Best things to do in British Virgin Islands

Punhan Shukurov 08 January 2021 1297 views 6 min. read

The Caribbean islands are ideal holiday destinations for those who love traveling on a budget. Here you can enjoy a luxurious tropical vacation, fine beaches, wild nature adventures, and high-class resorts for quite pocket-friendly prices. The British Virgin Islands, a foreign territory of the United Kingdom, is one of the Caribbean tourist destinations welcoming thousands of visitors every year. 

Where are the British Virgin Islands? 

british virgin islands sky

Officially called the Virgin Islands, the BVI consists of more than 50 small islands located in the Caribbean Sea, bordering Puerto Rico and Anguilla. Road Town is the largest city and capital of the BVI. Is the British Virgin Islands flag identical to the United Kingdom flag? Although the BVI is part of the UK, the British Virgin Islands flag is quite different. The BVI coat of arms is also on the British Virgin Islands flag alongside the UK’s Union flag. How to get to the BVI? Are there direct flights to British Virgin Islands? There are no flights to the BVI from European, African, and American airlines. You should attend connected flights to British Virgin Islands airports via other Caribbean countries. It is also possible to get to the islands by boat. As we have learned some basic facts about the BVI, now, it is time to talk about why the Virgin Islands is perfect for summer vacation. In this blog article, we will list the best things to do in British Virgin Islands. By reading this blog, you will know the best tourist attractions and the most entertaining activities that will make your Caribbean holiday unforgettable.

Sailing around the islets and cays

paddle boarding of the coast of anegada

Sailing across the turquoise ocean through the archipelago is among the fascinating things to do in the British Virgin Islands. The Caribbean islets and cays are astonishingly colorful with diverse landscapes and shapes. The cities and towns of the islands rise from the volcanic rocks and coral reefs. While sailing around the small islands, you will have dozens of chances to photograph the scenic views from various angles. Volcanic hills, tropical forests, and reef formations will amaze you when you approach them. It is better to attend guided sailing tours. The tour guides will give you many interesting information and dazzling facts about the Caribbean islands' history, geography, and wildlife. Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, and Tortola British Virgin Islands are the main islets of the archipelago. During your sailing journey, you will see the mountains of Tortola British Virgin Islands from far away.

Fishing

red boat

Many British Virgin Islands hotels offer sailing trips for those who enjoy fishing. One of the awesome things to do in Tortola British Virgin Islands, is fishing. You will easily get the fishing equipment before sailing trips. Catching colorful species of edible fish is a very calming activity that many tourists enjoy. Triggerfish, sailfish, tuna, marlin, wahoo, yellowfin, and dorado are the best species for catching. If you look at the British Virgin Islands map, there are many places around the islets perfect for fishing. Among local people, there is a tradition of cooking the caught fish after sailing trips. You can attend the fish cooking days in some British Virgin Islands resorts. Once a year, the Virgin Islands culture ministry organizes a fish cooking festival. If you’re lucky, you will have a chance to try the most delicious fish species at the festival. Attending food festivals are among the most interesting things to do in British Virgin Islands. 

Hiking through the national park trails

people hiking on norman island

Exploring the Caribbean's wildlife is one of the most exciting things to do in British Virgin Islands. The national parks, which you can find many on the British Virgin Islands map, are perfect for wildlife adventures. Gorda Peak National Park is a pretty well-known nature reserve in the British Virgin Islands. Built-in 1970s, the Gorda Peak National Park is very well preserved. You can hike through the wild nature up to the hill peak. While hiking, pineapple trees, tropical oak forests, and orchids will amaze you. Endemic flowers that are unique to the Virgin Islands' nature will astonish you with their colors. Hiking can be pretty tiring as you have to walk more than 400 meters to reach the peak. Standing on Gorda Peak and breathing the scents of tropical hill flowers will be an excellent reward for the hard work you've done. You will see a panoramic view of the cities and towns from the highest hill of the island. The scenic view of Tortola British Virgin Islands is simply breathtaking. British Virgin Islands resorts, turquoise ocean, and white sand beaches look like a scene from a fairytale when you stand at the top of Gorda Peak.

