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. |
