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By Julian Putley
“Nature’s Little Secrets” is a phrase synonymous with the BVI. There are so many natural treasures in this unique archipelago, but the outstanding feature in the island group is the beaches — and every beach is for the pleasure of all. There are no private beaches in the BVI. The British Virgin Islands border the 18th parallel of latitude and enjoy a year-round climate of ambient temperatures in the range of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, an almost-constant trade wind flow and bright, tropical sunshine: in short, perfect beach weather. The BVI has a wonderful variety of beaches — in fact, there’s a beach for every taste and every desire.
For those interested in action sports, there are beaches for windsurfing, kiteboarding, surfing and skimboarding. For folks with relaxation in mind, you can find quiet, sandy beaches for daytime sunning or romancing under the moonlight. And for snorkellers, there are some beaches with outlying coral reefs. Perhaps the most popular type of beach is that palm-fringed stretch of sun-drenched sand ideal for people watching whilst sipping a piña colada. It’s no wonder that when locals have a day off they head to the beach, and that every visitor’s dream is to strip down to swimwear and make for that deck chair at the water’s edge.
Tortola
Tortola is the territory’s premier island, administrative centre and home to its capital, Road Town. It also boasts many fine beaches, from surfing hot spots and party/fun places to options with quiet solitude and a back-to-nature ambience.
Smuggler’s Cove: At the very western end of the island on the north shore is Smuggler’s Cove. This small beach is considered a local gem; the water always seems to be crystal clear and the overhanging palms provide welcome shade. There are no beach bars here, but a couple of vendors sell cold drinks and barbecued food at lunchtime.
Long Bay: Long Bay is aptly named; at some 500 yards, it has to be the longest sandy beach on Tortola. Not only that, but from the approach road it offers the quintessential Caribbean photograph — waves gently breaking on a palm-lined sandy beach that disappears towards a magnificent Caribbean vista of hills, islands and the endless blue sky. The beach itself offers great boogie boarding and body surfing, and complimentary beach lounges are available for casual guests. The Long Bay beach bar and restaurant offers superb eats and drinks at reasonable prices.
Cappoons Bay: When the north swell is running during winter months, there’s a good surf break here. Care must be exercised because there could be a moderate undertow. Bomba’s Surfside Shack, famous for its full-moon parties, provides cold drinks.
Cane Garden Bay: Cane Garden Bay is a sweeping, sandy crescent beach lined with palm trees and backed by lush green hills. As its name suggests, the hills were once covered in sugar cane, and several rum distilleries and sugar works operated in the vicinity. One of Cane Garden Bay’s attractions is the distillery that is still operating today. Located in a tumbledown building at the western end of the beach, you can still visit this enterprise, described as the oldest distillery in the Caribbean. The spiced rum is particularly popular.
Today, Cane Garden Bay is lined with bars and restaurants, cruise ship visitors arrive on an almost-daily basis and rows of deck chairs fill up fast. There are several souvenir shops and boutiques, an ice cream vendor and a good supermarket behind the beach. Powerboats, paddleboards, Jet Skis and other watersports toys are available for rent. This is a family-fun beach; there’s even a doughnut trampoline for the kids anchored in about five feet of water. At the bay’s eastern end, surfers are attracted to a curling break when the waves are up. At several beach bars happy hour starts at 4 p.m., and live Caribbean music gets feet tapping. When the sun goes down the beach takes on a more subdued ambience, but dinner, music and dancing provide popular entertainment later in the evening.
Brewer’s Bay: Brewer’s Bay is a magnificent crescent of sand backed by lofty palms, and it has managed to remain relatively free of crowds. There’s a small beach bar and café at one end of the beach, and remnants of a campground are hidden under the palms. On weekends locals and residents favour this beach, but it never gets crowded; you’ll always find a spot to plant your deck chair.
Trunk Bay: This beach is accessed from the ridge. The hillsides are dotted with new homes, many perched on cliff-top ledges. This beach is likely to be deserted and perfect for those searching for solitude, peace and quiet. A helpful hint: Four-wheel-drive vehicles are a must.
Rogues Bay: Rogues Bay offers complete serenity; the sights, smells and sounds of nature may well be your total experience. North-side beaches from Brewer’s Bay to Josiah’s Bay have only recently opened up with the cutting of new roads, and the beaches are spectacular. Here your footprints are likely to be the only ones.
Josiah’s Bay: Towards the eastern end of the island on the north shore lies Josiah’s Bay, a favourite with surfers when the waves are up. You can rent boards here, but it’s better to bring your own if possible. Josiah’s Bay has two island-style beach bar/restaurants, and there are a few thatch umbrellas for shade. If you don’t surf, come and watch the action whilst sipping a cold one.
