Forming roughly two chains separated by the Sir Francis Drake Channel, the BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS are
a haven for snorkelling, fishing and diving enthusiasts. The BVI also offers some of the best sailing in the world
and the towns and bays bustle with the constant comings and goings of yachts and cruise ships mooring up at the
many marinas and anchorages. Less developed than the USVI, the islands maintain their identity - Caribbean
influences still dominate in food, music and culture, the English connection is only really evident in the language,
and the resorts are modest and in keeping with their surroundings. What the BVI lack in glitz and historical sites
they make up for in unspoilt beauty - stunning tree-covered peaks, secluded coves, long palm-fringed sandy beaches
and spectacular reefs whose breathtaking marine life and numerous shipwrecks make for some of the best diving
and snorkelling in the Caribbean.
A minority of the islands, all but one of which are covered in steep green hills, contain the majority of the 20,000
population. The largest and most developed, Tortola , is the main resort centre and home to the capital, Road Town.
Quieter Virgin Gorda offers largely upmarket accommodation centred on its own mini-archipelago and watersports
playground, the North Sound. Yachters flock to little Jost Van Dyke to clear customs and hit its infamous bars, while
Anegada , the non-hilly Virgin, is a coral atoll teeming with wildlife whose endless beaches, maze of reefs and
bonefishing pull in day-trippers. The outlying islands , several of which are privately owned, see transient populations
of guests at exclusive resorts or yachters who swim ashore.
OTHER CARIBBEAN DESTINATION HOTELS AND TRAVELLERS INFORMATION
Anguilla Hotel Accommodations and Tourist Information
Antigua
Antilles
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Haiti
Jamaica
Martinique
Monserrat
Puerto Rico
Saba
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (US)