MSC CRUISES – LESSER ANTILLES
British Virgin Islands March 11, 2022
The British Virgin Islands are a self-governing British overseas territory just to the north-east of the US Virgin Islands. 60 islands and keys, 43 uninhabited, the islands fall into two types: the majority are steep volcanic islands (Tortola and Virgin Gorda), and a few flat coral islands (Anegada and Sandy Spit).
The economy is one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean. Tourism, generates 45% of GDP together with the offshore financial industry.
Capital: Road Town
Currency: USD
Population: 31700
County Code: +1284
Visa. Separate border control from the United Kingdom. Nationals of most Western countries do not require a visa.
Covid. No tests or bubbling are necessary. We were allowed to travel independently. Other rules are similar to everywhere else.
We arrived at Tortola, BVI at about 6am, had breakfast and got a Covid antigen test at 7 (necessary for our stop at St Maarten). We immediately left the ship and went into Roadtown. I had rented a car from Alamo the night before and went to the rental agency. I had not really looked what there was to see on BVI (not much) so cancelled the car and went to the ferry terminal 2 minutes away to get a ferry to Virgen Gorda and see the Baths.
One of the ship’s tours was to here (3½ hours $100). The ferry leaves at 08:30 and returns at 13:45 and 16:45 ($38 including bus to the Baths). The crossing to Spanish Town and Virgen Gorda took 32 minutes and the drive to the Baths a few minutes.
VIRGIN GORDA. The third-largest island (after Tortola and Anegada), about 21 km2. The main commercial and residential area is Spanish Town on the southwestern part of the island.
North of the Baths is the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor, formerly owned by Little Dix Bay. The most notable ruin on Virgin Gorda is the old Copper Mine.
One of the great harbours of the world, North Sound, and historically Gorda Sound, lies at the northeast end of the island. It is bordered by four islands and connecting reef systems that keep the sound calm, creating one of the world’s great watersports meccas, with over 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of protected waters. At the eastern end of the sound is the premier anchorage, in the lee of Biras Hill (elevation 435 ft (133 m)). The village, resort, and marina at this point (Jon’O’Point) is called the Bitter End Yacht Club, and runs for about a mile of coastline.
Devil’s Bay National Park. 58 acres; 15-minute hike from the top of The Baths on Virgin Gorda’s south-western tip. Beaches tranquil swimming and snorkelling. At the southern end is a trail to Stoney Bay.
The Baths. 7 acres on Virgin Gorda’s north shore, a geological wonder comprised of massive granite boulders as large as 40 feet in diameter, white sand beaches and sheltered sea pools on the beach’s edge. This popular daytime anchorage is ideal for swimming and snorkelling.
Huge granite boulders lie in piles on the beach, forming scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. Granite is an intrusive igneous rock, thus not volcanic. It did form from magma, however, at great depth. Granite becomes exposed at surface only after geologic ages of erosion removes the overburden. Further erosion broke the granite into large boulders and rounded their surfaces.
A loop trail leads to Stoney Rocks, Devil’s Bay (swimming) and continues through the Baths through the granite boulders, where hikers crawl, climb ladders and wade through water. There is a huge arch and a pool surrounded by high rock, the classic photo of the area. End at is a great beach with food, drinks, many picnic tables and the chance to swim and snorkel. Walk back up the good trail to the original.
We returned to Tortola on the boat at 13:45.
TOTOLA (pop 24,000, 9,400 in Roadtown). Largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands. Tortola is mountainous, 19 km by 5 km with an area of 55.7 km2 (21.5 sq mi). Formed by volcanic activity, it lies near an earthquake fault, and minor earthquakes are common. Mount Sage (530m) is its highest point.
Uses the US dollar due to its proximity to and frequent trade with the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The island is home to many offshore companies that do business worldwide. Financial services are a major part of the country’s economy.
In September 2017, Hurricane Irma produced severe destruction on Tortola.
The Northern coast has the best beaches on the island, including Smuggler’s Cove, Long Bay, Cane Garden Bay, Brewer’s Bay, Josiah’s Bay, and Lambert beach. Visit historic sites and hike in parks.
Botanical Gardens. A 1.5 km walk from the pier, this small 3-acre garden is lovely with a flower circle walk, many flowering shrubs and trees, several varieties of palms, a few large trees (including a baobab tree), a fallen fig tree, cacti, guava, and a good selection of other plants. The hurricane caused the fallen fig and many fallen royal palms and destroyed the building on the grounds. $3
Sage Mountain NP. 86 acres. The farmland was reforested with white cedar and West Indian and Honduran mahongany trees. 1,716 feet, with panoramic views of all the islands. More rain on the northern side with old growth forest, and large boulders and old pastures and remnant dry forest on the south. Twelve trails with loops creating a circular route.
Get in
By plane. Flights change planes in San Juan, Puerto Rico (North America and Spain), Antigua (for the UK) or Saint Martin (for the Netherlands and France) since the Beef Island airport cannot accommodate large aircraft.
Via St. Thomas (STT). Fly to St. Thomas, then a ferry is cheap.
Get Around
By car on Virgin Gorda and Tortola, scooter on Jost Van Dyke. The roads are very hilly, standard low, driving poor, and there are no driving while drunk laws
By taxi. Expensive with prices fixed by law.
Climate. Tropical and enjoyable with easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, and little seasonal temperature variation. Hurricanes.
See Nature: coral reefs, white sandy beaches, and scenic seaside villages the main draw.
Also historic villages, churches, a museum in Road Town, Botanic Gardens or the rain forest on Sage Mountain in Tortola.
Do
Rent car, drive around Tortola, visit Sage Mountain, botanical garden
Go to US Virgin Islands (1 hour ferry to St Thomas)
Beach. Quality is very high and numerous so are generally not crowded (except Cane Garden Bay on Tortola), few vendors and often few amenities.
Sail. Popular as the islands are close together and well protected from the Atlantic. Apart from cruise ship passengers, the majority of visitors to the British Virgin Islands stay on liveaboard boats or charter sailing vessels.
Scuba diving. Wreck of the RMS Rhone in the 1977 flick The Deep. Just west of Salt Island, it is a former Royal Mail Steamer that sank in a hurricane in 1867 with the loss of nearly all lives. A large 310 ft (94 metres) steamer, she’s now a three-site dive, with each chunk resting at varying depths, from 20 to 80 ft (6 to 24 metres).
Other shipwrecks: Chikuzen – four purposely sunk wrecks in ‘Wreck Alley’ off Cooper Island, the Inganess Bay, the Fearless, the rarely dived Parmatta, and an aircraft off Great Dog Island.
Surfing. Josiah’s and Apple Bay.
Windsurfing. The annual “HiHo” windsurfing event is on the 4th of July weekend.
Alcohol is very cheap in the BVI with no special taxes or duties.
ANEGADA XL, M@P. Anegada is referred to as “the drowned island” as it is so low.
OTHER DESTINATIONS
British Virgin Islands southern islets. XL