Trellis Bay: Trellis Bay is on Beef Island close to the airport. This location is most interesting for strolling along the water’s edge and taking in the shops and cafés. If you wish to learn windsurfing, then this spot is for you. Boardsailing BVI offers “guaranteed success”; the water is calm and the wind usually light. Combined with the watersports department are the Trellis Bay Cyber Café and Trellis Bay Kitchen, famous for its “Awesome Sandwich.” Right next door is Aragorn’s Studio brimming with Caribbean arts and crafts. A small sandy beach for swimming can be found in front of De Loose Mongoose, a casual beach bar and restaurant at the south end of the bay.
Nanny Cay: Nanny Cay is home to the islands’ pre-eminent marina complex. If you drive right through to the southern end of the cay, you’ll arrive at a sandy crescent beach with deck chairs neatly arranged under palm trees. For snorkelling, an easily accessible coral reef lies just off the beach and a volleyball court is available on the sand. An alfresco bar is adjacent to the swimming pool, and a full-service bar and restaurant is located just behind the beach.
Jost Van Dyke
Jost Van Dyke, named for a Dutch pirate some 350 years ago, is now recognized as the BVI’s premier playground and party island. Foxy of Foxy’s Tamarind Bar really put the island on the map in the early 1970s with popular yachtsmen’s parties, the culmination of which is a mega New Year’s Eve bash, now the famous “Old Year’s Night at Foxy’s.” White Bay, just to the west, is named for the white sand that rises steeply from the water and is visible from miles away. White Bay now hosts a string of popular beach bars. There are two picture-perfect cays off the eastern end of the island: Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit. A small beach on the northeast coast of Jost Van Dyke is a short walk from the anchorage at Diamond Cay.
White Bay: White Bay is famous for its powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water. The beach is often busy with day-trippers from St. Thomas, many who come to visit the famous watering holes like the Soggy Dollar Bar, Gertrude’s, Ivan’s Stress Free Bar and One Love Bar and Grill.
Great Harbour: Great Harbour is home to the world-famous Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, restaurant and gift shop. The shoreline of Great Harbour is one long beach, and behind the shoreline runs a sand lane where vehicular traffic passes. The road is lined with beach bar/restaurants and several souvenir stalls.
Sandy Cay: The islet of Sandy Cay is the classic tropical island paradise. Tall, green overhanging palms offer shade to those enjoying the powdery white-sand beach. The water is gin clear, and there’s a nature trail around the perimeter of the cay.
Sandy Spit: Sandy Spit is a tiny sandy cay with a single palm tree and an offlying coral reef for snorkelling. It’s a great location for photographers. This cay also provides a great launching spot for kiteboarders and windsurfers.
The Bubbly Pool: The Bubbly Pool can be found after a pretty walk down the shore from Foxy’s Taboo in a northerly direction and then alongside a salt pond. During the winter months the north swells produce large waves that are forced through a natural fissure in the rocks — and presto! — a bubbly pool.
Virgin Gorda
Virgin Gorda is world renowned for its amazing natural wonder. Huge house-size granite boulders are strewn haphazardly along this sandy stretch of coast, creating interesting trails marked by unusual natural sculptures. This natural art has been formed by centuries of erosion by rain, wind and sea; and the sun shining through natural gaps in the boulder formations creates glimmering and shimmering reflections on rock faces. The area is known as The Baths, a BVI national park, and should be on everyone’s list of essential things to do whilst on vacation. The North Sound is also a special place of incredible beauty and sheltered waters and can be easily accessed from Tortola by ferry.
Devil’s Bay, The Baths, Spring Bay, Valley Trunk Bay: This area can get crowded when cruise ships are in. The trails are fascinating and a photographer’s dream. The snorkelling is exceptional.
St. Thomas Bay: This sandy beach is in front of Fischer’s Cove Hotel. There are some shade umbrellas and some snorkelling.
Little Dix Bay: One of the finest sandy strips of palm-lined beach in the BVI. Laurance S. Rockefeller discovered it in the late 1950s, and it is where he built the world-famous five-star Rosewood Little Dix Bay hotel. A swim after a fine lunch is always a pleasure.
Savannah Bay: Savannah Bay is a delightful stretch of white-sand beach that is easily accessible from the main road. A coral reef in crystal-clear water lies close offshore, and an underwater trail identifies various coral species; it’s perfect for snorkellers. A few thatch umbrellas provide shade on this usually quiet beach.
