With lush tropical shores that soften away into white sands and tranquil waves, Virgin Gorda within the British Virgin Islands is gorgeous sufficient for billionaires, and that is no exaggeration. “Folks that come up with the money for to stay wherever on the planet are selecting to stay proper right here,” says Alexander Dobbs, actual property gross sales supervisor at Oil Nut Bay, as he gestures across the island’s North Sound and in the direction of Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
A paradise for yacht fanatics in a nook of the Caribbean the place personal island resorts are the norm, not the exception, Virgin Gorda is well among the many most unique islands within the area. Low-density by design, “Virgin Gorda has an intimate, much less commercialized really feel in comparison with different locations within the Caribbean, [and is] an excellent vacation spot for individuals who search tranquility,” affirms Andreas Pade, managing director of the exceptional Rosewood Little Dix Bay. It looks like a secret value passing down via the generations, and infrequently is, with households returning 12 months after 12 months to the spots that make Virgin Gorda so particular.
High 5 Can’t Miss
- Villas and trip houses cling to hillsides and style sandy shores at Oil Nut Bay, embodying the laid-back but supremely luxurious vibe of the island for a assured hit of a getaway.
- There isn’t any higher solution to expertise this world-renowned haven for yachting fanatics than by spending a day — or a whole trip — on the water.
- Bathe in cool blue grottos tucked alongside white-sand seashores at The Baths, proof of the volcanic foundations of Virgin Gorda.
- Park the dinghy at Saba Rock for dinner and drinks and expertise one of the crucial iconic watering holes within the Caribbean, a staple for the reason that Nineteen Sixties.
- Hemmed in by billionaire-owned personal islands, the North Sound of Virgin Gorda options a few of the most unique locations within the Caribbean for sipping cocktails and crusing at sundown.
Greatest Accommodations and Resorts
Oil Nut Bay
After spending a decade scouring the Caribbean for the right location, Oil Nut Bay visionary David V. Johnson based a spot so spectacular that it makes Journey + Leisure‘s listing of the most lovely locations within the Caribbean. This 400-acre property within the unique North Sound is villas and trip houses first by design, giving it a low-density, community-style really feel that provides guests supreme seclusion. Nonetheless, with water sports activities on the beachfront, a youngsters membership, beautiful eating choices, and the intimate overwater Sundara Spa, there are many methods to take pleasure in.
Rosewood Little Dix Bay
60 years in the past, billionaire Laurance Rockefeller bought a crescent of creamy white sand and the encircling 500 acres of lush hillside, and what would later develop into Rosewood Little Dix Bay was born. Facilities listed below are luxurious, particularly after a latest top-to-toe transformation, however it stays staunchly devoted to the next-level service and unwavering consideration to each luxurious element that made it such a pillar for thus a few years.
The Bitter Finish Yacht Membership
What began within the Nineteen Sixties as a easy outpost for sailors is now one of the crucial recognizable establishments within the British Virgin Islands. The Bitter Finish Yacht Membership is dwelling to a number of eating venues, small boutiques, and luxe, nautical-inspired lodging that make it value a keep, not only a fast go to. The property confronted an in depth rebuild after struggling vital hurricane harm in 2017, however it’s now again and higher than ever, dwelling to the one overwater bungalows within the British Virgin Islands.
Greatest Issues to Do
Go to The Baths.
Swim and solar amidst granite boulders the dimensions of buildings at The Baths, one of the crucial fashionable and recognizable locations within the British Virgin Islands. Paddle amidst the towering rock formations, the remnants of Virgin Gorda’s volcanic previous, to find hidden caverns the place waves and sand meet.
Set sail.
Life within the British Virgin Islands has all the time centered on crusing, so spending not less than sooner or later on the water is a should. “With over 60 islands to go to, you may simply hop from one island or bay to a different relying on whether or not you might be within the temper for a full of life seaside bar environment or a quiet cove,” says Loïc Bonnet, president of Dream Yacht Worldwide. E book an expertise with the corporate’s spectacular fleet for every little thing from bareboat charters for knowledgeable sailors to completely crewed charters and cabin cruises for a hassle-free expertise.
