The British Virgin Islands – ‘Nature’s Little Secrets’

Like a luminous string of pearls, the fifty distinct islands that make up the British Virgin Islands are a never-ending source of delight for all who come under her spell.

The history of the Islands, where Sir Francis Drake, Christopher Columbus and Arthur Teach (aka Blackbeard) planted their footsteps many centuries ago, has been defined by the crystalline waters that lap at its intriguingly varied shorelines.

The Islands’ reputation as one of the finest sailing areas in the world is undisputed. This relatively untouched paradise in the Caribbean is famous for its calm winds and waters, where land is always in sight, beckoning travelers to partake of its individual wonders.

Wonders like The Baths and Marina Cay and names like Ginger Island, Jost Van Dyke, Soper’s Hole and Great Camanoe fuel your imagination to bygone days of high seas commerce, swashbucklers and heaping chests of gold; while other points, solitary and unspoiled, are restful foil to the rich gaiety of neighbouring isles.

While impossible to scratch more than the surface of the many delights to be discovered in the BVI on your first visit, one must start somewhere.

Like Norman Island and the Caves noted as the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Caribbean novel, “Treasure Island.”

Salt Island, home to the Wreck of the Rhone, a British Royal Mail steamship which foundered during a hurricane in the BVI in 1867, and has ever since been
a fascinating dive site.

“The Baths” at the southern tip of Virgin Gorda, one of the most awesome of sights in the BVI. This massive granite boulder formation is filled with sea washes that form large pools where shafts of light are dramatically refracted creating some of the most stunning sights in this area.

Guana Island, home to the incomparable Monkey Point, is a delightful day anchorage complete with an intimate beach just made for a midday picnic lunch and some of the most spectacular snorkeling in the BVI.

And there’s so much more to discover! The natural geographic diversity of the British Virgin Islands, the easy friendliness of the island people and the historic fabric of the culture promises vacationers an incomparable holiday experience. It’s a place to return to again and again!