| Time difference / local time |
GMT -4 hours
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| Language |
English and Spanish
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| Currency |
US dollar
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| Highlights |
TORTOLA
Callwood Rum Distillery
See the structure of a sugar cane distillery and buy rum made in the original boiler and stored in original casks.
Fort Burt
The English rebuilt this fort in 1776. It defended Road Harbour, and foundations and magazine and cannon ruins remain today.
Fort Recovery
This military gun post dates back to the 1640s and its ruins are Tortola’s oldest landmark.
Josiah’s Bay Plantation
See steam and diesel engines at this rum distillery, which was previously a sugar factory.
Main Street
Situated in Road Town, this historic road boasts a 19th-century post office, an Anglican church and a folk museum.
Mount Healthy Windmill National Park
Slaves used to produce sugar at this 18th-century mill, where you can see the ruins of a boiling house, distillery, stables and a hospital.
Sunday Morning Well
This is where the islands’ emancipation was declared back in 1830.
Vigilant
This is one of the islands’ three remaining original Tortola sloops, used to ferry around trade goods.
Zion Hill Chapel
This Methodist chapel sits on the site of the 1834 emancipation celebrations.
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| Beaches |
Our Virgin Island resorts have access to incredible beaches. Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda boasts its own private white-sand beach; Long Bay Beach Resort on Tortola sits on a powdery white-sand stretch; and on Peter Island Resort you’ll find five incredible beaches and 20 isolated coves.
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| Transport |
• Go island-hopping on one of the inter-island ferries
• Hire a car or use the many taxi companies to get around
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| Events and festivals |
March
Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
This week-long event includes a four-day festival and three-day regatta, with beach-side entertainment throughout.
May
BVI Music Festival
Soak up the rhythms of live music, taste local food and dance on the beach. The 2010 festival welcomed performers including Fantasia Barrino, Iyaz and CoCo Tea.
June
Wreck Week
Explore the British Virgin Islands’ best diving sites, with beach parties, prizes and live music.
July
Emancipation Festival
This cultural celebration of the islands’ emancipation from slavery in 1834 includes the Freedom March, a parade and entertainment from local and international artists.
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| Shopping |
• On Tortola you can buy clothes and accessories, homemade organic products, local crafts and souvenirs, jewellery, books, spices, rum and art.
• On Virgin Gorda browse for souvenirs, clothes, jewellery and rum.
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| Flying time to destination |
10 hours
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| Sports |
Your resort may offer tennis and watersports including snorkelling, kayaking, hobie cat sailing and deep-sea fishing.
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| Spa facilities |
Many of our resorts have luxurious spas where you can indulge in blissful treatments. |
| Eating/Drinking |
Food
• You’ll find lots of fresh seafood, such as mahi mahi, wahoo, grouper, yellow-tail and red snapper – often served with a delicious hot lime sauce.
• For a light meal, try herring gundy – a salad of salt herring, potato, onion, sweet and hot pepper, beetroot, carrot and boiled egg.
• Fungi is a cornmeal dumpling flavoured with okra and served with fish. It’s also served as a dessert, sweetened with sugar, cinnamon and raisins.
• Roti is an Indo-Trinidadian dish – flatbread served with spiced beef, chicken, fish or goat.
• Callaloo is a stew of callaloo leaf or spinach, meat and okra, and conch Creole is a brew of onion, garlic, hot peppers and salt pork seasoned with spices.
• Classic dishes include goat curry and chicken and rice.
• Pate is a popular dish of fried bread stuffed with meat or fish, while johnnycake is a baked or fried pastry served on the side.
• Rice is seasoned with pork, tomatoes, onion and garlic; and traditional ‘peas ’n’ rice is also a staple dish.
• For pudding, tuck into juicy mango, banana, guava, peach, plum, papaya, and stewed gooseberries; homemade ice cream; fruit dumplings; and sweet potato pie, a traditional Virgin Islands dessert flavoured with cinnamon, raisons and almond.
Drink
• Stick to bottled water.
• Popular drinks include herbal or ‘bush’ tea, maubi, sorrel and soursop, and Cruzan rum.
• You’ll also be able to buy American beer and fizzy drinks.
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| Good to know |
Religion
Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.
Dialling code
+1 284
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| Museums |
North Shore Shell Museum
Visit this charming attraction to see thousands of beautiful shells.
Old Government House
This national landmark is a former governor’s residence.
Saba Rock Nautical Museum
Look at fascinating relics retrieved from shipwrecks including The Rhone.
Virgin Island Maritime Museum
Admire traditional sloops, artefacts and captains’ portraits.
Virgin Island Folk Museum
In this museum, peruse Arawak and Carib pottery, stone tools and items recovered from shipwrecks.
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| Excursions |
TORTOLA
RMS Rhone
Dive down to the remains of The Rhone. Shipwrecked in the 1867 hurricane, it’s now a national park and is riddled with spectacular marine life.
J R O’Neal Botanic Gardens
Visit these stunning gardens and see tropical plants, a waterfall, a lily pond and mini rainforests, as well as tropical bird houses.
Sage Mountain National Park
This is the British Virgin Islands’ highest point, towering at 1,716ft.
VIRGIN GORDA
The Baths
Visit this incredible landmark, where granite boulders create secluded sea pools on the coast. Climb the ladders to Devil’s Bay or follow the road to Spring Bay’s white-sand beach.
The Copper Mine
Cornish miners worked here in the 1800s, and some ruins remain.
Devil’s Bay
Unwind on secluded beaches and enter the sparkling water for swimming and snorkelling.
Gorda Peak
This 265-acre national park rises to a lofty 1,370ft. Ascend to the observation tower for breathtaking views.
Little Fort National Park
See the remains of a Spanish fortress at this wildlife sanctuary.
OTHERS
Cam Bay National Park, Great Camanoe
Snorkel among vibrant marine life in the lagoons and see a plethora of birds at the salt pond.
Dead Chest Island
Hop on a dinghy from Deadman’s Bay and enjoy three stunning dive sites at this uninhabited National Park.
Diamond Cay, Jost Van Dyke
This beautiful area is a nesting site, where you may spot birds including tern, boobies and pelicans.
Fallen Jerusalem
Scattered with huge boulders, this stunning island is a nesting site for several species of seabird and home to the endangered red-billed tropic. Snorkel off North Bay Beach and explore the northwest shore’s underwater passages and caves.
The Tobago Cays
These two beautiful islands are seabird nesting sites, and their sea-beds reach dramatic depths of 165ft.
Prickly Pear Island
Getting its name from its cacti-covered hills, this island boasts stunning beaches, salt ponds, mangroves and a hiking trail.
West Dog
This volcanic island attracts nesting seabirds and is great for snorkelling and diving, with vibrant peaks and underwater pinnacles.
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| Tipping |
Usually a service charge of up to 15% will be added to the hotel bill, and 10% at restaurants.
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