1 destination · 10 things to do

Caribbean

The British Virgin Islands are a scatter of green volcanic peaks and coral cays at the northeastern edge of the Caribbean, and they are built for the water. More than fifty islands and islets sit around the sheltered Sir Francis Drake Channel, which is why the BVI are one of the world's great sailing grounds and why even a short stay feels like a boat trip. This guide covers the headline experiences: the giant granite boulders and sea-filled grottoes of The Baths on Virgin Gorda, the barefoot beach bar at Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke, the sea caves and pinnacles around Norman Island, the wreck of the RMS Rhone, the cloud forest of Sage Mountain on Tortola, the sand and lobster pits of Anegada, and the long curve of Cane Garden Bay. It also explains how to do it by day sail from Road Town or as a single long day from St Thomas with a passport, and it matches you to five places to stay, from a resort on a crescent bay to a marina hotel with a short walk to the ferries.