Properties/Sailing breaks within Tortola
About the Caribbean islands
Tortola
Tortola has a special magic all of its own, yet it is a place where you can find just about anything you want from total isolation to bustling activity, curried goat to lobster thermidor or hair braiding to plastic surgery in a world famous clinic. Tortola is the largest and most largely populated island of The British Virgin Islands. Sage Mountain, at 1,750 ft, set amidst the National Park, has an unsurpassed, unique, magical quality, especially magnificent are the glorious sunsets that can often be observed from here. There are numerous, quite beautiful and memorable areas, with unsurpassed views, particularly along the Ridge Road. For complete solitude, one can often find a beautiful deserted beach with sparkling turquoise sea and waves gently washing over the pure white sand or bask in the sun in the busier Cane Garden Bay with its fantastic array of excellent bars/restaurants. The capital, Road Town is a busy thriving town and many overseas companies have set up businesses here. The British Virgin Islands is a yachting paradise with 60 islands to visit (many uninhabited) therefore sailing and tourism is now, generally speaking, the main industry and increasing rapidly. The BVI was until recently known as "Natures Little Secret", but this secret has now been exposed and many have discovered the delights of this beautiful part of the world and return regularly to these delightful shores.
| Population: 20,000 |
| Size: 21 square miles |
| Capital/main town: Road Town |
Characteristics
A very cosmopolitan island; over the years people have settled here from various parts of the world, including many from other Caribbean islands giving it a gregarious and unique flavour hard to equal. Tortola has a balmy, subtropical climate with cooling breezes.
Beaches
Many excellent white sand beaches, most good for swimming and snorkelling. On the Northern side of the island is the famous Cane Garden Bay - a fabulous beach though can be busy. Brewers Bay is still as it was many years ago and has a couple of beach bars. Smugglers Cove in West End is also an excellent beach. Some beaches on the southern side are frequented by surfers, great fun to watch if you do not participate. The East End has some fabulous little known beaches but with no facilities.
Things to Do
Numerous: Most sports - both sea and land, including sailing, fishing, diving, snorkelling, surfing, hiking, tennis and horseback riding. Popular horse-race course. Museums, art galleries. Island tours. Many day sail or power boats either with or without skippers for fishing, snorkelling of dive trips. Ferries to neighbouring islands.
Shopping
There are no high-tech shopping malls however there are several excellent supermarkets, delicatessens and bakeries, selling everything you could possibly need, from all over the world. Many small and some exclusive boutiques, souvenir and gift shops, some located in quaint West Indian houses in the older areas of Road Town and other areas around the island. There are some new larger high quality shops, selling first class duty free jewellery.
Restaurants & Nightlife
Restaurants are numerous, with varied menus offering everything from local West Indian food, Italian, American, Thai, Chinese and more. Plenty of locally caught fish. The nightlife is as busy or as quiet as you would like. Excellent live bands and solo singers in many bars at night, particularly in Cane Garden Bay. Quito Rymer's music is becoming world famous and his restaurant/bar/nightspot is definitely worth a visit.
Getting Around
Vast number of taxis but no buses. Numerous vehicle rental companies. Most forms of boats can be hired, from kayaks to 60ft catamarans and power boats. Regular ferry services to other British and also US Virgin Islands. Bicycle and also scooter hire.
Getting There
International flights to Antigua, St Kitts or St Maarten from Europe including UK, or via Peurto Rico from North America followed by inter-island flights to Beef Island, Tortola.
Currency