| Tortola
and surrounding islands
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Crewed Charters to Tortola, British
Virgin Islands: Tortola has many wonderful beaches,
amongst them are Cane Garden Bay where Quito's famous
bar & live reggae music can be found, peaceful Brewer's
Bay with great snorkeling & diving, stunning Josiah's
Bay & Lambert Beach. Sage Mountain is the highest
point on Tortola and allows you stunning views and sunsets.
Tortola, or "land of turtle doves',
is the Territory's main island and has a population
of around 14,000. Tortola Overlooks the Sir Francis
Drake Channel and is situated about 60 miles east of
Puerto Rico Tortola's mountain peaks are covered with
frangipani and sage on its southern coast, while its
northern shores display white sandy beaches, groves
of bananas and mangoes and clusters of palm trees. Sage
Mountain National Park is at 1,780 feet above sea level,
the BVI's highest point. Filled with lush tropical vegetation,
the park exhibits many of the characteristics of a tropical
rain forest.
Road Town, located on the southern
shore, is the busy capital of the BVI, as well as the
central administrative and business centre of the Territory.
Road Town's scenic setting and sheltered yacht-filled
harbor provide a helpful orientation to the laid-back
BVI lifestyle which evolved over the last 400 years
by English, African, Dutch, French, and Spanish adventurers,
followed by plantation owners and 20th century settlers.
This friendly and diversified community tempts travelers
with every sort of regional and international cuisine
found in a choice of cheerful pastel painted restaurants,
former forts, and sugar mills.
Palate-pleasing menus feature West
Indian specialities of fresh lobster, conch, spicy goat,
and curries of every description. Savvy shoppers can
usually find bargains in perfume, jewelry, wine, crafts
and local spices in the homey-style stores dotting Road
Town's Main Street and Soper's Hole, West End. However,
the shops are best known for their unique local products
such as one-of-a-kind antiques, silk-screened fabrics,
intricate ship models, and watercolors by Tortolan artists.
Other sites on Tortola include the beautiful 4-acre
J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens located off Main Street,
Road Town and featuring a lush array of indigenous and
exotic plants.
There is also the popular V.I. Folk
Museum located on Main Street, housed in a traditional
West Indian building, it contains many artifacts on
display from the islands' Tiano, plantation, and slavery
eras. There are also pieces from the wreck of the "RMS
Rhone". Mr. Callwood's rum distillery in Cane Garden
Bay is a visit back in time, rum is still produced here
from cane grown on the local hillsides. Mount Healthy,
Brewer's Bay contains the ruins of Tortola's only windmill
andthe ruins of associated distillery buildings. On
the top of Sage Mountain, The Skyworld Restaurant and
Giftshop are a must see for spectacular panoramic views
of the surrounding Islands, they serve lunch and dinner
with reservations.
Beef Island: Home of The Loose
Mongoose, a casual cruising bar with beach hammocks,
The Last Resort cabaret bar, lovely snorkeling and a
great anchorage. Famous as a hunting ground during the
buccaneering days, Beef Island is the site of the BVI's
main airport and is connected to Tortola by the soon
to be replaced one-lane Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Mangroves
line the shores beneath the bridge, and an excellent
beach, Long Bay on the island's northern shore. Across
the water is Marina Cay a small island with a popular
bar, lovely beach & great snorkeling.
Norman Island: Legend plays
a large part in the history of Norman Island with tales
of pirates and treasure caves, although the role of
the island as the model for the epic “Treasure
Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson is perhaps the
most famous legend of all. "And thereupon we are
entered the cave. It was a large, airy place, with a
little spring and a pool of clear water, overhung with
ferns. The floor was sand." (Robert Louis Stevenson
"Treasure Island").
The Bight is one of the most
protected anchorages in the region although Soldier
Bay, Benures Bay and Money Bay provide secluded anchorages
given the right conditions. Treasure Point, at the southern
entrance to The Bight, comprises a rocky headland along
which the famous caves can be found at the base of the
cliffs with wonderful snorkeling. Treasure has been
found hidden deep in one of the Caves, it is reputed
that there is more to be found! The Indians are close
by, a magnificent dive and snorkel site around 4 pinnacles
rising out of the sea.
Peter Island:
East of Norman Island is Peter Island, location of Peter
Island resort. Deadman's Bay and White Bay have fabulous
white sand, palm fringed beaches with good snorkleling
& shaded sun-loungers. It is worth hiking up one
of the paved tracks to watch a stunning sunset from
on high. There are several good dive sites as well as
excellent snorkeling, as well as nearly five miles of
secluded beaches and peaceful anchorages such as Great
Harbour and Little Harbour.
Salt Island:
Looking out on the Sir Francis Drake Channel is, Salt
Island, where salt was harvested from two large ponds
for curing local fish and for sale to passing ships.
Up to 1,000 pounds of salt was harvested here annually.
The general public was allowed to reap for two days
only after which, reaping was restricted only to island
residents. According to law, all harvesters were required
to give the government one bag of salt for every three
collected. Today, the only remaining Salt Island resident,
Norwell Durant, still harvests salt in the same fashion
as his ancestors and he welcomes visitors to the island
to learn about the salt harvesting process. This is
also the site of the famous Wreck of the "RMS Rhone".
The "RMS Rhone" was a 310-foot
Royal Mail Ship that was dashed against the rocks off
Salt Island's southwest coast during a hurricane in
1867. Its remains are extensive and have become a fascinating
underwater habitat for marine life. It is part of the
national park system and is a popular dive & snorkel
site, one of the best wreck dives in the World.
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