Bermuda - Off the beaten track

Bermuda Triangle

If you really want to disappear for a while and a seven-day break on the island isn't enough, perhaps you should head for the paranormal zone stretching south of Bermuda to Puerto Rico and west to the coast of Florida. It's thought that as many as 100 ships and planes have vanished in this triangle, so there's no reason to suspect you don't stand a good chance of going AWOL.

The mysterious disappearances have been blamed on atmospheric disturbances, erratic magnetic forces, time warps and extra-terrestrial kidnappings, though others have dismissed them as the usual combination of mechanical failure, bad weather and human error.

If you need a more mundane break, you could always check out the tours of the Bermuda Triangle Brewery in Southampton Parish. Taste enough of the produce and you'll be feeling pretty paranormal yourself.

Cristobal Colon

This Spanish liner, which ran aground eight miles north of Bermuda in 1936, is the largest ship ever to wash up in Bermudian waters. The cruise ship ran aground on a reef rather than sinking and became an easy target for pilferers who stole everything from chandeliers to plumbing fixtures.

During WWII, the US military used the Cristobal Colon as a target ship and blew it in two: one half settled on either side of the reef. This was probably a wise move since a Norwegian cargo ship had, in 1937, lethally gashed its hull when it mistakenly assumed the Cristobal Colon to be sailing through the reef and followed her course. Both boats now sit in about 50 feet of water and make fine wreck dive sites. The Norwegian cargo ship still has a fire truck it was about to deliver to Bermuda sitting on its forward deck.

Nonsuch Island

This bird sanctuary, located south-east of Bermuda's airport, is being prepared for the reintroduction of the Bermuda petrel, or cahow, one of the most endangered birds in the world. Predators are being eliminated from the island in a bid to restore the island's precontact ecology. Not surprisingly, human access to the island is restricted, though the Bermuda Biological Station and the Bermuda Audubon Society occasionally bring groups to visit.