Sage Mountain National Park

sage mountain national park

Another perfect hiking area is Sage Mountain National Park, best known for its emerald green tropical rainforests. This national park is located on the Tortola island of the archipelago. The park reserve is famous for its long hiking trails. Hiking across the Sage Mountain National Park is one of the most exciting things to do in Tortola British Virgin Islands. Mahogany Forest Trail, located within the national park area, has pretty great hiking trails. You can hardly find any rocky paths in the Mahogany Forest. Therefore, walking toward the Sage peak will be very comfortable with high-quality hiking shoes. Mahogany Forest is home to incredibly fascinating tropical animals that will amaze you with their living conditions. Marmosets, ocelot, white-faced capuchins, whistling ducks, and three-toed sloths are unique to the British Virgin Islands' rainforests. The colors and body shapes of the Caribbean rainforest animals and insects are pretty amusing. Photographing the rainforest animals is among the best things to do in British Virgin Islands hiking adventures. Your social media followers will adore the photos of the colorful tropical Caribbean animals.

Exploring the historical capital Road Town

sea view from mountain slope

The Virgin Islands' capital city, located on Tortola island, features a successful mixture of the colonial era and modern times. You can feel the blend of the old and the new while wandering around Road Town. The old HM Prison, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Colombian Emeralds, the old Post Office, etc., buildings are exceptional legacies of the colonialism era. The historical buildings are open-air museums that fascinate tourists wandering around Road Town. The government of the Virgin Islands has designed Safari buses as public transportation. The Safari buses look like the road vehicles of the colonial era. Some British Virgin Islands hotels feature historical concepts with their old-style interiors. Foreigners prefer to stay at the colonial concept hotels. The halls, rooms, kitchens, and restaurants of old-style British Virgin Islands hotels look pretty charming and cool.

Shopping and leisure

shopping store

Road Town is a great city for shopping and leisure. Amazing restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and libraries are perfect for spending some free time. You can taste delicious meals from European, Caribbean, and American cuisine at the Road Town restaurants. Tasting local cuisine in the capital is one of the most exciting things to do in Tortola British Virgin Islands. Most importantly, you will have a chance to taste famous fungi and fish, which is the Virgin Islands' national meal.

Local coffee

coffee

Moreover, trying local coffee prepared with unique Caribbean scents would be great. Drinking cool beverages and cold Caribbean wine is top-notch during hot days of the tropical vacation. Furthermore, shopping is another activity that you will enjoy during your day in Road Town. You will have an amazing time in shopping malls and various brand stores while wandering around the city. Many shops sell old-style stuff that would be the perfect gift for your friends and family members interested in the colonial era.

Enjoy relaxing on white-sand beaches

caribbean virgin gorda

Swimming in turquoise Caribbean waters and relaxing on the white beach sands are among the best things to do in British Virgin Islands. The beaches of the Virgin Islands are considered the best in the Caribbean region. British Virgin Islands resorts offer beaches with the highest quality standards. Free public beaches also feature good standards with clean sand and water. If you glance at British Virgin Islands map, you can find dozens of publicly available beaches, as well. Where are the British Virgin Islands best beaches? Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Tortola, and Jot Van Dyke islands are home to the best beaches. You will enjoy swimming and sunbathing at its best during your time on Virgin Islands beaches. In Virgin Islands beaches, you can buy coconut juice, cold apple juice, and other delicious beverages. Coconut juice is made of locally grown fruits unique to the Virgin Islands. The coral reef beaches are especially amusing. The sand of coral reefs is pleasantly different than the white sands of regular beaches. The Virgin Islands beaches are also great for various water sports. Many tourists love scuba diving in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. Water skiing and paddleboarding are also favorite tourist activities that many foreigners love.

A quick recap of this blog

british virgin islands sunset

In this blog article, we have talked about the greatest things to do in British Virgin Islands to have the best tropical vacation in the Caribbean Virgin Islands. We have also answered the questions such as: where are the British Virgin Islands? How to travel to the Virgin Islands? Arranging tropical vacations in the Virgin Islands and flights to British Virgin Islands may seem expensive and time-consuming. However, it is worth spending time and money to have the most unforgettable tropical vacation of your lifetime.

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