The British Virgin Islands are a paradise for sailing, snorkeling, diving, swimming, sunning, beachcombing, relaxing, and tropical drinks. Getting to the BVI isn't too hard, but there are options to consider. Here are some tips on how to get to the BVI.

Overview

• The British Virgin Islands are very close to the US Virgin Islands, and you may end up visiting both on the same trip. You can fly into either set of islands on your trip to the BVI.
• The largest island in the British Virgin Islands is Tortola, and the capital, Roadtown, is on this island. If you're doing a sailing vacation in the BVI, chances are that it starts somewhere on Tortola.
• The largest island in the USVI is St. Thomas, and its capital city is Charlotte Amalie. Many large cruise ships dock here.

Decision - Where to fly

Arriving in the BVI by ferry

You have two options on flights when you want to get to the BVI. Most British Virgin Islands sailing vacations leave from somewhere on the island of Tortola. Our BVI sailing trips usually leave from Roadtown, but make sure you check your own trip details, since some yacht charters do leave from different locations.

1) Fly to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The simplest thing to do is to fly into Tortola / Beef Island airport (airport code EIS). The airport is on Beef Island, which is attached to Tortola by a short bridge, so even though it's a separate island, you can get a taxi from that airport to anywhere on Tortola.

Advantages: It's simple, with no ferry schedules or layover hotels to coordinate. Once your plane lands, you can just take a taxi to where you're going. Tortola is a pretty safe place, if you want to walk around or go out for dinner (though use normal caution, of course).
Disadvantages: Beef Island is a small airport, so there is a limited selection of flights going here.

2) Fly to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.  You can also fly into St. Thomas airport (airport code STT), in the USVI. If you land in St. Thomas, then you take a ferry from there over to Tortola. There are quite a few ferries, and it's not complicated to do, but it does make one more leg to your journey.

Advantages: St. Thomas is a bigger airport than Tortola / Beef Island, so you can often find better flight schedules or fares by flying here.
Disadvantages: The ferries don't run very late, so if your flight gets in after mid-afternoon, you could have to spend the night in St. Thomas. Charlotte Amalie has a higher crime rate than the BVI, so if you're staying here, you don't want to be walking around at night.
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How to get to the BVI, Tortola option

• Book your flight to Tortola, arriving at Beef Island airport (airport code = EIS)
• When you land in the BVI, you will need to go through immigration and customs.
• After you're through that, you can get a taxi from the airport to wherever you're going on Tortola
• Taxis in the BVI tend to be large vans

How to get to the British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas option

• Book your flight to /St. Thomas (airport code = STT)
• Check the latest ferry schedules before you go (see links below), to see if you'll get there in time to catch the ferry to Tortola.
• If you can get the ferry the same day you arrive, then take a taxi to the ferry terminal.
• Taxis in St. Thomas are large vans, and you will generally be sharing with a number of other people who are headed the same way
• If you arrive too late for the ferry to Tortola, then book a hotel on St. Thomas for the night. One near either the airport or ferry dock will be most convenient, then you can get a taxi to the ferry the next morning.

Ferries to the British Virgin Islands

It can be confusing knowing which ferry to take to the BVI, but they're not bad once you know how it works.

Ferry ticket counters in St. Thomas

• There are different ferry companies that run ferries from St. Thomas to the BVI. At the ferry dock, you'll see a ticket counter for each of them.
• When you arrive at the ferry dock, you may find that a helpful person asks where you're going, and takes your luggage to put it in a particular stack. While they will get you where you're headed, it may not be the option you want. He's there to steer business to his company.
• Some ferries to Tortola go to West End, stopping at Soper's Hole. Some BVI ferries go direct to Roadtown. Some will stop at West End on the way to Roadtown.
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  Catamaran ferry to BVI

  If you are going to Roadtown, the fastest one to take is the Roadtown Fast Ferry. This is a fast boat that travels direct to Roadtown.

• There's also a Tortola Fast Ferry, which can be confusing, but this one does not go direct to Roadtown. Make sure to ask at the ticket counter.
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  Blue ferries to BVI

  Depending on which ferry you're taking, it might look like one of these blue boats, or like one of the bigger catamaran ferries. While I like the more authentic feel of the blue ones, and hate to see everything turn into big business, this big white one is the Roadtown Fast Ferry, and may be most convenient.