Go snorkeling and diving.
The turquoise waters surrounding Virgin Gorda are wealthy with reefs and wrecks to discover, very best for each snorkelers and divers. “A cluster of little islands referred to as ‘The Canines,’ simply off the west coast of Virgin Gorda, are one in all my favourite spots,” recommends Bonnet, although divers ought to take into account exploring the wreck of RMS Rhone. It’s thought of one of the crucial attention-grabbing and accessible wreck dives within the Caribbean and was the filming location of the 1977 traditional movie “The Deep.”
Hike Gorda Peak.
Excessive above the island’s coronary heart towers Gorda Peak, tempting hikers with breathtaking panoramic views of ocean and islands from its summit. The trek is reasonably strenuous, so plan on rewarding your self with a drink at Hog Heaven after the expertise, or choose from any of the island’s simpler trails, just like the one connecting The Baths to Satan’s Bay.
Discover Copper Mine Nationwide Park.
The ruins of a Nineteenth-century copper mine crown a rocky outcropping at Copper Mine Nationwide Park (one in all six nationwide parks on the island), overlooking the churning Atlantic Ocean and revealing crucial historic websites on Virgin Gorda. That is the right place to soak up this windswept aspect of the island, a lot much less often visited than the beachy Caribbean shoreline — however no much less lovely.
Greatest Eating places
Saba Rock
Nestled on a tiny outcropping within the North Sound, there are few extra iconic watering holes within the Caribbean than Saba Rock. Come for the each day tarpon feeding at 5 p.m., and stick round because the house swells with sailors for a legendary pleased hour that has made the spot a fixture for the reason that Nineteen Sixties. The property additionally has a handful of resort rooms in case you occur to have one too many rum-infused painkiller cocktails throughout your go to.
Reef Home
Elevated above the sand and in earshot of the waves, Reef Home at Rosewood Little Dix Bay gives a contemporary farm-to-table eating expertise that’s singular in Virgin Gorda. Elements utilized in seasonal menus come instantly from the property’s on-site gardens and from trusted native farmers and fishermen, highlighting up to date Caribbean cooking in a beautiful oceanfront setting.
CocoMaya
An ingenious Asian-Caribbean fusion menu elevates the laidback seaside bar environment at CocoMaya in Spanish City right into a vacation spot that pulls locals and guests alike. Drop by after swimming at The Baths for a toes-in-the-sand seafood lunch, or return for DJ units and cocktails within the night.
Sugarcane
Poolside eating and sweeping ocean views have made the informal cliffside eatery Sugarcane a favourite on Virgin Gorda. The menu is a mixture of Caribbean flavors and worldwide delicacies that may hold everybody pleased, good for a laidback lunch or dinner, when the house comes alive with diners who’ve heard of its legendary sunsets.
Nova
Seafood and sushi await at Nova, the open-air, overwater eating vacation spot at Oil Nut Bay’s Marina Village. Tie up the boat and spend the day perusing the encircling retailers, swimming off the dock and from a small, sandy beachfront, and lounging in seaside chairs earlier than digging into a brand new pleased hour menu at sundown.
Areas to Go to
Spanish City
Blink and you will miss it on a drive via Spanish City, the primary metropolis on Virgin Gorda. Spanish City has only a handful of eateries, retailers, and grocery shops that may entice these sticking round for an extended keep, although most guests move via on their method from the airport to the resort.
North Sound
Island roads do not attain the untouched northeastern aspect of Virgin Gorda, giving an unique, personal island really feel to the villas and resorts that dot the North Sound. The tranquil, turquoise waters of this a part of Virgin Gorda are perfect for yachts and sailboats, who stake out a spot right here for an evening or two. Saba Rock and the Bitter Finish Yacht Membership face one another throughout the sound; they’ve every been feeding off the colourful environment of the opposite for many years, making a full of life but low-key really feel that makes the realm a contented hour haven.
