British Virgin Islands / Special Interests

With its reliable winds and many islands just a short distance from one another, the BVI offer some of the finest sailing grounds in the world and over the past 30 years have developed a very successful industry to serve holidaying yachtsmen. There are many different styles of yacht for charter, but if you are staying on land it is still possible to get out onto the water through one of the many good yacht-borne day trips.

There are also very good watersports on offer. The snorkelling is excellent. The best snorkelling is on offshore islands and most easily reached on day sailing trips, but there are also good reefs off the main islands themselves. The scuba diving is pretty good too. Dive boats also head farther afield to other steep-sided and untouched offshore islands. General watersports, small sailboats and the like, are available through the hotels, but more specialist sports such as windsurfing and kitesurfing can be arranged through one or two specialist operators dotted around the islands. There is even quite good surfing on Tortola’s north shore when the waves get up.

With such a concentration on the sea, activities on land are a little more limited. The steepness of the land prevents any serious golf and the land is so developed that there is not really much hiking either, but there are a few places of interest to enthusiasts of tropical flora and gardens, some of them in the various National Parks. As far as nature goes, there is little in the way of land animals but quite considerable birdlife to be seen. Other diversions on land include a few spas and a few practitioners of holistic activities if you are into yoga or complementary health.

Entertainment is another thing that the BVI do well and in the bars and restaurants you will find great music to listen to if you are looking for it. Carnival, held at the beginning of August, is amusing, if small, so it is worth going along if you happen to be on island at the right time. You can eat well in the islands, both afloat – the smartest yachts have chefs, but there are also some excellent cooks among the charter crews – and increasingly on land where there are now some good restaurants (not just in the hotels).  

The BVI are not that easy for single travellers, though there are a few hotels where you will be looked after well if you want a quiet hideaway break, but you can join in the sailing and other sports and there are plenty of very lively bars. There are some superb settings if you want to hold a wedding in the islands. Finally, although it is not that easy to get there the BVI are a safe place for family travel.  All children love the water of course, sailing or just the beach, but there are not that many facilities for them in the hotels, beyond buckets and spades for the beach. Few hotels have children’s programmes except in the summer.

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