Forming roughly two chains separated
by the Sir Francis Drake Channel,
the
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
are a haven for snorkelling, fishing
and diving enthusiasts. The BVI also
offers some of the best
sailing
in the world and the towns and bays
bustle with the constant comings and
goings of yachts and cruise ships
mooring up at the many marinas and
anchorages. Less developed than the
USVI, the islands maintain their
identity - Caribbean influences
still dominate in food, music and
culture, the English connection is
only really evident in the language,
and the resorts are modest and in
keeping with their surroundings.
What the BVI lack in glitz and
historical sites they make up for in
unspoilt beauty - stunning
tree-covered peaks, secluded coves,
long palm-fringed sandy
beaches
and spectacular
reefs whose
breathtaking marine life and
numerous shipwrecks make for some of
the best diving and snorkelling in
the Caribbean.
A minority of the islands, all
but one of which are covered in
steep green hills, contain the
majority of the 20,000 population.
The largest and most developed, Tortola
, is the main resort centre and home
to the capital, Road Town. Quieter Virgin
Gorda offers largely upmarket
accommodation centred on its own
mini-archipelago and watersports
playground, the North Sound.
Yachters flock to little Jost Van
Dyke to clear customs and hit
its infamous bars, while Anegada
, the non-hilly Virgin, is a coral
atoll teeming with wildlife whose
endless beaches, maze of reefs and
bonefishing pull in day-trippers.
The outlying islands ,
several of which are privately
owned, see transient populations of
guests at exclusive resorts or
yachters who swim ashore.
