British Virgin Islands Travel Guide

British Virgin Islands OVERVIEW

With tranquil palm-fringed coves, monumental rocks plunging into the ocean, the splendor of coral, the sheer beauty of volcanic formations and the scent of tropical fruit floating in the air, all along the stone remnants of forts, 18th century churches and rum distilleries, British Virgin Islands mix what's best about the Caribbean and historic about their overseas protector. Just a 30-minute flight from San Juan, the stunning 50-plus sister islands and cays have two major assets - accessibility and, as their name implies, virgin beauty.

Tortola, the largest of all sisters, is the hub of the chain. Here the first rays light up the impossibly green slopes that fall from Mount Sage to secluded beaches far below. There you'll find a little piece and quiet, if you need it, but generally speaking, the archipelago is the heart and soul of the family and will surely keep you entertained with its full-moon parties, shops laying out their West Indian wares, powdery white-sand beaches and all that's aquatic.

If Tortola is considered the crown, the other sisters are exquisite diamond sequins adorning the aquamarine robe of the Caribbean. Anegada (The Drowned Land) is reputed for the best lobster and the most comfortable hammocks in the archipelago, but also for an extensive, treacherous reef that for centuries has more than often proved sailors' ultimate harbor and today attracts wreck divers with over 500 vessels rumored to lay at rest with treasures buried within.

Jost Van Dyke, with fewer than 200 inhabitants, ruins of centuries-old sugar mills, and a number of brilliant bars, is a perfect getaway for the stressed out victims of the high street rat race. Wolf down a portion of barbecued ribs at Club Paradise, wash it down with a round of "Painkillers" at The Soggy Dollar Bar, and all the worries of your frustrating humdrum existence will be relieved.

Virgin Gorda (Fat Virgin) naturally has its blessings, too. The immortal beloved of wealthy sun-worshipers, it may be generously showered with greenbacks, but definitely retains its unspoiled status and manifests beauty in its purest sense. Just like Cooper, Peter, Norman, and many others flanking the broad Sir Francis Drake Channel, which has beguiled sailors for centuries.

Given the variety of lodging in the islands, getting away from it all is fairly easy, and the settings which favor sea breezes and seacoast verandas make dining quite an event, with tales of pirates and sunken treasure adding an extra thrill to your exceptionally eventful stay. And whether you go island hopping or drop your anchor off a selected shore, you're virtually in for a little bit of pampering, a lot of blissful growls, and all that it takes to make your day. A visit to the British Virgin Islands (some of them are totally uninhabited), where nobody makes fuss over a day going by without your lifting a finger, can truly cleanse you mind and reacquaint you with life's simple pleasures.