Understand
English is universally spoken throughout the British Virgin Islands. Those who work with tourists will speak quite clearly, but older natives have a thick and distinctive West Indian accent that, when spoken quickly, can be difficult to understand. Because of the influence of British culture, a stronger emphasis is placed on politeness and decorum. It is generally expected to begin any conversation with a "Good morning," or whatever time of day is applicable, rather than the common American English habit of simply beginning a conversation without salutation.
Get in
By plane
Air travel is the only way to access the BVI, however, long-distance direct flights are unavailable. Connections are readily available through Puerto Rico and Antigua. Some travelers opt to fly directly into St. Thomas and then travel to Tortola by ferry.
Get around
Many affluent visitors will take a charter boat trip from one of several marinas to some of the best places, as many smaller and less-inhabited islands offer mooring and amenities. While charter-boat tourism makes up the bulk of travel to the British Virgin Islands, there are many beautiful places throughout the four main islands that are easily accessible.
By car
There are many small independent auto rental businesses, all with relatively comparable rates. Hertz is not recommended. Prices range from $50 per day and up, as demand is usually high. Driving in the BVI can be very difficult, as many winding mountain roads and cliffs, washed-out roads, and roaming livestock compound the difficulty of driving on the left side of the road. Driving can be a good way to see the entire island of Tortola at your own pace, but so can a readily available taxi tour, and drivers know all the spots. Taxis are abundant on Tortola, and so long as you drive with a legitimate taxi association driver, prices will generally allow you to travel anywhere you'd like for less than the cost of renting a car.
By bus
"Buses" in Tortola refers to full-sized passenger vans, or large modified open-air pickup trucks with bench seating and a canvas top. Traveling by bus can be less expensive than having a taxi to oneself, and is often an option when traveling from the airport to Road Town, or from town to either end of the island.
By thumb
Hitch-hiking is still fairly common in Tortola during the daytime, as crime is fairly uncommon. Rather than the American "thumb" technique, Tortolan hitch-hikers will point with the index finger from an arm extended in the direction they wish to travel. Pickup trucks will often stop to allow riders in the back, and many drivers on this still-personable and friendly island will stop to give a ride.
See
Beaches
From the eastern end of Tortola, Beef Island, to the west end, there are many spectacular white-sand beaches along the north shore. Most deepen very gradually and have light surf, allowing for very leisurely swimming. However, some beaches do have heavier surf and undertow, so it is always wise to ask someone, or observe any signs, before swimming. The list below does not encompass all the beaches, but rather points out some of the most popular and easily accessible ones.
Long Bay, Beef Island is just minutes from the airport, a long, curved stretch of beach that is one of the more secluded and little-used beaches. There are no amenities available.
Lambert Bay is awkward to access because the developers of the resort on Lambert Bay have made an effort to make the beach seem private. In fact, all beaches in the BVI are public. Lambert Bay is a very long beach, with moderate surf, and less clear water than several other beaches.
Josiah's Bay is a surfer's beach popular with natives as well. It's another good-sized beach with heavy surf when in season, and a strong undertow at the corners of the beach. However, many swimmers enjoy this beach, and the waves, simply by swimming away from the corners of the beach and at a safe depth. The beach extends very gradually, allowing swimmers to range far from the shore. There are two bar/restaurants at Josiah's Bay. The Grape Tree offers excellent food at moderate prices, and the larger bar, with a large stock of alcoholic beverages, offers food as well. Neither are fine dining establishments but rather casual beach bars.
Brewer's Bay offers snorkeling opportunities in calm weather, but because of the runoff routes from the mountains, the water is often murky after even moderate rain. Development around the island has circumvented nature's natural filtration systems, such as salt ponds, and as a result most beaches are not attractive after heavy rains because of runoff from roads that zig and zag up the mountainsides, and home development sites cut harshly into the sides of the mountains as well.
Cane Garden Bay is the most popular, populous, and touristy of the beaches available. Boats moor here, and restaurants and bars proliferate. Live music is common, especially at Quito's, where local guitar legend Quito Rhymer often plays.
Apple Bay is a surf and party area, and does not offer much in the way of swimming. It is here that you will find the "Bomba Shack," a main party site for the island's full moon parties. During these parties the street is often flooded with native and tourist party-goers, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, which are legal to possess and use in the BVI, are readily available. Users should state a preference for fresh, live mushrooms if available.
Long Bay - West End Not to be confused with Long Bay - Beef Island, this beach at the western end of the island is easily accessible, very large, and has good swimming and moderate surf. There are several restaurants and bars, however, they sit back from the beach rather than spill onto it, as in Cane Garden Bay.
Smuggler's Cove Difficult to access but worth the effort, Smuggler's Cove lies at the extreme western tip of Tortola. Accessible by narrow and bumpy dirt roads, this is a small oasis used mostly by expatriate workers who reside in Tortola. Due to the lie of the land there are no amenities, however, small stands selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are usually available.