• Whichever ferry you take, you will need to go through BVI customs and immigration on your arrival.

Here are a couple of good resources for more information:
BVI ferry schedules and FAQ's
Ferry schedules from the BVI
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Getting home again from the BVI

When your sailing vacation ends in the British Virgin Islands, you need to know how to get home again (although you'll be wishing you never had to leave)!

If you are flying out of Tortola / Beef Island, this is easy. Just take a taxi from wherever your trip ends to the airport and you can fly out directly.

If you are flying out of St. Thomas, while your sailing vacation ends on Tortola, then you need to check your scheduling to see how it will work with the ferries:

• What ferries can you catch after your trip ends?
• How long will that take to get you to St. Thomas? The fastest ferry from Roadtown arrives in Charlotte Amalie in 45 minutes, and some ferries take longer than that.
• You will need to go through immigration and customs when your ferry docks, so allow some extra time for that
• Add time for a taxi to the airport, and then plan to be at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight.
• If you don't have time to do all of this on the day your BVI sailing trip ends, then you'll need to plan on spending an extra night somewhere.

More questions?  Let me know in the comments, and I'll find out answers.  Other tips?  Let everybody know in the comments too.  Thanks!

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We just finished up our BVI sailing vacations for this year, and we'll definitely be back! We do these sailing trips every winter, and it's one of our most popular trips. If you try it once, you'll want to come back again!
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Related posts:

1. Back to the Balmy Breezes,Virgin Islands
2. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI
3. San Juan Islands - The ferry ride (video)

It's one of the greatest feelings in the world. You step through the door of the airplane, out onto the metal stairs. Sultry tropical air greets you, heavenly after the chilly plane. Palm trees sway against a bright blue sky, and in an instant, you realize "normal life" is gone. You are now on a tropical island.

This is my vision of one of those perfect moments in life. Now in order to recreate this, there are a few key things to include.

Love the old-fashioned stairs

First of all, the stairs. I love stepping out onto old-fashioned roll-up stairs instead of a jetway. You get the immediate impact of your new location -- taking one step gets you outside right away, instead of wandering through yet another airport hallway. It's an obvious difference from all the other airports you fly through. And there's something special about the stairs that reminds me of the old days of travel. Walking down the stairs seems more romantic and exotic, and I can picture being in an old movie... Walking down a jetway doesn't have the same effect at all!

Next, the weather. It must be balmy. Arriving during a record cold snap or a drenching rain storm could be an interesting experience in its own right, but it just doesn't fit with this vision. In the perfect moment I'm envisioning, it has to be balmy.

Airplanes are almost always freezing cold, so the contrast between stepping out of the cold plane, into the marvelously warm tropical weather, is fabulous. You know you're somewhere wonderful when you have to immediately start shedding layers. Ditch that extra sweater you wore for the plane. You're in the tropics now!

Nothing says tropics like palm trees

Then there are the sights. There's nothing dull or grey about the tropics, it's all about bold, vivid colors. And you need palm trees. Now I know that not all tropical islands have palm trees, and that some places have palm trees even though they're neither tropical nor islands! However, it's my vision and I love palm trees, and even cartoonists know that a palm tree indicates a tropical island.

There's nothing that says tropics quite like palm trees waving in the breeze. Add a wide blue sky, some turquoise water, and splashes of colorful bougainvillea, and you have a brilliant, beautiful welcome as you step out of that plane.

Whether you're in the Caribbean or the South Pacific, savor that first moment. It's right then that you know you've arrived. The "real world" of normal life becomes a distant memory, as this island life takes its place. The rest of your vacation is bound to be wonderful too, but that first moment is one of the greatest.

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I'm in the British Virgin Islands now, on one of our BVI sailing vacations. Sure enough, stepping out of the plane in St. Thomas was just like this -- a perfect introduction to the islands.
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Related posts:

1. British Virgin Islands - How to get to the BVI
2. San Juan Islands by float plane (video)
3. Ireland - A vanished life in the Blasket Islands

Anegada - about as laid back as it gets!

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Anegada is the most remote of the British Virgin Islands. You reach it after a nice long sail, then thank your stars that you've got a competent and experienced captain steering you through the reefs to a safe anchorage.  And then you go ashore to investigate & celebrate!

