Beauty in the British Virgin Islands
We have traveled to the British Virgin Islands several times throughout the years. It is an easy hop from the USVI via ferry, local airline, water taxi or renting a boat. Since you are entering another country, remember to bring your passport and stop at customs as you travel between the territories. If some of these pictures below look like photographs, they are! Real photos from our honeymoon photo album helped contribute to this blog.
After a quick landing in St. Thomas and a taxi ride from the airport to the Charlotte Amalie Ferry Terminal, Amanda and I were on our way! Depending on your flight times, you can catch a ferry out of Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook, St. Thomas. These ferries travel throughout the Virgin Islands on a consistent basis. On Tortola there are two ferry terminals, the West End Terminal and the Road Town Terminal. We were staying on the West side of the island so we got off at the West End. The ferries that run between the USVI and BVI are easy to find on line. The routes and schedules are posted and you can purchase tickets in advance. For traveling around Tortola, It is a good idea to rent a car due to the distance between beaches, restaurants and sights. Some rental companies will drop off and pick up cars at your lodging. There are car rental agencies at both terminals, with Road Town having more options.
After checking in with customs it’s off to our lodging. On the West End there is a harbor and shopping area called Soper’s Hole . You can stop and have a snack, drinks and pick up any provisions you want for the week. On this trip, we stayed at Fort Recovery Beachfront Villas and Suites. This boutique hotel has all the needed amenities on site including a pool, restaurant, spa services and assistance with area excursions. We booked a one bedroom villa with a great view! Our room was literally steps from the sand….
We had fun traveling around the island snorkeling, relaxing and taking in some sights! A must do is a stop at the Soggy Dollar Bar, on the island of Jost Van Dyke. What’s up with the name you ask? There is no dock at this bar, jump in and wade ashore…….your dollars will be soggy! We rented a boat for the day but there are ferry services and catamaran day trips to the island as well. You must try the “Pain Killer” a signature rum drunk of the BVI. Missing the island vibes? Check out the live cam at Soggy Dollar Bar or take a listen to Soggy Dollar Radio….
During one of our snorkeling adventure, we stopped at another restaurant must in the area. The “Willie T” (William Thornton) is a floating restaurant/bar off the coast of Norman Island. To get there you can catch a water taxi, rent a boat or some excursions will stop by for lunch…
If hiking or history is what you are looking for, Tortola has that to offer as well. Amanda and I cruised the island sightseeing and learning its history.
Of course you cannot head to the BVI without visiting a few beaches……..
As evening sets in, so does the end to this trip. One truth we learned in Tortola, island time is worth experiencing ……….take advantage of it while you can.
