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British Virgin Islands
 
  
  • Friends freediving
  • Virgin Gorda Baths
  • Telephone anyone?
  • Sailing at sunset
  • Marina cay
  • Coral variety
  • Virgin gorda - snorkler under water
  • Mount Healthy Windmill
  • The bight
  • Jost van dyke
  • Red turtle
  • Deadman's beach
  • Frangipani caterpillar upsidedown
  • Deadman's beach
  • Friend for lunch
  • Sunset over harbor
  • Virgin gorda
  • Driving on Tortola
  • Other side of Virgin Gorda baths
  • Coral
  • Road to honeymoon beach
  • Virgin gorda baths
  • Frangipani caterpillars
  • Watersports
  • US-Brit sailboat
  • Yummy seafood
  • Rainbow beach chairs
  • Peter Island harbor at night
  • Yellow daisy
  • Ray

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British Virgin Islands Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos

Golden ribbons of sunlight sparkle on bright blue water. The brisk ocean breeze accents the caw of a seagull off in the distance. Take a deep breath because perfect weather and a tropical setting are only a small part of what the British Virgin Island boasts. Located east of Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands consist of about 60 different landmasses – about 15 of which are inhabited. Tortola, the largest island of the lot (36 square miles,) is the current go-to tourist spot in the BVI. With its post card quality scenery and numerous "gnarly" surfing opportunities, Tortola – which was named by Christopher Columbus to mean "land of the Turtle Dove" - has something for everyone. For those with a taste for diving, a number of sunken ships lie in these warm waters.

The RMS Rhone, an English mail ship from 1865, offers a unique chance to swim amongst an actual submerged historical artifact (no buried treasure unfortunately). Of course, for those more interested in a partying lesson than a history lesson, stop by Callwood Rum Distillery for that souvenir bottle perfect for showcasing at your next dinner party. Wanna feel like an extra on an episode of Lost? Visit Anegada (pop. 200) for the perfect desert island experience that doesn't involve some sort of plane crash or ship wreck. Another island, Virgin Gorda, offers The Baths: a spectacular collection of natural pools and rock formed by volcanic eruptions. It's kind of like a hot tub without all the chemicals. And yes – for those who speak Spanish – Virgin Gorda does translate to "The Fat Virgin." Apparently Columbus thought the island resembled a rotund woman lying on her back. Still need more convincing? All of the above is great, but think about this…There's still over fifty more islands to explore!

  • Beach, Boating, Caribbean, Fishing, Island, Ocean, Relaxing, Romantic, Rustic, Sailing, Scubadiving, Surfing, Warm/tropical, Wedding, Yachting
  • 98%

 
 
link18.5785688655-64.470520019510British Virgin Islands
link18.7552675468-64.3410873413Snorkeling/ Diving in Anegada - Northern end
link18.4288092-64.6392034Callwood Rum Distillery
link18.4288092-64.6392034Mount Healthy Windmill National Park
link18.432839-64.623486Road Town, Tortola
link18.447934-64.429162Virgin Gorda Baths
link18.7610378402-64.3328475952Horseshoe Reef - or Anegada Reef
link18.7503098131-64.3743896484Cow Wreck Bay /Coral Reef Lagoons
link18.7389308575-64.3007469177Loblolly Bay
link18.5785688655-64.470520019510British Virgin Islands
link18.7340539274-64.329757690412Anegada, British Virgin Islands
link18.4538831595-64.743118286113Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
link18.4288092-64.639203412Tortola, British Virgin Islands
link18.4770040773-64.398422241212Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
 
 
 
 

   

 Directions 

Flights tend to stop at San Juan, Puerto Rico since the airport at Beef Island International Airport is not set up for large planes. Flights from Miami to San Juan are 2 hours and 28 minutes. A connecting flight from San Juan to Beef Island is about 30 minutes.  
 
Once you arrive at Beef Island you need to get to Tortola. You can fly direct from Beef Island to Tortola which should take less than fifteen minutes in the air or you can take a ferry which should take between 30 to 45 minutes.  
 
By boat: Boats move freely between the British Virgin Islands and St. Thomas which can take about 45 minutes to an hour.  
 

 

   

 Weather 

  • Current conditions

    Cond023

    Mostly cloudy. Warm, Humid. Temperature of 81.25°F. Winds SE 18.29mph. Humidity will be 80% with a dewpoint of 74° and feels-like temperature of 87.01°F.
    Hi: 81° F, Low: 80° F.

