Road Town, Tortola
Considered to be the sailing capital of the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands have small distances between the islands. Road Town is capital of Tortola, situated in a horse-shoe shaped harbour; this lush, hilly island is also famous for its Pussers rum, and its association with the sea and sailors. Close by is Virgin Gorda – a maze of granite boulders protruding from the shore and sea, and Norman Island, where it is said that the caves here were once filled with pirate treasure.
Top Experiences
Pirates
Many of the British Virgin Islands are named after 17th century pirates or privateers. Pirates were those sailors who committed illegal robbery on the high seas, while privateers – who committed virtually identical acts of robbery on the high seas – did so legally, by way of an official license granted by their country’s ruling monarch. Pirates who hid their booty (treasure) for safekeeping from other pirates routinely buried pirate treasure on these islands. Apparently, some of the treasure was never recovered, and according to local legend, great fortunes in gold remains buried along these shores.
The Baths
Virgin Gorda, ‘The Fat Virgin,’ has a ridge similar to Tortola – though only 8.5 miles (13 km) long and reaching 1,370 feet (415m) at Gorda Peak. An intriguing group of huge granite boulders forming water-filled grottos are strewn along the southern beach of Devil’s Bay and collectively titled ‘The Baths.’ These boulders, which researchers believe may have been carried by a glacier in some distant ice age, create an environment so memorable that The Baths have become one of the most famous icons of the British Virgin Islands and indeed the Caribbean.
Islands
The British Virgin Islands comprise over 50 islands, ranging in size from Tortola to the tiny Sandy Cay. Verdant with tropical greenery and largely unspoilt, only 16 islands are inhabited.
Cruises to Road Town, Tortola
Tropical Islands & Verdant Rainforests Of The Caribbean & Central America • L2504A
- Explore tropical islands and lush rainforests
- Immerse yourslf in the laidback Caribbean way of life
- Encounter rainforest wildlife and exotic birds