Tetor Bay, Mahoe Bay, Nail Bay and Long Bay: All these beaches are dotted along the western shore of the island and can be accessed by the coast road. Each sandy strip offers a stunning view of the islands with Tortola in the distance. Mahoe Bay has an offshore reef for snorkelling and is backed by expensive villas with names like Adagio and Satori, denoting the quiet and peaceful ambience.
The Bitter End Yacht Club: The most prominent resort in Virgin Gorda’s North Sound is the Bitter End Yacht Club. It has two beaches; the main one by the restaurant offers a panoramic view across the Sound. It is perfect for viewing the sometimes hundreds of yachts as well as windsurfers and kiteboarders as they skim across the water. Casual guests are welcome. Beach loungers and bar service are available.
Biras Creek Resort: Biras Creek Resort sits on a knoll between the Sound and the Caribbean Sea. Casual visitors are welcome to walk the many fascinating trails, one of which leads to its sandy beach. Please note that both the Bitter End Yacht Club and Biras Creek can only be accessed by ferry from Gun Creek unless you have your own boat.
Anegada
Anegada is really one big beach. Long popular with yachtsmen, it is now high on the list of land-based visitors who can visit by ferry or day excursion boat. The island is unique in the BVI; unlike its steep volcanic sister islands, Anegada is a flat coral isle rising to a maximum of 28 feet above sea level.
All along the north shore is a protective barrier reef producing spectacular, frothy breaking waves. Between the reef and the beach is a calm and crystal-clear body of water dotted with coral heads providing great snorkelling.
Loblolly Bay: The Big Bamboo at Loblolly Bay was the first beach bar/restaurant along this stretch of shoreline. Famous for lobster, fish and conch dishes, this popular establishment also offers snorkelling and scuba diving tours, shade gazebos, hammocks, a well-stocked beach bar, gift shop and a selection of treats from its new ice cream shop.
Cow Wreck Beach: Some of the best snorkelling on Anegada is here. The Cow Wreck beach bar is famous for its seafood and “help yourself” bar.
Outer Islands and Cays
Cooper Island: There’s a superb sandy beach on Cooper Island at Manchioneel Bay. Lined with palm trees and sprinkled with beach loungers, this small beach is hard to beat. The newly refurbished Cooper Island Beach Club and Restaurant is situated right behind the palms. There’s a dive centre here (Wreck Alley is just around the corner) and a gift shop. Cistern Point, at the end of the beach, offers interesting snorkelling.
Marina Cay: Marina Cay is an idyllic island made famous some 75 years ago by Robb and Rodie White. They built a small house on the island’s summit and lived a kind of Robinson Crusoe lifestyle. The beach is adjacent to the popular Pusser’s Landing Restaurant and features shade gazebos. A regular ferry runs between Beef Island and Marina Cay.
Peter Island: Dead Man’s Bay at Peter Island’s eastern end is the quintessential Caribbean beach. It’s a sweeping arc of fine white sand with swaying palms providing shade. Dead Chest Cay, made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson in Treasure Island, is clearly visible to the east. Fantastic views are the reward for anyone hiking the surrounding hills. The Peter Island Resort provides beach loungers for transient guests on the eastern part of the beach, and the excellent beach restaurant is open to all. A ferry service from Baughers Bay, Tortola, provides regular service.
The phrase “Life’s a Beach” could easily apply to the BVI with its large, diverse selection of beaches. But please remember to respect the environment. Taking corals, shells, driftwood and more is prohibited. Remember: Take only pictures; leave only footprints.
Beach Bar Party
By Julian Putley
One of the most enjoyable, relaxing and satisfying vacation pastimes involves visiting a beach bar/restaurant to enjoy tropical cocktails, island food and live music. Some people spend their entire vacation sailing from one pretty bay to another to enjoy the pleasures of island anchorages, often with the goal of finding great watering holes with entertainment.
The Jolly Roger in Soper's Hole is famous for its jerk prime rib, fresh seafood and barbecue. You can tie your dinghy to the dock or park your car right on the property. In season, every weekend, a live band gets everyone on their feet. Some of the favourite visiting bands are Hudson and the Hoodoo Cats, The Reverend Raven and the Altar Boys, Deb Callahan and The Blues Disciples.
At the Trellis Bay Cyber Café and Trellis Bay Kitchen, the accent is on Caribbean food. The "Awesome Sandwich" is made with seven-grain bread, fresh grilled mahi-mahi, lettuce, tomato and a secret sauce. During its famous full-moon parties, a Caribbean barbecue is served with everything from goat water to oxtail stew, curried mutton, fish and conch. Two local bands usually perform, one reggae and another a fungi group. Giant fireballs light up the night and mocko jumbies (colourfully dressed stilt walkers) perform acrobatics for the crowd.
