“This is going to be great”, I thought with giddy relief as we stepped out of the airport into the beautiful Bermuda sunshine, on December 24. The sunny weather, hovering around 75F/ 24C, was nothing short of glorious and a perfect escape from the blistering cold of New York. There was a good chance that in late December, we would have encountered cold, rainy and “unbeachy” weather. But it was looking like our roll of the dice would pay off. We were in for a perfect Bermuda Christmas.

If you live in or near the East Coast of the U.S. and have wondered whether Bermuda in the winter is a good idea, let me put your mind to ease – with less crowds, great deals on airfare and resort stays, and Christmas cheer everywhere, there is no better time to visit Bermuda than Christmas.

Bermuda is a prosperous island in the Atlantic Ocean, and a British Overseas Territory. It is only a 2-hour flight from New York but it is a world apart. Northern than the Caribbean islands, it is surprisingly lush-green. The shimmering Atlantic Ocean peeks through the sherbet colored, almost color-coordinated bungalows, which are surrounded by manicured gardens.

The weather was a sunny mid-seventies which in my book is perfection – not cold but not scorching hot either, and thus we could spend most of our days outdoors. Our grand resort, the Fairmont Southampton was beautifully decorated for the festive season and had an entire roster of festive activities and celebrations for the guests. There would be few more things that would lift your spirits more than the sight of the large Christmas Tree next to the ocean. And since we were outside of the peak tourist season of June through August, everything was more easy, from reservations in the restaurants to loungers on the beach.

On the subject of beach, the famed Horseshoe Beach did not disappoint. The quite beaches, the soft sand and the teal-blue waters were a treat for sore eyes and a sore spirit.

Bermuda has made a fan out of me, and I hope to visit this island once again, in different seasons, but maybe at Christmas time again.