Caribbean Coast
The Caribbean-facing northern and western shoreline of the island is dotted with the tranquil bays and sandy shores which have lengthy made Virgin Gorda such a sought-after vacation spot with winter-weary vacationers. Sail from The Baths up the Caribbean shoreline to the North Sound for the island’s most pristine seashores, like Little Dix Bay, Savannah Bay, and Pond Bay, all prime suggestions by Pade.
Atlantic Coast
The less-visited southern and japanese shoreline of Virgin Gorda faces the untamed Atlantic Ocean, giving it a wild, wave-soaked really feel. Whereas not apt for swimming, this extra dramatic aspect of the island is value appreciating, particularly from scenic viewpoints in Gorda Peak Nationwide Park and the climbing trails that crisscross the island’s most easterly factors.
Greatest Time to Go to
“Virgin Gorda has a singular prolonged season on account of cooling commerce winds that hold common temperatures within the mid-80s Fahrenheit virtually year-round,” says Emily Oakes, vice chairman of enterprise at Oil Nut Bay. Nonetheless, like a lot of the Caribbean, Virgin Gorda experiences its journey excessive season from December via April, as most guests flee colder climates again dwelling. Although resorts and yacht charters are pricier at the moment of 12 months, the island enjoys the nicest climate, sunniest skies, and the calmest seas, making it the perfect time to go to.
Could and June are a pleasant shoulder season, as costs drop and the climate nonetheless stays very best. Journey slows down considerably from mid-August via mid-October, when rainier skies are far more frequent (and hurricanes extra frequent), and plenty of resorts and eating places shut their doorways.
Although the seas are usually the calmest between December and April or Could, “the British Virgin Islands provide a few of the greatest circumstances for crusing within the Caribbean, with constant commerce winds, calm waters, and quite a few sheltered anchorages,” says Bonnet, making the island nice for crusing virtually year-round. The BVI Spring Regatta & Crusing Competition happen in early April yearly, a should for boaters or these seeking to take pleasure in a bit additional pleasure.
Methods to Get There
By Aircraft
It has all the time been a little bit of a journey to get to Virgin Gorda. Direct flights began final 12 months from Miami to Terrance B. Lettsome Worldwide Airport (EIS) on neighboring Tortola, and they’re the best solution to entry what’s the most well-served worldwide airport within the British Virgin Islands.
Virgin Gorda can also be dwelling to its personal tiny regional airport, which receives frequent flights from neighboring Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, and Antigua. Nonetheless, many guests discover it simpler to fly into Tortola after which take a water taxi or ferry to Virgin Gorda, particularly these heading to resorts within the island’s North Sound which are solely accessible by way of water anyway.
Probably the most hassle-free solution to journey to Virgin Gorda has all the time been by way of personal constitution. Tradewind Aviation now gives seats on seasonal, semi-private flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico, at surprisingly reasonably priced charges, in addition to personal charters from Puerto Rico and past.
By Ferry and Water Taxi
Virgin Gorda is linked to close by islands by way of ferry companies like Speedy’s, which gives each day connections to and from Tortola. Additionally they provide a ferry to the island from St. Thomas within the U.S. Virgin Islands each Saturday; a St. Thomas-Tortola route runs much more often. Whether or not shared or personal, water taxis are much more handy and are available from close by islands.
Methods to Get Round
Guests sticking near Spanish City or transiting from the airport will discover that taxis are the best solution to get across the island. Nonetheless, transportation within the British Virgin Islands has all the time centered on the water, and with massive swaths of this unspoiled island inaccessible by street, it is a necessity fairly than only a luxurious.
Water taxis and personal boat charters depart often from Spanish City and the Gun Creek Ferry terminal on the island’s north aspect to locations across the island. Most bigger resorts have personal boats that run on a set schedule to take passengers to and from locations like Spanish City or Tortola, making this one of many best and most hassle-free methods to get across the island.