British Virgin Islands

Island Overview

The United Kingdom's Best Kept Secret

Chances are, you've been to a Caribbean island like Aruba or Jamaica or you know someone who has. But, have you ever heard of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, or Tortola? Virgin Gorda perhaps? Such are the names of the four main British Virgin Islands (BVI), a group of more than forty landmasses that are situated only a few miles east of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI).

Washed by the Atlantic Ocean of their north shores and the Caribbean Sea on their south shores, the BVI has a population of approximately 20,000 people spread out over the sixteen or so islands that are actually inhabited. Some of the islands are privately owned and/or are host to a solitary resort or hotel. Believe it or not, some of the smaller islands only contain restaurants. When visiting, expect to hear the names of such islets as Peter Island, Norman Island, and Cooper Island to name just a few.

Picture a region where there are no direct airline flights, where no building is allowed to be taller than the palm trees that surround it, and where there are no fast food restaurants. Imagine an area where crowds are unheard of but where courtesy is key among the locals, where dining out is the main form of nightlife, and where there is no need for traffic lights. Envision yourself surrounded by a West-Indies-influenced atmosphere, enjoying the jasmine and white-cedar-scented air, trying to decide whether to eat the fresh-picked mango or banana, all while relaxing in comfortable 80° weather with the soft trade-winds caressing your face.

Sound too good to be true? Oh -- but it is true. It's the world that awaits you in the BVI. Make your reservation and soon you'll understand why this piece of paradise is known as "Nature's Little Secret." It's one secret that you'll have a hard time keeping to yourself. Here are a few secrets that we'd like to share with you.

Tortola

This ten-square-mile island hosts the majority of the shops, restaurants, and lodging facilities in the region. Road Town, the capital of the BVI with almost 50% of the BVI population, is also located on Tortola, the "dove of peace."

The island's main harbor is in the capital city. Optimal temperatures, ideal wind conditions, and a web of coves and bays throughout the BVI serve as an ideal haven for sailors and yachters alike. In fact, most visitors to the BVI arrive via boat, whether their own or one of the more than eight hundred charters available in the region.

On the north coast of Tortola, you'll find Cane Garden Bay and Smugglers' Cove, two of the most popular beach-related attractions. Both the Prospect Reef Resort, with its sand-bottomed sea pool, and Long Bay Beach Resort, with its miles of cliff-side beach views, offer more than one hundred units ranging from poolside studios to three-bedroom private villas. Maybe the phone-less rooms at Mongoose Apartments are more your style with its highly rated, quality accommodations and exceptionally low rates. Quench your thirst at The Scuttlebutt harbor-side pub or dance the night away at Bing's Drop Inn Bar.

Virgin Gorda

The "Fat Virgin" is the second largest of the BVI. All-inclusive resorts are popular on this mountainous eight-square-mile landmass. Many visitors choose to stay at the Bitter End Yacht Club, the Biras Creek Resort, or Little Dix Bay; all pricey but all highly-rated.

Don't leave the island without visiting The Baths, a popular natural attraction featuring massive boulders that have been volcanically spewed along the beach in a seen-to-be-believed arrangement and that offer unique swimming and snorkeling areas. Save some of your energy to hike the short distance to Devil's Bay. Enjoy some Boulder Wings and a bottle of wine after your beachside adventure at The Top of the Baths restaurant and bar.

If you're hungry again later, whether for a taste of the Caribbean, a hamburger, or a slice of pizza, stop in at the Bath and Turtle, a patio tavern that has the unusual combination of a free-lending library and a liquor store associated with it. In between meals, search for Cuban cigars at Tropical Gift Collections or a Wreck-of-the Chikuzen souvenir coin at the Caribbean Flavor Gift Shop, just two of the shops located on the island.

Anegada

Flamingos and discarded conch shells come close to outnumbering the human population on this popular day-trip destination. Miles of uncrowded beaches, abundant snorkel-friendly coral reefs, and hundreds of scuba-diving-viewed shipwrecks ring this ten-mile long, ocean-level strip of coral and limestone based land whose names simply means "drowned land." The Settlement, a small community of shops and eating establishments, can be reached via one of the few paved roads on the island. Choose from the likes of Neptune's Treasure Hotel, Anegada Seaside Villas, and Anegada Beach Cottages to call it a day.

Jost Van Dyke

Known as "the place" in the BVI to drop anchor for the night, whether at Great Harbour or Little Harbour, Jost Van Dyke is likely to have more people moored along its beaches than it does in its total population of approximately 200 people. Snorkeling is a favorite pastime here, as is relaxing afterwards in the bubbling ocean water of the "natural Jacuzzis" on the east end of the island.

Even though there are a number of lodging facilities available on this island, including the Sandcastle, White Bay Villas, and even a campground, all that are located on or overlooking White Bay Beach, Jost Van Dyke is perhaps best known for its restaurants and bars. Sample the famous rum-filled "Painkiller" at its birthplace, The Soggy Dollar Bar. Once you're loosened up, check out the party scene at the ever-popular Foxy's with its legendary singing and story-telling owner.

The "Other" Main Islands

Peter Island, a privately owned, water-accessible-only property, is another favorite overnight-docking location. Upscale luxury is the norm on this 1,800-acre piece of land with five miles of beaches. Peter Island Resort is the only lodging available; take your pick of hilltop or beachside villas, suites, and rooms and expect the royal treatment. Food is one of the main attractions on this island. Enjoy a silverware-laden, beachside-delivered picnic at Deadman's Bay, rated one of the world's ten most romantic beaches. If dessert is more your specialty, be sure to try the Tradewind Restaurant's Caribbean Snowball that features vanilla ice cream swimming in chocolate sauce and engulfed in a white chocolate and coconut coating. Choose from a wide array of water-sports activity to help you burn off the calories of such delicacies. Unwind at the massage therapy center afterwards.

Uninhabited Norman Island is home to exceptional snorkeling opportunities at The Caves and The Indians. Yachters and sailors alike find refuge in what many consider the most protected harbors in the Caribbean. Disembark or swim ashore and sample the food, drinks, and lively environment at The Willy T floating restaurant and bar or the Pirates Beach Bar and Grill on the Bight-area shoreline.

Cooper Island is best suited for travelers who don't mind leaving some of the luxuries of daily living behind. No roads, cars, or public utilities can be found here, but casual elegance still exists. Here observing the wildlife takes precedence over enjoying the nightlife. Hit the beach, snorkel, kayak, sail, and fish during the day and then head to one of several privately owned properties on the island or stay at the Cooper Island Beach Club that's located on Manchioneel Bay. Seclusion at its finest!

If you're searching for a Caribbean vacation in a region that's unspoiled by commercialism and overflowing with local charm, the BVI is the destination for you. Dependent on tourism but catering to a discerning clientele that would prefer it to be independent of the likes of mass merchants and hotel chains, the BVI offers a unique atmosphere unlike any other island in the area. We're willing to bet that, after one meal of Anegada lobster and a rum-infused Cow Killer chaser drink at the Cow Wreck Beach Resort, not only will you forget all about your craving for a Big Mac, but you'll likely be trying to figure out how you can convince your boss that it's in his or her best interest to allow you to telecommute from the confines of the BVI.