British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands are some 60 islands and cays in the north-east Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic. The main ones are hilly Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and little Jost Van Dyke. It is warm all year; the drier high season, roughly December–April, suits travel best, while June–November is the Atlantic hurricane season. The currency is the US dollar.

The islands sit close together around a channel sheltered from ocean swell, and these calm waters are often counted among the world’s great sailing grounds: people hop between islands by yacht, anchoring in quiet bays, and some resorts have a private island to themselves. On Virgin Gorda, the granite boulders of The Baths form grottoes and rock pools on the beach, and trails climb Gorda Peak above North Sound. Flat, coral Anegada has empty beaches and Horseshoe Reef. Divers and snorkellers explore reefs and the RMS Rhone wreck; White Bay on Jost Van Dyke and Cane Garden Bay on Tortola are favourite beaches.

Food is simple and from the sea: Anegada is known for fresh grilled lobster, and everywhere there’s conch, fish and johnny cakes, small fried breads, often at a beach bar on the sand. The islands suit couples and honeymooners, sailors and divers, families who want calm water and anyone who loves small, quiet islands.