It can be tricky to get to Anegada, at least safely!  It's known as the drowned island, since it's a flat coral island that barely reaches above the sea.  With the highest point at just 28 feet above sea level, there could be palm trees higher than that!

There are also real drownings here.  Not only is the island hard to spot from sea, but there's an underwater reef that extends another 11 miles - longer than the island itself!  You're sailing along watching that island in the distance, when WHAM, CRUNCH, CRACK!  The small island of Anegada has over 300 shipwrecks on its reefs, testament to how many people made that same mistake!

This is why you see fewer yachts here than at other harbors in the BVI.  People who charter a bareboat are generally told not to go to Anegada, because the charter companies don't want their boats to end up like this one, hard aground on the reef at Anegada (courtesy of Dreamchaser's blog).

But once you get here, you've found a place that's truly off the beaten path.  The population is only about 200 people, and the "main town" is simply called The Settlement.  What it has going for it are miles of sandy beaches, with nary a soul in sight; fabulous snorkeling and scuba diving (remember that reef!) and some of the most gorgeous water in the world!   The beach and sea at Anegada are truly incredible.

Some day, Anegada will probably be developed with large luxury resorts.  Enjoy it while you still can, while it's still unspoiled.  Enjoy it while you can still sail in through the tricky reef, then jump off the boat for a swim and sink your toes in the sand as you enjoy a cold one on the beach.

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We've got another group sailing in the British Virgin Islands this week, and I'm there with them in spirit, if not in body!  Some of our trips go to Anegada, some don't - every trip is different.  Ah to be out on the water again...
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Related posts:

1. Fox on a Rock, on San Juan Island
2. Tranquility, my image of
3. So there we were.. power lounging at White Bay

Power lounging in the British Virgin Islands

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OK, "loveliest spots in the BVI" is kind of a hard call to make - there are many beautiful spots, but this one has to be right up there -- the water at White Bay is amazing!

What you don't see in the picture, is that these ladies ALREADY:

* Went snorkeling at the Caves at Norman Island,
* Sailed over to Jost Van Dyke,
* Got in some beach and hammock time over on the island,
* Checked out the infamous Soggy Dollar Bar,
* Had a shrimp and salad lunch on board,

... and THEN retired to the power lounger with banana painkillers!

I'd say they deserve it after such a strenuous day.

You'll find the whole story, with a lot more pictures, at

Captain's Log Blog: White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, and Adventurous Wenches

And the previous day's installment, including our Adventurous Wench flag flying from the yacht, at

Captain's Log Blog: Privateer Bay, Norman Island, and the AWs

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I can tell I'll be dreaming about sailing in the BVI tonight!  We've got a Lame Duck Special on right now for our Jan & Feb BVI sailing trips.  If you want to see yourself in this picture, it's $490 off as of today - drop a line for info.
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Related posts:

1. So there we were... scuba-ing and predator-ing
2. Anegada - The drowned island
3. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI

Inside the baths, looking out

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The most famous must-see spot in the British Virgin Islands is The Baths. It's an amazing beach!

As you approach The Baths (near the tip of Virgin Gorda), from the water, it looks very weird.  It's like somebody just dumped a load of massive rocks there.  There are enormous boulders in a jumble, with some stacked on top of others, and some heading down into the sea.  They don't look like they belong here, on this beautiful sandy beach, with the waving palm trees.

Actually, there are two beaches, with a trail that runs between them.  And you've GOT to take the trail when you're there!  That's the best part!

The trail winds through the boulders.  You're walking on the sand, on the rocks, and through the water.  In places you have to scramble over or duck under house-sized rocks, sometimes holding onto a rope as you go.  There are numerous pools of water inside the rocks, making for unusual vantage points and incredible settings.

The whole experience is unique. and highly recommended!  Hopefully you'll be there when it's not too crowded, so you can take some time to savor it, without feeling like there's a parade going by.  Even if the crowd are there though, it's still a find.  A must-see indeed!

If you've got a little energy left at the end, try the other trail up the hill to a little open-air bar.  It's a lovely place to grab a cold drink, sit in the shade, and look down at the view -- islands, flowers, beaches, sailboats.  Sit back and think...  yes, this is paradise. 

