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Summer Vacations Are Out & Winter Getaways Are In
There’s nothing like a tropical retreat during blizzard season.
A summer vacation to a tropical location always sounds like a good idea — that is, until you’re on it. Back in chilly February, when you were bored at work, you didn’t think twice about booking a wine tasting and zipline excursion back to back. By the time reality hits in July, you’re desperately chugging water to try and stave off heat stroke. Just like that, your “relaxing” getaway is not so relaxing at all.
Vacations and summer typically go hand in hand. In fact, according to a survey from Bankrate, just below half (48%) of Americans made summer travel plans in 2025. But despite the obvious pros, like the warm weather and alignment with school break, I’ve never been the biggest fan of a summer holiday.
Mid-year, escaping from daily life is the last thing I want to do. Work doesn’t feel like a slog when I still have hours of daylight to burn after I clock out. My social calendar is loaded with weekend beach trips, backyard barbecues, outdoor concerts, and patio drinks with the girls. I hate to admit it, but more often than not, taking a summer vacation actually leaves me with major FOMO.
Winter ranks as the least-preferred travel season for most Americans, according to a 2024 survey by InsureMyTrip. But in my opinion, it’s the perfect time to put your PTO to use by booking a vacation when you actually, desperately, biblically need it. So when Bermuda Tourism gave me the opportunity to visit the island for a winter wellness getaway, it was an obvious yes.
Why Take A Winter Vacay?
Winter is, to put it bluntly, not my vibe. Once the Christmas lights come down and holiday parties have passed, seasonal depression sinks in. I feel like I’m wasting away, watching the sun rise and fall within the span of my workday. And when the pristine, snowy landscape turns into something more akin to a slushy Saw trap, I’m ready to get on a flight to just about anywhere.
So, I did — a two-hour BermudAir flight. In the midst of New York City’s 10-degree cold snap, I left the frozen city streets behind for the blissfully temperate Bermuda winter — not quite warm enough for an ocean dip, but I happily shed my parka in favor of jeans and a T-shirt.
I arrived at the Rosewood Bermuda, a 200-acre resort overlooking the famous pink sand beaches and turquoise waters of Castle Harbour. The luxury accommodation is home to four restaurants, two bars, a spa, and an expansive golf course, and wellness activities like sunrise yoga classes.
Winter is off-season for the Rosewood, which sees a spike in guests in the summer, and hosts more than a handful of weddings in the fall. Visiting outside the typical window had perks: my group had the hotel’s Island Brasserie steakhouse practically to ourselves on the first night. When I stopped to lounge by one of the Rosewood’s five pools, I shared the serene patio with only a few other quiet guests. I wasn't sweating, either. It was sunny and 70 degrees, and I absorbed all the vitamin D I could with absolutely zero distractions.
While Bermuda proved to be a sanctuary away from my chaotic day-to-day life, I wanted to savor the time away from my normal. To truly relax, I took it upon myself to schedule time away from my phone. Even an hour without checking my messages sounded like a nearly impossible feat to me, but I made it a point to set my phone to DND to truly soak in the salmon-colored sands of Horseshoe Bay during my stay.
Getting Some R&R
While I’m not normally one to wake up early on vacation, I started off my day with mindful movement and a challenging barre workout at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Thanks to the studio’s ocean view, I almost didn’t mind the grueling workout.
Turning a vacation into a true break means investing in self-care that goes above and beyond. Enter: a massage in a 500,000-year-old cave. At Natura Spa, part of the Grotto Bay Beach Resort, I left my worries above ground, and had any remaining stress pressed out of me in a cabana over the aquamarine waters inside Prospero’s Cave — all to the peaceful tune of steadily dripping stalactites.
After that, I figured the fastest way to bring myself back to earth was a little splash. I went to the neighboring Cathedral Cave for a dip in the massive grotto’s cool, crystal-clear waters. It’s the kind of refreshing cold that woke me up — the kind that shocked me right out of a winter slump.
When I arrived back in New York City after my long weekend in paradise, I was met with the subzero temperatures and formidable snowbanks that have marked a particularly harrowing winter. But I didn’t feel frozen. Instead, I felt relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take on the next few months — blizzards and all.
