The beach slopes gently into the clear sea and the view is directly to the west , ensuring a perfect sunset every evening . Cane Garden Bay is famous for its annual BVI Music Festival in May when performers come from all over the world .
A short ride west to Apple Bay is where a world famous shack sits on the rocky beachfront , waves crashing toward it . What began as a shack made from the flotsam and jetsam washed up from the mighty Atlantic is now a renowned and somewhat infamous gathering place called The Bomba Shack . Bomba himself often presides over the shadowy doings that take place in the 55-gallon drums each month on the full moon and the reggae and dub beats are live on stage well into the early hours . The shack itself is a miracle of physics , clinging to the shore and festooned with all manner of marine accoutrements and women ’ s unmentionables .
The many pirate legends surrounding the British Virgins include the Dead Man ’ s Chest from Treasure Island , the Caves at Norman and the Dutch Jost van Dyke , but it is at Soper ’ s Hole on Tortola where Blackbeard and the like careened their ships for cleaning and from where they darted out to plunder the trade passing through the Sir Francis Drake Channel . Today Soper ’ s Hole is a colorful waterfront along a marina and mooring field where you can charter a big catamaran for beach trips , have a waterfront meal , buy island jewelry and provision for your vacation .
The beaches of Josiah ’ s Bay , Brewers Bay and Smuggler ’ s cove are lovely and usually relatively empty for such places and although there are no real mega resorts on the island there are a smattering of little tucked-in resort type accommodations and plenty of guesthouses and rental villas to host visitors . A stay here is expensive but not unlike many other Caribbean destinations . Tortola is an altogether relaxed and easy place to spend some time . The little airport sits on tiny Beef Island connected to Tortola by a road . You can step off the plane and walk over to a glorious beach and straight into the sea if you wish . There is a settlement there called Trellis Bay where sailboats anchor .
BVIslanders call their home , “ The Undiscovered Gem ” of the Caribbean . Tortola is not only beautiful and welcoming , but it has the sophistication of a place comfortable with the cultures of the many people who sail its waters . It is a place busy with commerce and entrepreneurship and in making its mark on the greater Caribbean region . The locals are friendly , the island is clean and well governed and the waters are beautiful . Recently a new town dock was constructed to accommodate cruise liners to Road Town . I ’ m sure the lovely island is adjusting nicely .
128
Photo Credit : B . Gabel
Back to Table of Contents