White Bay is home to Ivan's Stress Free Bar, a wonderfully casual watering hole right behind the sand. The bar itself is almost entirely made from shells. Inside, the service works on a self-serve basis, with patrons leaving the money in the pot. On Thursdays Ruben Chinnery plays from his huge repertoire of island songs, and later a barbecue is served. The ambience, under the stars and looking out over the twinkling lights of St. Thomas, is truly awesome.
Marina Cay is an idyllic island complete with some interesting history. Pusser's Landing Restaurant is right on the pretty beach and is equipped with thatch umbrellas for shade. A "happy hour" bar is situated on the hill, and several nights a week during high season there's entertainment.
In Leverick Bay, at Jumbies Beach Bar, Michael Beans sings while playing the guitar, the squeeze box and the harmonica in a fantastic one-man-band show. He entertains during happy hour with riddles, storiesand more, including a famous conch shell blowing competition. The pirate-themed performance is a family affair and one that you certainly shouldn't miss.
Many of the BVI's beach bars offer great entertainment and delightful food and drink. Visit them all, if you dare!
Check out our sightseeing suggestions for British Virgin Islands,
island-by-island using the links above.
To get to the BVI's call American Airlines at 1-800-433-7300, book your trip on aa.com, or for travel information, visit www.EagleLatitudes.com.
Book your stay direct and save - using our BVI hotel guide.
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By Julian Putley
For those interested in action sports, there are beaches for windsurfing, kiteboarding, surfing and skimboarding. For folks with relaxation in mind, you can find quiet, sandy beaches for daytime sunning or romancing under the moonlight. And for snorkellers, there are some beaches with outlying coral reefs. Perhaps the most popular type of beach is that palm-fringed stretch of sun-drenched sand ideal for people watching whilst sipping a piña colada. It’s no wonder that when locals have a day off they head to the beach, and that every visitor’s dream is to strip down to swimwear and make for that deck chair at the water’s edge.
Tortola is the territory’s premier island, administrative centre and home to its capital, Road Town. It also boasts many fine beaches, from surfing hot spots and party/fun places to options with quiet solitude and a back-to-nature ambience.
Long Bay: Long Bay is aptly named; at some 500 yards, it has to be the longest sandy beach on Tortola. Not only that, but from the approach road it offers the quintessential Caribbean photograph — waves gently breaking on a palm-lined sandy beach that disappears towards a magnificent Caribbean vista of hills, islands and the endless blue sky. The beach itself offers great boogie boarding and body surfing, and complimentary beach lounges are available for casual guests. The Long Bay beach bar and restaurant offers superb eats and drinks at reasonable prices.
Cane Garden Bay: Cane Garden Bay is a sweeping, sandy crescent beach lined with palm trees and backed by lush green hills. As its name suggests, the hills were once covered in sugar cane, and several rum distilleries and sugar works operated in the vicinity. One of Cane Garden Bay’s attractions is the distillery that is still operating today. Located in a tumbledown building at the western end of the beach, you can still visit this enterprise, described as the oldest distillery in the Caribbean. The spiced rum is particularly popular. 
Brewer’s Bay: Brewer’s Bay is a magnificent crescent of sand backed by lofty palms, and it has managed to remain relatively free of crowds. There’s a small beach bar and café at one end of the beach, and remnants of a campground are hidden under the palms. On weekends locals and residents favour this beach, but it never gets crowded; you’ll always find a spot to plant your deck chair.
Josiah’s Bay: Towards the eastern end of the island on the north shore lies Josiah’s Bay, a favourite with surfers when the waves are up. You can rent boards here, but it’s better to bring your own if possible. Josiah’s Bay has two island-style beach bar/restaurants, and there are a few thatch umbrellas for shade. If you don’t surf, come and watch the action whilst sipping a cold one.
Nanny Cay: Nanny Cay is home to the islands’ pre-eminent marina complex. If you drive right through to the southern end of the cay, you’ll arrive at a sandy crescent beach with deck chairs neatly arranged under palm trees. For snorkelling, an easily accessible coral reef lies just off the beach and a volleyball court is available on the sand. An alfresco bar is adjacent to the swimming pool, and a full-service bar and restaurant is located just behind the beach. 
