu: Steaks and seafood, including some local fish like rockfish and wahoo. But make sure you ask which items on the menu are locally caught, because they import a lot of seafood, too. Even at a restaurant known for seafood, Aurora, they only had two local fish dishes, on a list of at least 10 seafood items. (On an island, that just feels wrong to me.)

You’ll also find some of Jamaican-influenced dishes, like lots of jerk-spiced chicken and pork. (Even though the two nations aren’t exactly neighbors… hint, hint. 😉)

Locally caught rockfish dinner with a buttery sauce on a white plate at the Mad Hatter's Restaurant in Hamilton, Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — Local rock fish at the Mad Hatter’s Restaurant in the town of Hamilton, right in the middle of the island.

Our favorite two meals were actually “fish on a bun” and fish cakes from a local food truck, which was owned by a local woman and everything was extremely fresh and delicious, and an Indian restaurant. (In my experience, anywhere in the world where the Brits have had their flag planted in the last century tends to have good Indian food.)

The food truck also had the local version of an English breakfast on the menu: Boiled cod, bananas, and potatoes. (We’re too used to an Italian breakfast to go for fish before noon.)

Two fish on a bun sandwiches from the local food truck T's Homestyle in front of a blue sky at to the Watercolours B&B, a locally owned Bermuda hotel. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — Food truck lunch that we packed back to our perfect little patio.

What makes these islands famous?

So the place isn’t particularly known for food, art, or its culture, which is a mix of British, American and Caribbean (with traditions like Gombey dancing that are similar to those in the Bahamas and other islands).

“Beaches” would be an oversimplistic answer, because really, it’s the color scheme that’s unique and makes this place special: Soft, pink sand and clear, bright turquoise water. Add in the deep blue of the water a bit further from shore, and the white of the frothing, gentle waves, and you’ve got the perfect color palette for a “dull but beautiful” vacation.

A perfect place to relax.

Take it easy.

Appreciate the bathtub-like water and fluffy sand.

Bright blue sky with only a few white clouds in the distance, turquoise water, and pink sand of Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — The island’s famous color palette.

What to do besides… beach?

Sure, if you get tired of soothing turquoise water, you can zip around to see a few historic sites, if you feel. The town of St. George’s, the first capital, is a UNESCO site.

The unfinished church is unique and fun to wander.

At the other end of the island chain, the historic Navy Dockyards have a military museum (and some shopping, if you’re looking for souvenir knick-knacks).

Travel writer in front of the bright red Town Hall of St. George's, in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — Don’t zoom on this pic if you haven’t figured it out yet…

Street art mural telling the history of Bermuda in downtown St. George's, Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — Don’t zoom on this pic if you haven’t figured it out yet…

Just watch out for cruise ships, as the dock yard and St. George’s harbor both get packed with mass tourists when the ships visit. Ten thousand people showing up on an island of 65,000 for a few hours has predictable consequences – and very pathetic ones, when you look at the mess they leave on the beaches. (Open that link to read later – no spoiler! Ditto for this one – my favorite cruise alternative.)

Cruise ship belching brown pollution from smokestacks while docked at the Dock Yards in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

Bermuda's famous Horseshoe Beach covered in garbage after a group of cruise ship passengers departed the area. ©KettiWilhelm2025

The most famous spot, Horseshoe Beach, is where the cruise ship passengers are shuttled to. But amazingly, if you walk just 10 minutes away from the mess, you’ll have your pick of nearly empty, very beautiful coves.

Bright blue sky with only a few white clouds in the distance, turquoise water, and pink sand with footprints walking down an empty beach in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — A few minutes from the busy and sad beach.

There are also caves you can tour, and plenty of tennis and golf to play on the island.

Meme of Ken from the move Barbie saying "my job... is just beach." — Ken would do well here.

High Crime?

While I’ve never been a resort person, I know some travelers choose them to feel safer. Well, this is the only place I’ve ever been where the official advice upon checking into my bed and breakfast was, “you could lock the door if you want to, but most people don’t.”

And that’s from the retirement-age owners of the property, who live in the same art-filled home that they encourage their guests to leave unlocked all day and night.

Bright blue sky and palm trees next to the Watercolours B&B, a locally owned Bermuda hotel. ©KettiWilhelm2025 — View of our local 4-room B&B.

The whole point of visiting:

So if you don’t come here for golf or tennis, or to snoop around the island’s many ship wrecks, those gorgeous beaches are reason enough to visit. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen such beautiful sand and water anywhere in the world.

Have you figured it out yet?

(SPOILER below, or see more surprise trip clues on Instagram!)

You don’t want to give up that easily, do you?

Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to scroll past this sunset first…

Sunset over a rocky coastline in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

Orange clouds during a sunset over the Atlantic Ocean in Bermuda. ©KettiWilhelm2025

Yellow crowned night heron bird of Bermuda on the dock. ©KettiWilhelm2025

It’s Bermuda!

And I think it made the perfect destination for a mystery trip like this one – for a lot of reasons.

I even wrote up a mini guide with some tips and advice on how to plan a surprise trip, whether you want to do the planning, or send it to someone special as a hint. (Coming soon! Be sure to get on my email list so you see it when it’s live.)

Sunscreen Testing Zone

This trip was the perfect place to test a bunch of reef safe AND plastic-free sunscreen brands!

(If you’re wondering how I knew to pack them, definitely read my mystery trip planning tips. Hint: I asked “how many sunscreens should I pack?” and my husband, knowing that my love of taste tests and product comparisons is one of the reasons I started Tilted Map, said “lots.”)

Check out my series of sunscreen reviews for details!