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BVI Info

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:11 am
by AquaGirl
Toni asked a question about visiting the BVIs in the STJ forum, so I thought I would provide the info here in case others who are going to BVIs would be interested.

We've stayed on Tortola several times and VG once. Each has their own beauty and things to do. Of course, it really depends upon what you like to do. We spend a lot of time snorkeling and love the natural beauty of both the BVIs and St John, as well as other islands.

Tortola is very mountainous and scenic, with some beautiful beaches and good places to eat. We enjoyed excellent snorkeling at Brewers Bay. Its a good size beach with a vendor who will let you use his beach chairs if you eat and drink at his little beach bar. There is plenty of shade under some trees (important for a pale skin like myself). The road going down to Brewers is very steep and windy. It wasn't a problem for us, but some don't like it. Definitely recommend a Jeep.

We also went to a very scenic beach called Smugglers Cove. Its down a bumpy, but mostly flat road. There used to be vendors selling food and drink, but I read that they were all kicked out. There was one guy who ran his blender from his car battery to make frozen drinks! So you would have to bring your own food and drink. We didn't find much snorkeling there, but there were still creatures in the coral rubble and it was such a scenic place to hang out.

We went on a day sail charter several times with Aristocat out of Soper's Hole. Its a really nice trip to several other BVIs for snorkeling, and to the Indians, where there is absolutely fabulous snorkeling. Its like being in an aquarium. Sailing amidst the islands is so beautiful. Capt Steve provides a nice lunch too.

A popular place to go on Tortola is Cane Garden Bay. Its has some small motels, beach bars and restaurants and sometimes live music in the evening. Don't go when the cruise ships are in, as I've seen pictures of it totally packed with people.

The restaurants on Tortola we've enjoyed the most are:

Bananakeet - its cantilevered out over a cliff and you have an incredible view down the coastline of Tortola. Great place to see the sunset.

Sugar Mill - The atmosphere is cool inside a historic stone building and the food is outstanding. I think its a bit more expensive than some of the other places, but an excellent experience.

Roadtown is definitely a busy place, compared to STJ, but I found it less busy than STT. We've only been into Roadtown a few times, as we spend all our time elsewhere on the island. (Had to buy contact lens solution for something like $23! Don't forget it if you need it!)

Virgin Gorda is much less busy and built up. We stayed at Guavaberry, which are cottages built among the huge boulders. VG is very different from Tortola and STJ, and we enjoyed seeing the different landscape with huge boulders strewn about. The Baths are a must see, but its very busy with day visitors. We got up early one day, packed our breakfast and hiked through it before the day visitors came. Spring Bay and Devil's Bay are both nice beaches.

We drove from Guavaberry to the other side of the island - the North Sound area. The driving is very easy on VG, especially compared to Tortola. The Leverick Resort on that end of the island has a fun jumbies show and food (I think on Fridays, but you should check with them.) It was a great show and good food. The entertainers performing while on stilts were amazing.

The North Sound area is very scenic and has several places to eat. I think Saba Rock and Bitter End have a boat you can call to take you to lunch or dinner there. We didn't go there, but its on our list for next time.

We went to Nail Bay hotel and loved the beach there. You have to walk down a hill from the restaurant area. It had chairs and palapas, and great snorkeling on a reef right off shore. Enjoyed several lunches at their restaurant. Savannah Bay is also a stunning beach - long and with reefs close to shore. A few shaded huts, but no amenities. Be careful for currents there!

We enjoyed several dinners at The Mine Shaft and lunches at the Nail Bay Resort. The Nail Bay restaurant has changed hands, so I don't know if its still good.

We enjoyed Tortola, VG and St John - each one is very different.
Happy Trip Planning!
Jeri

Re: BVI Info

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 10:54 am
by UF Prof
Great information and really helpful. We are going to VG for the first time in Nov, one week there and the second on STJ. From what I have seen, VG looks very different from STJ so we are looking forward to it. We decided to stay in one of Guavaberry's cottages. Looking forward to seeing a new island and to returning to STJ. Thanks for your post.