British Virgin Islands

Quick Facts

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Capital

Road Town

Population

22,000

Government

Overseas territory of the UK

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic)

Languages

English

Calling Code

+1284

Nationality

British Virgin Islander

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Introduction

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Of the two lots of Virgin Islands, the British counterpart is by far the less busy, less touristy and less trodden. While the American Virgin Islands capitalized on their natural drawcards and turned into a thriving scene of travellers' fun and games, the Brits emphasized other industries (such as the ever-reputable money laundering), carefully maintaining sound ecology while at it. This means tourist facilities are costly, but there also less tourists. It also means that the best way to enjoy the islands is by having access to your own sea-faring device, be it a rubber tube or a yacht (though we do not strongly recommend the former). There is nothing quite like dropping anchor at an uninhabited island and spending a few days exploring the wild inland and the untouched beauty of the underwater world. For those with the dough, the British Virgin Islands offer up plenty of those opportunities.

Islands

Out of the roughly 60 islands that make up the British Virgin Islands, the following 4 islands are the main ones.

• Tortola is the largest, most populous island and the site of the capital Road Town
• Virgin Gorda
• Anegada
• Jost Van Dyke

Towns

• Road Town is the country's capital
• The Settlement is the main town on the island of Anegada
• Great Harbor is the main town on Jost Van Dyke.

Getting there

Plane

Most international flights arrive on the main island of the British Virgin Islands, Tortola. Fly BVI is a charter airline serving San Juan in Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands and Antigua. Island Birds has charters from San Juan and Saint Martin to Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Beef Island.
Clair Aero flies from Anegada, a smaller island, to Saint Thomas as well and Aero Gorda flies there from Tortola.

Boat

• There are about 4 operators which have ferry services between St. Thomas (Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook) and Tortola (West End and Roadtown). From Road Town on the British Virgin Islands there are ferries about every 50 minutes to Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. From Red Hook to Road Town is about 35 minutes. Contact Caribbean Maritime Tortola Fast Ferry (340) 777-2800), Smith's Ferry (340) 775-7292 or Native Son Inc. (340) 774-8685 for details about schedules and prices.

• There are about 4 or 5 sailings in eacht direction between Cruz Bay, St. John (USVI) and West End, Tortola (BVI).

• There are also two ferry operators offering service between St. Thomas (Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie) and Virgin Gorda.

• To end, there are 2 crossings a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between Red Hook, St.Thomas and Cruz Bay, St. John (USVI) for Jost Van Dyke (BVI).

Contact Inter Island Boat Service (340) 776-6597 for these last three international connections by ferry.

Getting around

Plane

Fly BVI flies between Tortola, Anegada and Beef Island. There are 4 flights between Tortola and Anegada as well with Clair Aero.

Boat

There are at least 6 operators between several destinations within the British Virgin Islands with many connections on a daily basis. Two of them have services between Tortola and Virgin Gorda. Other connections include Virgin Gorda to Beef Island vv, Tortola to Jost van Dyke vv, Beef Island to Marine Cay vv and Tortola to Peter Island vv. Check the schedule (also between BVI and the US Virgin Islands) at the BVI Welcome site.