Palm-fringed beaches sparkling with white sand. Warm inviting waters playing host to scuba divers, snorkelers, and sailors. Days spent soaking up the sun, balmy nights under starry skies. The mainstays of a tropical-island vacation are familiar to travelers who frequent the Caribbean, and the postcard-perfect shores of the British Virgin Islands deliver the pleasures of the region in spades. But a conscious effort to preserve the many natural attractions of the Islands and a restrained attitude toward the mighty tourist dollar distinguishes this delicate archipelago from its neighbors.
A chain of more than 40 islands, islets, cays, and rocks strewn along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, the British Virgin Islands make their mark on the map just 50 miles east of Puerto Rico, and a stone's throw from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many of the islands are uninhabited and others are privately owned or populated only by the guests and staff of a single luxury resort. Acres of land and entire small islands are managed by the National Parks Trust, ensuring that flora and fauna will continue to thrive and picturesque landscapes will delight vacationers for years to come. Missing are the clusters of high-rise hotels and flashy casinos popular on other islands in the Caribbean; visitors instead find the results of an environmental policy dedicated to keeping the BVI's jewels shiny, and the makings of a truly unforgettable escape. Controlled development means resorts are not as numerous or all-inclusive as those in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but there are still plenty of places to wine, dine, and unwind on the four principal islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke.
Steady trade winds guarantee smooth sailing for the yachting set and underwater wonders abound for scuba divers and snorkelers. Finding a patch of sand for your beach towel or a mooring for your boat won't be a challenge, so chances are you'll also want to explore beyond the peaceful turquoise waters that surround these islands. Landlubbers can relax in a hammock strung between two palm trees, and nature-lovers can take to the trails or observe the flamingo, heron, and iguana populations in one of the many wildlife refuges.
Tortola ("Dove of Peace") is the largest of the British Virgin Islands and home to Road Town, the colony's capital. Visitors arriving by plane will land on Beef Island, linked to Tortola by a skinny bridge. As on many of the nearby islands, the terrain is diverse: dry and mountainous on the southern coast, and featuring uncrowded white sandy beaches and lush banana and mango groves on the northern coast.
Hikers can trek through an ancient rain forest in Sage Mountain National Park, a reserve established in 1964 to protect area woodlands. The Rain Forest and Mahogany Trails offer sweeping vistas of surrounding islands and cays and a crash course on the seemingly infinite number of tropical plant and flower species inhabiting the park's 92 acres.
If you're an experienced skipper but don't have a schooner to call your own, consider a bareboat charter (with no crew)--Tortola boasts the largest fleet in the world. Visitors with a hankering for a day or two at sea but limited nautical skills can also charter a fully outfitted vessel for a leisurely cruise.
The British Virgin Islands lay claim to more than 60 chartered dive sites, many of which have been designated as underwater national parks to protect the marine creatures that nest, feed, and breed among the coral reefs, caverns, and shipwrecks. One of the most popular dives is the watery grave of the HMS Rhone, a British mail ship that sank off the coast of Salt Island during a hurricane in 1867 and provided the setting for the film The Deep. Much of the wreck remains intact and adventurous divers can swim through the ship's hull in utter darkness.
On his second trip to the New World, Christopher Columbus stopped off on the second largest of the British Virgin Islands just long enough to grace her with the name Virgin Gorda ("Fat Virgin"). When viewed from afar the island is said to resemble a reclining woman with a prominent stomach. Natural attractions steal the show here beginning with The Baths, a beach strewn with giant boulders where the tides create dozens of pools and grottoes perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and exploring. Devil's Bay National Park is easily accessible to The Baths by a nearby coastal trail and features a secluded beach. A maze of stairs and trails lead to the summit of Gorda Peak in Virgin Gorda Peak National Park, the island's highest point at 1,500 feet. Picnic tables are scattered along the way, and if you aren't out of breath after reaching the top, climb the tower for an even better view.
Also of interest is Copper Mine Point on the southeastern tip of the island. Evidence suggests this abandoned copper mine was built by the English in 1838, but local lore says that the Spanish mined copper, gold, and silver here more than 400 years ago.
Anegada lies at the northern tip of this string of islands, a tiny coral and limestone atoll barely visible on the horizon. With a population of 250 (not including the mosquitoes), one resort, a flamingo colony, and several seldom-seen rock iguanas, this speck on the map is perfect for anyone seeking a no-frills escape and plenty of solitude. Sailors beware--the Rhone wasn't the only ship to run aground in the tranquil waters of the British Virgin Islands. According to locals, some 300 ships have foundered in the shallows near the island's Horseshoe Reef, the third largest coral reef in the world. Legend also dictates that untold riches sank with many of the wrecks, but just a few rusty coins have been recovered.
The remote island of Jost Van Dyke is a popular stopping point for cruise ships and yachts. Named for a Dutch pirate, this rugged mountainous island measures just four square miles but offers visitors a peaceful slice of paradise with several pristine beaches, hiking trails, and a strip of friendly waterfront cafes.
Whether relaxing on deck, exploring underwater, or making footprints in the sand, it's easy to see why these sleepy islands are often called "nature's little secrets."•
