BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - Rising from the
Technicolor tides as the anchor island of the British Virgin Islands
and greeting all to the Caribbean nation, Tortola -- lined with a
scalloped edge alternating from bay to peninsula -- mesmerizes
visitors with breathtaking views of white crescent beaches, radiant
blue bays, lush hillsides and mountain tops and a personality that
is both warm and welcoming. The curvy island offers simple pleasures
on every side, from surfing Atlantic swells in the North and
embarking on sailing adventures in the South to discovering the
history of the island in the East and congregating among fellow
yachtsmen in the West. Also long in her physique, (more than 39
square kilometres) Tortola is the backbone of the Sir Frances Drake
Channel, creating the best sailing in the world as the smaller
southern islands of Norman, Peter, Cooper, Salt and Ginger provide
sailors safe passage.
Sweeping Cane Garden Bay - dotted with
open-air restaurants and bars, simple accommodations, a dive shop
and a lone tire swing dangling from a coconut palm - caters to
day-trippers who disembark from boats with a simple jump and settle
in the sand with a cold beer in hand. In contrast, Smuggler's Cove
is a hidden crescent-shaped beach and lush landscape of seagrapes
and palms edged right up to the sand, creating a barrier from the
rest of the world and promoting nothing more than peace and quiet.
One hundred pound tarpon are seen in the morning as
yachtsmen swap stories at the chic Soper's Hole on the West End
where dinghies line up in a row and the sound of clanging lines and
whizzing spinnakers accentuate the buzz from passing seamen.
Quieter, but just as naturally exhilarating, are Apple and Josiah's
Bays along the North Shore, standing unprotected from the Atlantic
swells and hosting the miracle of man and nature becoming one with
simply the aid of a surfboard.
At Carrot Bay, local
fishermen clean their catch while quietly telling stories about the
islands and sharing extras with oversized seagulls circling
overhead. Nearby Long Bay boasts the longest stretch of beach on
Tortola totaling more than one kilometers of uninterrupted sands.
Tortola welcomes 'BVIslanders' (more than
80 percent of locals live here) and visitors with lively
entertainment around every corner and hospitality as vibrant as the
gradient shades of blue that define the unmistakable waters of the
BVI. The capital city of Road Town flutters with activity during the
day, from shopping at Crafts Alive - an open-air market stocked with
rustic dolls, colorful straw hats and hand-thrown pottery - to
browsing through native BVI plants at the J. R. O.'Neal Botanic
Garden and unlocking the historical past of the island at quaint
museums including the H.L. Stoutt Community College Maritime Museum
where wooden sloops reminiscent of the 'Old Man and the Sea' are on
display. With full moon parties featuring mushroom tea and liquid
pleasure in the form of all things rum, the most infamous night time
entertainment in the BVI is found along Capoons Bay at the Bomba
Shack - constructed from two by fours, 'windows' with seagrape trees
growing through, a sand floor and rickety tin roof.
Whether
enjoying a day of beach retreat or a more active lifestyle, Tortola
embraces visitors with her best-kept secret, the Jewels of the BVI -
a charming collection of intimate inns, villas and hotels nestled in
her hills and along her shores. Home to the most hotel rooms in the
BVI (both on land and floating), Tortola exudes generosity and
warmth at more than 70 locally-owned hideaways.
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Additional rooms are found on Tortola in
the form of luxury yachts and sailboats. Nearly 300 boats - some
appropriately named 'Roam' and 'Nirvana' - are available for rental
either with or without the assistance of a friendly skipper to lead
the way.
From beach-shack eateries to decadent restaurants,
Tortola is the culinary hub of the BVI, offering visitors the
freshest seafood plucked straight from the sea and seasoned with
West Indian culture and authentic Caribbean spice. Taste buds
awaken, indulging in pink salmon and plump shrimp canapes served
beachside at the Sugar Mill Resort on Apple Bay, revelling in pure
island zest at Quito's Gazebo with chicken rote and pumpkin
fritters, feasting on appetizers like tender beef carpaccio or
grilled Portobello mushrooms at Brandywine Bay or imbibing at
Pusser's Company Store where Pusser's Rum freely pours like the sea
outside, complemented by English pub grub.
Training some of
the most innovative chefs in the world, including Alton Brown,
creator and host of 'Good Eats' on the Food Network, Tortola's
accredited branch of the New England Culinary Institute is
responsible for creating some of the most inventive dishes of the
BVI. A sample includes artichoke-stuffed salmon with rosemary shrimp
and spaghetti squash to a sweet conclusion of Chocolate Bombe with
velvety chocolate centers. Students learn from the finest chefs in
the Caribbean, working side by side at such renowned establishments
as Butler's at The Inn at Essex and La Brioche.
For the active you, cruise lines offer
excursions to the beach, shopping, snorkeling, scuba diving, dolphin
encounters, mountain and beach hiking, Off-roading 4 X 4 Adventure,
kayaking, an Island tour or scenic sailing. A very popular excursion
cruise line also offer is to Virgin Gorda (a sister island of
Tortola). Here vacationers will find a unique rock formation at the
water's edge called 'The Baths'. The rock formation is ideal to
explore and swim between. Click here to find out more about
Virgin Gorda.
As part of the British Virgin Islands,
Tortola is one of the foremost international financial centers with
approximately 500,000 companies on the financial Register. Since the
adoption of the pioneering International Business Companies
legislation in 1984 to the introduction of the new BVI Business
Companies Act in 2004, the BVI has earned recognition as a
high-quality international financial centre.
The BVI,
consistently recognized as one of the most breathtaking destinations
in the world and the undisputed Sailing Capital of the World,
presents 60 islands for exploring its secrets.
To discover
these secrets and create new ones, call the BVI Tourist Board toll
free: 800.835.8530 or visit
www.bvitourism.com.
Source: The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board
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