The Path less traveled Bermuda in off-season reveals its charms to open-minded tourists

Burmuda in the peak season, which locals describe as a mob scene of drunken, boorish tourists, is a far cry from life on the island in November, when the pace slows, hibiscus, bougainvillea and birds of paradise still put on a show, and the pink coral sand beaches are less populated.

As if this picture weren’t alluring enough, Bermuda’s charm is enhanced even more by the fact that it is a mere two-hour hop from Boston.

A haven of the rich and famous for decades, Bermuda has been host to such diverse personalities as Mark Twain and the Beatles and has drawn an equally eclectic mix of refugees ranging from a former Luftwaffe pilot to yuppie American couples enamored of the idea of “island living.”

Bermuda offers many affordable and convenient options to visitors. Open-minded travelers, though, willing to experience the island in the off-season, will be rewarded. The end of the high season sounds the retreat for the armies of tourists who flock there annually from April to October. Resorts become attractive, manicured ghost towns while the vast beaches are largely empty save for the occasional surfer. More frequent rainfall in the off-season is hardly enough to dampen the island’s charms.

St. George’s best reflects Bermuda’s natural and cultural features. Hibiscus and birds of paradise abound like lilacs and lupine in New England. Scuttling up the ramparts and clambering around the 11-inch muzzleloaded guns of the 19th century, Fort George provides a glimpse into the island’s militaristic past while offering a majestic view of the harbor and town that share the parish’s name.

St. George’s is positioned to become a World Heritage Site since being nominated to UNESCO in 1999. It boasts Bermuda’s oldest building, the Old State House (which dates back to 1620) and an 18th century town hall dominating King’s Square. Countless other period buildings and homes punctuate narrow, cobbled lanes and alleys.

The National Trust Museum has displays tracing Bermuda’s role in the Civil War, while the Bermudian Heritage Museum is dedicated to the history of black Bermudians. A steep flight of steps leads to St. Peter’s Church, one of the oldest Anglican churches in the Western Hemisphere. With its exposed beams and rough-hewn interior, it is more in keeping with St. George’s colonial, maritime past than is the nearby abandoned, Gothic-style shell referred to as the “Unfinished Church,” which was intended to replace it.

Bermuda once looked to the sea for its livelihood. Consequently, lighthouses figure prominently among the attractions. St. David’s Lighthouse, dating from 1879, is perched on a hill at the eastern extreme of St. George’s Parish, while Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, dating from 1846, serves as the western sentinel in the parish of Southampton. The two light stations offer panoramic views of the island’s reefs and interior.

Bermuda’s capital of Hamilton, a city of 4,000, has a cosmopolitan air with its ethnic restaurants and collection of bookstores and trendy shops, and lacks the rudeness common in many modern metropolises. Fort Hamilton, with its cannon and magazine chambers, protected the city from mid-19th century tensions with the United States. Its moat has been transformed into a botanical garden.

On Bermuda’s westernmost point, at the tip of Sandy’s Parish, ferries steam to and from the Royal Naval Dockyard. The dockyard now houses museums, craft stalls, shops and restaurants.

Bermuda has no highways, turnpikes, interchanges or tollbooths. The maximum speed limit is 20 mph on the major roads – Middle Road, South Road, North Shore and Harbour Road – which make up the island’s transportation network.

Rented cars are not an option. Many visitors explore the island on rented motor scooters while others take advantage of a reliable public transportation system and its fleet of pristine, pink buses. Their drivers rule the roads as they navigate tight corners and charge down streets better suited to bicycle paths. Three-, five- and seven-day passes are available for unlimited use. At $36, the seven-day pass is good value for jaunts including historical and cultural sites, deserted beaches, lush botanical gardens or even a bit of night life.

Bermuda’s physical beauty matches the beauty of its people. A congenial openness and hospitality extend from the immigration counter to the grocery store clerk. Bermudians are also conservation-minded. The island has a finite fresh water supply reflected in the houses’ cake-icing roofs, which capture rainwater. Fuel consumption is limited, too, through restricted automobile ownership.

With daylight fading by late afternoon, the cool evenings are accompanied by a symphony of tree frogs – a sound most associate with spring. But these subtle differences add a quirky touch to experiencing Bermuda in the off-season. With the U.S. dollar accepted at par, it is difficult to conceal the island’s price tag, but deals packaging flights and accommodations tip the balance well in favor of the escape offered by this seasonal oasis.