No mystery here: the Bermuda Triangle doesn’t exist. It’s all legend, without so much as a smidgen of historic or accurate evidence. Most documents related to the reported disappearances are made up or heavily embellished for dramatic flare. Rest assured, you will make it to the island unscathed or abducted. Unless you are one of the unlucky travelers who falls victim to the first ever Martian attack. Then I can’t help you.

Anyways, once you get there, Bermuda has little or nothing to be fearful of, on the contrary. It is a welcoming, hospitable island with very few mosquitoes and sunshine for days. The coast is pristine and tranquil; the water an intense and intoxicating turquoise. Everyone speaks English. The food is cosmopolitan. The Bermudians are friendly. You can use your dollars, your cell phone, and all your chargers. And the hotels are comfortable.

Here’s a few things I found out and recommend:

1. Bring your passport. You’re on British soil, but you don’t need a visa.
2. Bring your dollars; preferably bucket loads. The Bermudian dollar is equivalent to the US dollar, but things are not cheap. Think New York prices.
3. Bring a date! Or your children. Bermuda is not a big party island. Don’t expect to find easy hook-ups and life-changing summer affairs. Even the local women complain about the dire dating scene. It’s a well-behaved and romantic place, ideal for honeymooners and young families.
4. Try the conch soup, a wahoo fish sandwich from Seaside Grill, and consume plenty of Swizzles and Dark & Stormy cocktails!
5. Be sparse with fresh water, because Bermuda doesn’t have any. There are no lakes or rivers, and the island sits on a porous limestone that doesn’t hold any rainwater. Therefore every house is equipped with a special white rooftop that drains rainwater into a giant tank in the basement. During long droughts, the locals refrain from showering and drinking tap water – sound familiar, Los Angeles?
6. Rent a scooter! It’s a lot of fun, but don’t forget: you’re driving on the left side of the street.
7. Get out on the water. You will be busy for days! There’s lagoons, caves, secluded coves, harbors, snorkeling, diving, kite surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, you name it. I saw grown men make sand castles, and I swam with parrot fish.
8. Visit St George’s, the first and oldest town of the New World. It’s a World Heritage Site.
9. Bermuda is the mecca of the insurance industry. Is this interesting?
10. Get yourself some bermudas and high socks. The story goes that the British military was allowed to cut off their long pants because it was too hot to work. Tabs in Hamilton is a great shop; they have them in all colors.
11. Stay for at least a week. There’s so much to see and do, there will be little time to do nothing, which, ultimately is the goal of any island vacation.

I barely scratched the surface of this amazing island. There are very few mandatory tourist attractions, besides St George’s, so it’s easy to lose track of time without planning your day. Every beach is worth seeing, every boat is worth sailing, every road is worth traveling. And I missed a bunch of them. Hopefully I will be able to come back during the prestigious America’s Cup in 2017, when Bermuda is hosting.

Thank you to Tiffani Cailor and Jill Dill of Bermuda’s Tourism Board x