WINTER
2000
ISSUE
ARTICLES:
The BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
The British Virgin Islands are 36 beautiful islands located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 60 miles (96km) east of Puerto Rico, and adjacent to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The islands are owned by Great Britain and on the largest of these islands, Tortola (meaning "land of the Turtle Doves"), is the capital called Road Town. The BVI uses the U.S. dollar as currency and it's official language is English, although the locals speak a patois of English (spoken very fast) and some Creole.
The main islands of the BVI are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, and Peter Island. These islands are inhabited by a population of over 16,600. Running through the middle of the chain is the Sir Francis Drake Channel which is named after the famous English explorer of the 17th-18th Century.
Road Town Harbour is the main harbor in the B.V.I. The capital of Road Town surrounds this deep water harbor and many cruise
ship lines use the town as a port of call. In the past, only smaller draft cruise ships could enter Road Harbour, but after dredging in the early 1990s the harbor has become accessible to all cruise ships. On days when a cruise ship is in harbor the influx of tourists changes Road Town from a sleepy little village to a bustling tourist attraction. But on days when there are no cruise ships, Tortola once again becomes a haven for bare boaters and shopping-mall refugees who appreciate the quiet, quaint shops and restaurants, and the empty beaches.
These islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus on his
maiden voyage to the Americas. It was he who christened the island of Virgin Gorda ("Fat Virgin"), because his sailors thought the island looked like a pregnant woman lying down. On the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda lies "The Baths," a great pile of huge granite boulders that form grottos and caves, some of which are filled by the sea, and which form a playground for climbers and snorkelers. The main harbors of Virgin Gorda are at Spanish Town and North Sound. North Sound is home to Biras Creek Resort and The Bitter End, and is one of the most popular anchorages in these islands.
Anegada lies northeast of the main chain of islands and can just be seen from the North side of Tortola on a clear day. The
island rises just a few feet above sea level at its highest point and its main village is called The Settlement. Anegada is surrounded by a hazardous reef that has been the site of many of history's famous shipwrecks. Divers and snorkelers come from around the world to explore the reef and the many exciting dive sites in and around these shipwrecks.
The other main islands in the chain include Norman Island, Peter Island, Salt Island, Copper Island, and Ginger Island which run in an arc from southwest to northeast, across the Sir Francis Drake Channel from Tortola, to the southern tip of Virgin Gorda. Norman Island is also known as Treasure Island and is reportedly the island after which Robert Louis Stevenson modeled his "Treasure Island," in the book of the same name. On the north shore of this island are "The Caves," a popular snorkeling spot and quite possibly the place where the famous pirate, Blackbeard, hid his gold. Many have searched for the illusive treasure over the years, but it has never been found.
The British Virgin Islands offer more treasure than pirate's gold. Spectacular beaches, wonderful dive and snorkeling spots, beautiful sunsets and local color, and fabulous bare-boating locales: all contribute to make these islands some of the best to vacation on in the Caribbean.
For more information on the British Virgin Islands:
Click here for a detailed map of the islands from BVI Welcome Online Magazine.
Go to Limin' Times for highlights and things to do, plus dates of attractions and festivals, etc.
Check out BVI Welcome Online, the official tourist magazine, for more in depth information and articlesOctober 2000 - MarinaMate.com
BVI flag image from MarinaMate.com
Other images property of BVI Welcome Magazine
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