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Our British Virgin Islands sailing trips always fit in a stop at the baths, and it's a memorable highlight.  The first time I was there, I was totally amazed, and I bet you will be, too!
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Related posts:

1. Tranquility, my image of
2. Anegada - The drowned island
3. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI

Anchored off Anegada, British Virgin Islands

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This week has been amazing, and not in the best way! With news of the financial crisis deepening at home and spreading to Europe, and a bailout plan that nobody seems too confident or happy about, it's been a doozy. Times like these lead to uneasiness, worry, and fear.

I decided years ago that my meditation focus for such times would be "tranquility", and that my image to go with that would be one from sailing days.

So here's my tranquility meditation image and the feeling to go with it:

- Anchored at a beautiful, safe, and quiet spot by a tropical island.
- Sitting in the cockpit, relaxed and content, watching the view.
- A balmy late afternoon, with just a light breeze blowing.
- Calm turquoise water all around, lapping gently at the boat's hull.
- A feeling of deep peace, contentment, and tranquility.

Just what I'd like to regain in these troubled times. (Now I just need to work on my meditation skills!)

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This photo was taken from a sailboat, anchored at Anegada -- the most isolated of the British Virgin Islands -- on one of our British Virgin Islands trips. The beach goes on forever, the water really is this color, and there was nobody else around. My picture of tranquility!
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Related posts:

1. Anegada - The drowned island
2. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI
3. View from the boulder baths

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One thing about sailing is that most of my photos end up being taken FROM the boat, not OF the boat. And the pictures I do get that are OF the boat are generally while it's "on the hook" at some anchorage.

Some smart person realized there was a business opportunity here. We were sailing along one day (just another glorious day in the British Virgin Islands!), when an inflatable dinghy zoomed up alongside, and started snapping pictures of us on our boat. They sell them to you later on the internet, and it's a cool way to get pictures of you under sail.

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Our BVI sailing vacations for women are our most popular trips, with some people going back year after year. It's the most beautiful, relaxing vacation possible. As a sailing enthusiast myself, I figure every day on the water is a great one!
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Related posts:

1. British Virgin Islands - How to get to the BVI
2. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery
3. Photo: Iguana watching from a tree

These chemicals can awaken dormant viruses in algae that live in the coral. The viruses kill the algae, which are vital for the coral to survive. Without the algae, the coral turns white and dies.

Researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching.

So what’s the answer? Scientist Danovaro points out 2 simple things swimmers can can do to reduce their impact on coral: Use sunscreens with physical filters, which reflect instead of absorb ultraviolet radiation; and use eco-friendly chemical sunscreens.

Australian researchers are also working to develop a sunscreen based on a natural ultraviolet-blocking compound found in coral.

National Geographic News: Swimmers' Sunscreen Killing Off Coral

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Our BVI sailing trips involve lots of sunshine and coral reefs. It's a beautiful place, and so much fun! It's disheartening to find that our sunscreen could be harming the coral. I'll be researching better possibilities, and will report back later.
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Related posts:

1. Captain Kidd - fine woodwork and piracy
2. Anegada - The drowned island
3. Pirate myths and truths

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We've got a bunch of adventurous wenches sailing down in the British Virgin Islands right now. Reports are that they've been conch blowing, scuba diving, kayaking, predator-riding, and bushwhacker drinking. And that's all in 24 hours! Here are a few photos from the trip, as well as some notes from Lisa -- mate, chef, and chief blogger aboard Promenade.

For the rest of the story, see
BVI captain's log blog: More mayhem with the wenches!

Gee, I wish I was there too!

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We do a few of our BVI sailing trips for women each year, and they're very popular (with good reason!) The yacht, the crew, the place, the snorkeling, the weather, the food, the fun, the sun... it's just a wonderful way to spend a week!
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Related posts:

1. So there we were.. power lounging at White Bay
2. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI
3. Captain Kidd - fine woodwork and piracy

Captain Kidd is one of the most famous pirates of all time. But perhaps the true story is different. The well-researched book The Pirate Hunter makes a convincing case that Kidd was one of the good guys -- in fact a pirate hunter, rather than a true pirate himself. Whatever the truth, he came to an unfortunate end, executed in London in 1699.

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We’ll be heading out on another British Virgin Islands sailing trip in January. The area we sail was a popular spot for pirates, centuries ago. Whenever I run across something interesting and related, I'll post it in our BVI category.
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Related posts:

1. Pirate myths and truths
2. Coral reefs and Coppertone don't mix
3. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI