Bermuda has just been named a top travel destination for 2013 by Boston.com.Twenty-two destinations made the website’s list of best places to go in the New Year. The locations are listed in random order, but the first destination listed is San Francisco followed by Portland, Oregon. Then, sandwiched in between Portland and Slovenia is Bermuda.The article sites Bermuda’s beaches, buildings and proximity to Boston as just some of the things she loves most about the Island.“There are so many reasons I love Bermuda — the pink sand, the whitewashed facade of the buildings, the unspoilt golf courses, the soft waves of the ocean, Dark and Stormy’s, and of course, its short distance from Boston. A quick two-and-a-half-hour flight and you’re on the beach by lunchtime,” the article says.Melanie Nayer, the Boston-based freelance travel writer who wrote the piece for Boston.com, tells The Royal Gazette her picks were based on her own research and travel and that she was not influenced by the Bermuda Department of Tourism in any way. She says she’s been travelling to the Island for some time now.“I’ve always been a big fan of Bermuda — I’ll be there for New Year’s Eve,” Ms Nayer said. “I think it’s a great, affordable, and easy destination for East Coast travellers.”And yes, she said affordable.“The flights are very affordable. My round-trip airfare for holiday travel cost less than $350,” she said. “Where you stay really determines what you’ll spend. I always recommend searching for hotel packages and special promotions.”Ms Nayer says to her, Bermuda is a great place to “kick back, relax and enjoy some downtime while doing the things you love”.“I love to sail and Bermuda is one of the best places to do that. Just being on the water and taking in the surroundings makes me happy when I’m there,” she said. “Golf addicts will love being here because of the courses — I learned to golf in Bermuda — and I enjoy checking out what new things have popped up in the stores in town,” she said.In her article, Ms Nayer even promotes Bermuda as an ideal winter destination.“While Bermuda shares the same seasonal cycle as most of the mid-Atlantic (minus the snow but similar in weather), it’s also relatively inexpensive in the off-season. Who said it has to be boiling hot to enjoy the beach? Grab your favourite hoodie and cuddle up on a lounge chair in the sand,” the article says.You can see the entire list of top travel destinations for 2013 at boston.com/travel/destinations/top-destinations-for/0pT7p8tkG11BMlosGr6UNN/gallery.html