Tickled Pink: Why far-flung Bermuda should be your clients’ next island escape

We’ve been told to meet early in the morning for a soothing yoga class – an instruction that immediately conjures images of an oceanfront stretching session, soft sand between my toes and waves rhythmically lapping in the distance.

It turns out, however, that our instructor and yoga guru Jasmine isn’t waiting for us on the beach – instead, we’re ushered down a small set of stairs into an underground cave, something that doesn’t instantly scream Zen. But I’m pleased to discover that my initial impressions are wrong – what greets us isn’t a dingy alcove, but a fantastical grotto.

Spectacular stalactites are suspended like icicles from the sandstone-coloured ceiling, which swoops dramatically downwards to give way to a pool of azure water so glassy it reflects the intricate limestone formations etched into the rockface above. Poised atop the lake as if resting on its surface is a wooden platform laid out with yoga mats and towels, setting the scene for a workout so peaceful it feels genuinely restorative, and marks the start of a week in Bermuda that, much like the cave I spend my first morning in, is full of surprises.

Historical heart

Less than imposing in size, Bermuda clocks in at just 21 square miles. Scattered across the North Atlantic, the archipelago’s main island and accompanying chain of islets sit more than 600 miles away from its closest neighbour, the US – defying the common misconception that this is a Caribbean destination and instead setting the scene for its own unmistakable spirit and identity.

Much of this British Overseas Territory’s bountiful history is rooted in St George’s, the former capital and a Unesco World Heritage Site with centuries of stories woven into its streets. The town was founded in 1612, and wandering the cobbled lanes that criss-cross between the harbour, ornate 17th-century churches and rows of pastel-toned houses is like journeying back through time.

We explore St George’s with entrepreneur Kristin White, who operates walking and cycling tours from her gift-shop-turned-community-hub Long Story Short. She recalls tales of people who helped St George’s evolve into the lively, charming locale it is today – from the naval captain known as the founder of the island, Sir George Somers, whose ship capsized here in 1609, to Joseph Rainey, the first black person to serve in the US House of Representatives who set up a barber’s shop here in 1862. She also shares her quirky theories about some of the town’s unsolved mysteries, including the identity of remains found beneath the floorboards of St Peter’s Church, painting a scene so vivid I can picture the people who walked these streets long before me.