Jost Van Dyke, named for a Dutch pirate some 350 years ago, is now recognized as the BVI’s premier playground and party island. Foxy of Foxy’s Tamarind Bar really put the island on the map in the early 1970s with popular yachtsmen’s parties, the culmination of which is a mega New Year’s Eve bash, now the famous “Old Year’s Night at Foxy’s.” White Bay, just to the west, is named for the white sand that rises steeply from the water and is visible from miles away. White Bay now hosts a string of popular beach bars. There are two picture-perfect cays off the eastern end of the island: Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit. A small beach on the northeast coast of Jost Van Dyke is a short walk from the anchorage at Diamond Cay.
White Bay: White Bay is famous for its powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water. The beach is often busy with day-trippers from St. Thomas, many who come to visit the famous watering holes like the Soggy Dollar Bar, Gertrude’s, Ivan’s Stress Free Bar and One Love Bar and Grill. 
Sandy Spit: Sandy Spit is a tiny sandy cay with a single palm tree and an offlying coral reef for snorkelling. It’s a great location for photographers. This cay also provides a great launching spot for kiteboarders and windsurfers.
Virgin Gorda is world renowned for its amazing natural wonder. Huge house-size granite boulders are strewn haphazardly along this sandy stretch of coast, creating interesting trails marked by unusual natural sculptures. This natural art has been formed by centuries of erosion by rain, wind and sea; and the sun shining through natural gaps in the boulder formations creates glimmering and shimmering reflections on rock faces. The area is known as The Baths, a BVI national park, and should be on everyone’s list of essential things to do whilst on vacation. The North Sound is also a special place of incredible beauty and sheltered waters and can be easily accessed from Tortola by ferry.
Devil’s Bay, The Baths, Spring Bay, Valley Trunk Bay: This area can get crowded when cruise ships are in. The trails are fascinating and a photographer’s dream. The snorkelling is exceptional. 
Tetor Bay, Mahoe Bay, Nail Bay and Long Bay: All these beaches are dotted along the western shore of the island and can be accessed by the coast road. Each sandy strip offers a stunning view of the islands with Tortola in the distance. Mahoe Bay has an offshore reef for snorkelling and is backed by expensive villas with names like Adagio and Satori, denoting the quiet and peaceful ambience. 
Anegada is really one big beach. Long popular with yachtsmen, it is now high on the list of land-based visitors who can visit by ferry or day excursion boat. The island is unique in the BVI; unlike its steep volcanic sister islands, Anegada is a flat coral isle rising to a maximum of 28 feet above sea level. 
Loblolly Bay: The Big Bamboo at Loblolly Bay was the first beach bar/restaurant along this stretch of shoreline. Famous for lobster, fish and conch dishes, this popular establishment also offers snorkelling and scuba diving tours, shade gazebos, hammocks, a well-stocked beach bar, gift shop and a selection of treats from its new ice cream shop.
Cooper Island: There’s a superb sandy beach on Cooper Island at Manchioneel Bay. Lined with palm trees and sprinkled with beach loungers, this small beach is hard to beat. The newly refurbished Cooper Island Beach Club and Restaurant is situated right behind the palms. There’s a dive centre here (Wreck Alley is just around the corner) and a gift shop. Cistern Point, at the end of the beach, offers interesting snorkelling.
Peter Island: Dead Man’s Bay at Peter Island’s eastern end is the quintessential Caribbean beach. It’s a sweeping arc of fine white sand with swaying palms providing shade. Dead Chest Cay, made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson in Treasure Island, is clearly visible to the east. Fantastic views are the reward for anyone hiking the surrounding hills. The Peter Island Resort provides beach loungers for transient guests on the eastern part of the beach, and the excellent beach restaurant is open to all. A ferry service from Baughers Bay, Tortola, provides regular service.
One of the most enjoyable, relaxing and satisfying vacation pastimes involves visiting a beach bar/restaurant to enjoy tropical cocktails, island food and live music. Some people spend their entire vacation sailing from one pretty bay to another to enjoy the pleasures of island anchorages, often with the goal of finding great watering holes with entertainment.
At the Trellis Bay Cyber Café and Trellis Bay Kitchen, the accent is on Caribbean food. The "Awesome Sandwich" is made with seven-grain bread, fresh grilled mahi-mahi, lettuce, tomato and a secret sauce. During its famous full-moon parties, a Caribbean barbecue is served with everything from goat water to oxtail stew, curried mutton, fish and conch. Two local bands usually perform, one reggae and another a fungi group. Giant fireballs light up the night and mocko jumbies (colourfully dressed stilt walkers) perform acrobatics for the crowd.
Marina Cay is an idyllic island complete with some interesting history. Pusser's Landing Restaurant is right on the pretty beach and is equipped with thatch umbrellas for shade. A "happy hour" bar is situated on the hill, and several nights a week during high season there's entertainment.