Brandywine Bay is a recently man-made beach, one of the only on the island's south shore. It is generally not used by locals or tourists, as natural beaches abound.
Do
While Tortola has many of the things you would expect from one of the Virgin Islands like scuba diving, boating and fishing it also has a host of other great things to do like:
The Sage Mountain Park - lots of hiking and British Virgin Islands tallest mountain, Sage Mountain.
Dolphin Discovery unforgettable interactive experience at any Dolphin Discovery's seven locations in Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico. Swimming with dolphins is everything you´ve imagined and more - and a chance to encounter these highly intelligent and friendly marine mammals which will fascinate and amaze you.
The Callwood Rum Distillery - A historic Rum manufacturer. This is a great place to visit and is lots of fun.
Fort Recovery - This was built in 1648 by a Dutch colonist.
Joseph Reynold O'Neal Botanic Gardens - Beautiful Gardens with a great representation of the islands vegetation.
The Baths on Virgin Gorda, also part of the British Virgin Islands.
Truth be told, if you're not offshore partying on a yacht, then chances are you're onshore partying at a bar. There's not a heck of a lot to do after you've taken the obligatory tours of the above-listed "attractions", although the 360-degree view from the top of Sage Mountain to outlying islands and the Caribbean is breathtaking.
So let's talk party.
Alcohol is immensely popular in the BVI, both beer and island cocktails, most notably rum. For beer, dark beers are rare. Red Stripe and Carib are the local beers, and other popular beers you'd expect to see are available as well. Roadside stands offer ice-cold beer for one or two dollars each, and bars offer beer at a comparable price to what you'd pay in an average-guy bar in the U.S. Rum Punch and Painkillers are two popular drinks. It is not at all unusual to chat up strangers and both buy and receive drinks. Remember to say "Cheers."
Restrictions on alcohol are very light. Bars usually stay open as long as business is booming, frequently about 3 a.m. on weekends. It is acceptable to leave a bar with your beer, and if you know the bar well, not too unusual to walk in with one, either. Smoking is not taboo and cigarettes are often sold at the bar for a price a bit higher than the supermarket, where they cost between $1 and $2 per pack. Drinking and driving is also not really taboo, and police generally do not stop cars until they have crashed. However, out of a basic moral obligation to your fellow human beings, it would be wise to not abuse this lack of enforcement.
Marijuana is very frowned upon by authorities, so much so that immigration and visitation by Rastafarians was once regulated by legislation in the BVI. Being caught with even a small personal amount of marijuana will almost certainly lead to a stiff fine, if not a few days in prison.
Mushrooms are legal in the British Virgin Islands. The native species grows in the hills and is available after rains, which occur throughout the year. Mushrooms are available at full moon parties, the right bars, and from casual purveyors. Although they are legal, many non-trippers frown on their use and it would be gauche to roam the town asking strangers for mushrooms. Rather, have a few drinks with a native or expatriate who seems to be of the right attitude and bearing before bringing up the topic.
Bars
Le Cabanon, casually known as "The Cab." An excellent bar with a great crowd in the heart of Road Town, the Cab has great, friendly bartenders, and a good mixed crowd. Revelry here is par for the course from Thursday to Saturday night.
The Royal BVI Yacht Club, just west of town. Too bad Javier Fletcher and Phil Medeiros don't jam out that sweet sweet music at sushi night anymore.
Other good bars and party spots: Bomba Shack in Apple Bay, The Bat Cave in Baugher's Bay (Hottest nightclub, and fine dining), Quito's in Cane Garden Bay.
Learn
H.Lavity Stoutt Community College
Work
Work permit needed to work on the island.
Eat
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Brandy Wine Bay -- Best food on island
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Stay safe
Scatliffe Alley is notorious for drug dealing and best avoided, especially after dark.
Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands which form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands.
Geography
Tortola is a mountainous island 12 miles (19 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide which was formed by volcanic activity; its highest peak is Mount Sage at 1750 feet (530 m). Tortola lies near an earthquake fault, and minor earthquakes are common.
Economy and Demographics
The population of Tortola is 23,908. The principal settlement is Road Town, the capital of the British Virgin Islands.
Financial Services are the main source of income to the island. The hugely popular International Business Companies Act, passed in the early 1980s, led to huge growth in government revenue. BVI residents are amongst the most afluent in the Eastern Caribbean. Because of this, a large number of residents from other Caribbean islands work there.
Even though the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are under the British flag, the U.S. dollar is the official currency. The island is home to many offshore companies that do business worldwide.
Visitors either arrive by boat or fly to Beef Island and drive across the short Queen Elizabeth Bridge to Tortola. White-sand beaches, such as Cane Garden Bay, are popular attractions.
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