Azura, Bermuda
The fishhook-shaped archipelago of Bermuda, about 650 miles east of the Carolinas, recently added another reason to make the short hop east (less than two hours from New York): the Azura resort.
Built into the cliffs along South Shore Beach on the main island, Azura showcases the Atlantic Ocean. Many of its rooms offer stunning ocean views, staggered to give the illusion of distance from other guests. If the surf doesn’t lull you to sleep, listen to the soothing nighttime song of the tiny Bermuda tree frogs, all-but-impossible to see during the day, but at night they chirp in an intoxicating rhythm.
Azura first welcomed guests in 2020 and last year it expanded to 60 rooms. A third and final expansion with 20 more rooms will be complete next year, a project that cost nearly $100 million in all. Some parts of the property are individually owned (a few were still available at press time). Cleverly designed in segments, with no large gathering area aside from the main restaurant, Azura has a quiet feel. You can start your day at the rooftop pool, with its small line of beach chairs and views of the entire property. Move, perhaps, to the saltwater pool with its bar service. Next to it is the small, swimmable beach, where you can enjoy a cigar. Follow a path down from the lobby and discover several outcroppings, each with a fine view and its own level of privacy. Ocean-view rooms start at $629, suites at $1,119.
The resort has a particularly strong food game for this British Overseas Territory. (The Bermudan dollar trades equally with the widely used U.S. dollar.) The restaurant Surf has sweeping views and serves brilliant seafood, from a simple grilled lobster tail to a sautéed mix of scallops and shrimp over pasta. On the standout breakfast menu, we were particularly fond of the Spanish Eggs Benedict, which features chorizo instead of Canadian bacon and adds delicate spinach to the mix. Cocktails are also well done.
The resort is quiet, but Bermuda is a small place, so it’s only 30 minutes to Hamilton, the capital, and its shopping. When it’s (sadly) time to leave, Azura is just as close to the airport. You clear U.S. Customs here, not at home. So flying back seems like a domestic flight, even while you’ve been to a place that feels like it’s much, much farther away.