  • Tomorrow's forecast

    Cond109
    Scattered showers. There is a 40% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Warm, Humid. Temperature of 80.74°F. Winds E 14.62mph. Humidity will be 84% with a dewpoint of 76° and feels-like temperature of 86.65°F.
    Hi: 81° F, Low: 80° F.


    • Weatherbug's weather page.
 

   

 Attractions 

Add Attraction
Snorkeling/ Diving in Anegada - Northern end
 
  
  • Rays
  • Red hind
  • Bearded fire worm
  • Underwater
  • Ray
  • Diving in Anegada 2Play

Snorkeling/ Diving in Anegada - Northern end

The northern end of the island offers magnificent reefs and clear blue water for fabulous snorkeling. Loblolly Bay, Jack Bay and Cow Wreck Bays are some of the most popular spots for snorkeling and scuba diving. Be sure to bring your own snorkeling gear to the island as there are no rentals available.

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Callwood Rum Distillery
 
  

Callwood Rum Distillery

The Callwood Distillery, located in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola is one of two rum distilleries in the British Virgin Islands and has been owned and operated by the Callwood family for over 200 years. The Caribbean's oldest, continuously operating pot distillery, the Callwood Distillery makes and distributes Arundel Cane Rum – which is prepared from pure sugar cane rather than molasses (the typical method.) Take a tour of this legendary distillery and learn how this world famous rum is made and then stored for up to four years! And then, at the end of the tour, make sure to sample some of the different types of rums available (chugging is not an option). But if imbibing in rum isn't considered safe by your standards then at least take a moment to sit back and appreciate one of the British Virgin Island's most cherished past times – past times… that's the word I was looking for!

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Mount Healthy Windmill National Park
 
  
  • Mount Healthy Windmill
  • Mount Healthy Windmill
  • Red turtle

Mount Healthy Windmill National Park

You mother always told you that too much sugar will rot your teeth. Thankfully your mother probably thinks Mount Healthy Windmill National Park (MHWNP) is some sort of fitness center and not the former base of the British Virgin Islands booming sugar production. Located on the north side of Tortola, the MHWNP holds the Mount Healthy windmill, a stone windmill used to crush the sugar cane for the nearby rum distilleries and sugar mills in Brewer's Bay during the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The park itself holds several other historical ruins, such as a cistern, stables, and an old boiling house where the sugar cane's juices were concentrated, purified and then crystallized into tiny granules of sugar – delicious, teeth-rotting sugar! This completely undisturbed national park also has numerous picnic tables and a short walking trail full of fascinating plants and wildlife. The cost is free and the park is open year round.

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Road Town, Tortola
 
  
  • Roadtown
  • Roadtown beach villa
  • Roadtown
  • Roadtown
  • Roadtown
  • Roadtown
  • Roadtown
  • Roadtown

Road Town, Tortola

When you have over half a dozen islands – each with their unique culture, history and geography - creating what today is known as the British Virgin Islands, it must be tough for the capital city to live up to the hype. Thankfully, set against the picture perfect ocean backdrop of Tortola is Road Town! Snaking around the beautiful, horse-shoe shaped Road Harbor, Road Town perfectly embodies the exquisite splendor of the capital city of the most gorgeous island chain in the Caribbean. With a population of around 9,400, Road Town contains something for everyone. For the shopaholic with a gift for spending there's Main Street which features high end boutiques and quaint local stores housed in brightly painted island bungalows that spill into the cross streets of lovely Waterfront Drive. For yachting and sailing enthusiasts there's Wickham's Cay, a stunning enclave full of boats ranging from one person dinghys to 12 story cruise ships. And for the history buff there's The Virgin Island Folk Museum which features exhibits on the Pre-Columbian/ Amerindian and plantation eras as well as some artifacts from shipwrecks like the RMS Rhone. Clearly, with its serene, tropical exterior combined with a fast paced, international interior, Road Town does live up to the hype.

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Virgin Gorda Baths
 
  
  • Virgin Gorda Baths
  • Virgin Gorda Baths
  • Other side of Virgin Gorda
  • Virgin Gorda snorkler
  • Virgin Gorda Baths
  • Virgin Gorda

Virgin Gorda Baths

An unusual geologic formation known as "The Baths" located on the southern end of the island makes Virgin Gorda one of the BVI's major tourist destinations. At The Baths, the beach shows evidence of the island's volcanic origins, as huge granite boulders lie in piles on the beach, forming scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. North of the Baths is the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor, formerly owned Little Dix Bay. The most notable ruin on Virgin Gorda is the old Copper Mine. In the island's North Sound is the high-end Bitter End Yacht Club, now a five-star resort.

