The British Virgin Islands are an archipelago east of Puerto Rico. There are 4 main islands, Tortola which has most of the region’s population, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. It is a British Overseas territory and the inhabitants are British Citizens.
I visited Tortola and Virgin Gorda as the final stop on my cruise around the Caribbean. I had a very mixed time as you’ll see below and the weather wasn’t great so I didn’t have an overly good time there. I genuinely don’t know if I’d ever go back but doubt that I’d ever pay for the exensive flights to get there.
Basic Travel Information
- Location: Leeward Islands
- Country: British Overseas Territory
- Languages: English
- Currency: US Dollar
- Route there: Flights or ferry from USVI
- Recommended: Yes if you want resorts, amazing beaches and paying too much for everything
My Story
Arriving at Tortola was a low point for me on my cruise. I was horrendously hungover after a chaotic night and despite having made it to the right island this time, my snorkelling excursion had been cancelled anyway due to bad weather. I left the ship in a foul mood, a large part of me wishing I could just walk off with all my stuff and not go back.
I decided I was going to go to the Virgin Gorda Baths, a famous nature area on the neighbouring island. It had been included on my snorkelling excursion but I figured that I could do it way cheaper independently.
This was a great idea except for the fact that I was still hungover and the ferry ride between the islands was as choppy as any boat ride I’ve ever been on. I did not have fun (to say the least) and I walked away from the ferry on the other side in an even worse mood than before, now considering packing in the entire Caribbean trip and booking a flight to Columbia!
My walk down through Virgin Gorda cheered me up, despite the poor weather. The town was interesting, there was some amazing street art and the scenery was exceptional. However, by the time I reached the baths excursions from the cruise ships had caught up with me so I was surrounded by crowds though the impressive rock formations and on the beaches. I don’t spend much time hanging out on beaches in any situation, let alone surrounded by people when the weather sucks so I left quickly. A taxi driver saw me walking and offered me a free ride back up the island and I hopped off at a completely silent and much nicer beach and chilled there for a bit instead. After a bit more exploring of the beautiful island I got the boat back to Tortola, thankfully much smoother this time!
I spent the next few hours exploring Road Town, the main settlement on Tortola. Its an odd place that seemed far more like an office and facilities area for the houses and villas that covered the hillsides in all directions. The weather had cleared up and the views were excellent and I really enjoyed the rest of my day before getting back onboard.
I might enjoy coming back to the Virgin Islands but there are other parts of the Caribbean such as St Lucia and Dominica which i would definitely prefer to return to. I just didn’t get the same level of interest or culture.
Brief History
I was completely unaware of any of the history of the Caribbean Islands when I visited. While travelling around and writing these articles I became curious and decided to include a brief history of each. I hope you find it interesting.
Like most of this part of the Caribbean the British Virgin Islands were inhabited by the Arawak people then the Caribs. After being discovered by Columbus there was a long period where ownership of the islands was highly contested between the European powers and the regions became infamous for piracy. The Dutch were the first to establish a permanent settlement on Tortola before it was captured by the British in 1672. The islands became autonomous in 1967.
While tourism is huge on the islands and is the biggest source of employment on the islands, most of the region’s revenue is from financial services as it operates as an offshore banking centre. The islands are widely considered to be a tax haven.
Logistics
The territory is an archipelago with lots of tiny islands most of which are connected by fast efficient ferries. Getting out of the territory by boat is much harder. There are reliable ferries to St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands but not to anywhere else in the Caribbean. Click on this link for a summary of the different ferry companies operating in BVI: https://www.bvitourism.com/inter-island-ferries
Places Nearby & Trip Planning
There are lots of islands to explore on a trip to the British Virgin Islands and you could also include a trip to the US Virgin Islands without needing to take expensive flights. You could also take short flights to the following interesting islands:
- US Virgin Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Sint Maarten / St Martin
Also see my main article: Travelling in the Caribbean
When to Visit
BVI is generally spared the worst of the hurricane seasons but can still be affected between July and October
High season is December – April and the islands are much busier and dramatically more expensive in this period.
The region is extremely hot all year, bring sunscreen but also make sure you have your raincoat on you at all times as you can never predict when a heavy rain shower will sweep over you.
Further Information
These websites were my favourite sources of general information for this location:
Last Updated: May 2020
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