British Virgin Islands Holidays Guide

The Caribbean

caribbean accommodation guide

British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British territory in the Caribbean Sea,located just 30 minutes by plane to the east of San Juan, Puerto Rico.There are about 60 ethereally stunning, smallland massesinthe British Virgin Islands. Considered a sailor's paradise, sailors were the first to recognize that this spot is one of "Nature's Little Secrets." The largest island is Tortola, the center of government, tourist sites, and the financial district; the other main islands are Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke. Dozens of smaller islets and cays (pronounced "keys"), some with fabulous resorts, many more completely unpopulated, make up the rest of the island group. From one island to the next this group is a study in contrasts; mountains abound throughout, and vegetation can differ radicallythanks to combinations of rainfall, soil composition and sun exposure.

British Virgin Islands Highlights

British Virgin Islands Holidays Planner

The islands are filled with sumptuouspalms and tropical fruit trees including banana, key lime, and mango, as well as flowering bougainvilleaandhibiscus, numerous varieties of cactus, wild tamarind, and fragrant frangipani. It's as breathtakingly lovely as it sounds. The surrounding waters are the deepest shades of blue imaginable, except on Anegada, where the seais more of an ethereal aquamarine. The diversity of the environment on both land and sea makes the BVI extremely appealing to divers, sailors, hikers, sight-seers, and anyone needed to just relax in a hammock by a white sand beach.

Places to Visit

If you want a holiday destination where you can dive, surf, fish, and swim in the Caribbean’s most virginal waters, tour or hike through incredible venues, and do it all without seeing another human or even in some cases human footprints, BVI is for you. Accommodations range from the quaintest to the uber-deluxe, with costs ranging from $75USD per night for a cozy cottage to $40,000USD per week for a villa on a private island. Cultural influences can be felt through the islands' music and food,from the native music called fungi to reggae and steel pan, and the savoury taste of local chicken, fish, conch, and lobster dishes (the lobster on BVI is reputed to be the sweetest tasting anywhere), all enhanced with exotic spices.

Travel Facts

British Virgin Islands Accommodation Guide

British Virgin Islands has one of the more thriving economies in the Caribbean, and the people here are sincerely happy to share their homeland with you. As a sailor's paradise, you can find all types, sizes, and varieties of boats/ships to rent, for the hour, the day, or the week. And it's the best way to get from island to island as you explore the diversity of sights, sounds, and tastes BVI has to offer. On Virgin Gorda, visit the natural wonder of The Baths, exotic pools and hidden grottos formed by massive bouldersscattered across the beaches where you can explore hidden caverns lit with thing shafts of light, and a myriad ofcoral ledgesand caves.On Salt Island you can explore the famous Wreck of the Rhone, where the movie "The Deep" was filmed. Nearly untouched and uninhabited, Cooper Island is home to coconut palms, bougainvillea, frangipani, lime trees, hibiscus, oleander, tamarind, flamboyant, loblolly, yucca, orchids, and cactus and the Cooper Island Beach Club, which is a surprisingly affordable way to holiday in paradise.

British Virgin Islands Holiday Tips
British Virgin Islands Travel Info
It's possible that one reason the BVI is still 'Nature's Little Secret' is the lack of any direct flights from the USA, Canada, Europe, or South America to theprimary airport, the Terrence B. Lettsome Airport (EIS), located on Beef Island, a small cay connected to Tortola by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.All arriving visitors must connect through another Caribbean airport, such as San Juan, St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Kitts or St. Maarten/St. Martin, or one of the other BVI islands; Virgin Gorda and Anegada each have a smaller airport. The main harbour is in the capital city of Road Town, on Tortola; and ferries operate between the British Virgin Islands and to the neighbouring U.S. Virgin Islands. Being part of England, you will drive on the left side of the road in the BVI, but the cars are all left-hand drive, making this a difficult drive. The roads are often quite steep and winding, and ruts can be a problem when it rains. There is a plentiful supply of car and jeep rental locations if you're adventurous and want to explore the island you're staying on. But it's easy to get from island to island on the inter-island water taxi or ferry. Do take a minute to check with your hotel, resort or villa to insure that charter flights or ferry service will still be available if you arrive after 4pm, as sometimes these transports shut down.