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Horseshoe Reef - or Anegada Reef
 
  
  • Anegada reef
  • Anegada reef
  • Clear waters

Horseshoe Reef - or Anegada Reef

Anegada is known for miles of white sand beaches and the 18-mile-long Horseshoe Reef, a.k.a. "Anegada Reef", the largest barrier coral reef in the Caribbean, and the third largest on earth. The reef makes navigation to Anegada difficult. While charter boats freely sail among most of the other Virgin Islands, charter companies often forbid clients to sail to Anegada to avoid running aground on the reef. Today, it serves as ian important scuba diving destination. In an effort to protect the reef, the BVI government has made anchoring on Horseshoe Reef illegal. This absolutely fabulous barrier reef (one of the longest in the Caribbean) begins just north of the island at Ruffling Point on the westernmost point of Anegada and continues along the entire northern coastline. It extends several more miles from the north east shore in a semi circular sweep, south, south east towards Virgin Gorda. Since Columbus' seafaring days, Anegada has claimed shipwrecks, yachts and small boats as well as the lives of untold seafarers over the centuries. Even in recent years and despite numerous navigational aids such as GPS (Global Positioning System) as well as reasonably accurate charts ... this very formidable BVI reef still wins new victims from time to time.

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Cow Wreck Bay /Coral Reef Lagoons
 
  
  • Coral reef lagoon
  • Cow jaw bone
  • Lobster
  • Beach
  • Conch shells

Cow Wreck Bay /Coral Reef Lagoons

The famous beaches of Anegada are on the North, or ocean side. Guarded by a straight line of reefs just offshore, the beaches make sweeping curves on the shore to form protected "lagoons." Land peninsulas, named as points, jut out to separate scenic bays and bights. This gorgeous setting invites sunbathing, beachcombing, secluded picnics, snorkeling or sea kayaking. In the 1800s when a ship carrying cow bones (used at the time to make chalk and buttons) wrecked on the reef just offshore of a small sandy cove on the northwest coast of Anegada. For years afterwards these bones washed ashore and the cove became known as Cow Wreck.

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Loblolly Bay
 
  
  • Loblolly beach
  • Loblolly reef
  • Anegada reef
  • Loblolly beach
  • Snorkeling
  • Coral

Loblolly Bay

By its famous line of white surf, Loblolly Bay visibly demarcates a coral island meeting the vast Atlantic, its reef making an oceanside lagoon before the "surf" gently laps the beach. Framed by canopies of fine seagrape trees, the shore slowly sweeps along its sandy crescent, covered with a variety of low succulent plantlife, especially patches of the beautiful bay lavender. Superb and unique snorkeling is accessible right off this beautiful white sand beach, inside of the brilliant white foaming breakers on the reef's outer edge. Schools of mojarra, shimmering needlefishes, and mantis shrimp in holes are found on the sunlite sandy bottoms.

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 Reviews(Average Rating: 98% for 1 review) 

  • Marc Peters
    Marc PetersReviews: 2
    Posts: 0

    Island Hopping Paradise

    01/19/2009

    98%

    British Virgin Islands

    When a BVI vacation was first described to me, I wasn't sure what to think. It certainly didn't sound like the usual drill, e.g., fly to an Island, hand out at a pool or the beach and hit the bars at night. Now that I've been there I can confirm that it is certainly not. The BVI is a truly unique experience. It is one of the only Island chains in the world where so many Islands are so close. This creates more than just great views. It creates the ability to hop to a different Island every day and explore a new local. Known as a sailors paradise because of the constant trade winds that blow, you can hit any number of fun spots on any number of Islands. Try Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke for one of the top ten New Years parties anywhere in the world. Hit Last Resort on Beef Island, Willie T's on Norman Island, The Bomba Shack on Tortola, or The Soggy dollar on Jost Van Dyke. Hit the Bathes on Virgin Gorda or go snorkeling in any number of great spots. And just a 30 minute ferry ride away, St John's (USVI) Cinnamon Bay is considered to be one of the top 5 most beautiful beaches in the world.

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 Top reviewers 

  1. Marc Peters
 
 
 
 
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