Forming roughly two chains separated by the Sir Francis Drake Channel, the British Virgin Islands are a haven for snorkeling, fishing and diving enthusiasts.

The British Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands, 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 British Virgin Islands lack in glitz and historical sites they make up for in unspoiled 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 snorkeling 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 up market accommodation centered 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 bone fishing 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.

British Virgin Islands
    travel guide

British Virgin Islands
Best of British Virgin Islands
Getting around
  Virgin Islands restaurants & bars

Anegada

Anegada
Diving, fishing, windsurfing

Jost van Dyke

Jost van Dyke
Taxis
Jost van Dyke food & parties
Islands accessible from
    Tortola that are worth a visit:
Peter Island, Cooper Island,
Marina Cay, Norman Island

Tortola

Tortola
Arriving and information
Around Tortola

Exploring Tortola

East end
Tortola restaurants
Snorkeling, diving, windsurfing,
Power boating, fishing and sailing
Tortola surfing and windsurfing
Sailing and power boating
Fishing in Tortola

Road Town

Road Town
The Town
Nightlife
Eating and drinking

West End

West End
Beaches
Beaches - restaurants
Nightlife, parties