Places Rated: Bermuda

The November/December issue of Traveler features our annual “Places Rated” survey of destination stewardship, and this year 340 expert panelists rated 99 coastal destinations around the world. Here on the blog, we’re going to highlight some of these coastal destinations and are interested in adding your feedback to the mix.

Small, tidy, and colonial in flavor, Bermuda lies 750 miles off the coast of North Carolina but is a territory of the United Kingdom. While it “has probably reached its limit for cruise ships,” “the water is clean, the beaches are well managed,” and “the pastel houses are eye candy.”

Why did the place earn this score? Read representative panelist comments after the jump:

“Bermuda is an endless pink suburb. Pastel building with white roofs that catch rainwater. All is manicured; most open spaces are golf courses or parks. Tourism is tightly controlled, though there are perhaps too many cruise-ship visits.”

“History and nature both have their place on this long-settled island.”

“One of the best managed small islands. Good public transport and strong zoning keep tourism under control.”

“Has an excellent bus-and-boat public transportation system. A number of visitors use it, and the tourist board would be wise to promote this to visitors even more. Government has limited most households to one car; no rental cars are available. So traffic in and out of Hamilton isn’t as bad as it could be. The downside is the high number of mopeds. While fun, they are also noisy and polluting.”

Survey scoring system:
   74-84 Top Rated
   65-73 Doing Well
   55-64 In the Balance
   48-54 Facing Trouble
   34-47 In Trouble
   22-34 Near Catastrophic

See all 99 ratings and representative panelist comments online and share your thoughts below.

Photo: Gifford D. Hampshire