The gorgeous beaches of the BVI - Updated!

[blue_water]

Blue Water,

 

What would you recommend for a 14 month old? We are a big group (over 10 adults) and our little grandson! First time in Tortola! I was really hoping to get to the Soggy $, as the Painkiller is my drink! LOL

 

I would suggest a beach, either Cane Garden Bay or Brewers Bay, and probably CGB just because there are more facilities there for a larger group and a toddler. However, I know Lulu prefers Brewers (for good reason) and if she sees this post I'd be interested in her recommendation...:)

[dongordon]

This thread is being updated to account for some minor changes and be more accurate -

 

The beaches of the BVI are indeed beautiful, and this thread is meant to provide brief descriptions and comparisons of the beaches for those new to the islands, and allow others to add their experiences and feedback. For those wanting a gorgeous beach with some amenities and no crowd there is not one beach that fits that criteria anywhere, of course. But there are several excellent options to choose from in the BVI, and all BVI beaches are free and open to the public.

 

Tortola -

Cane Garden Bay (CGB) on the north shore of Tortola is the primary beach destination for day visitors because there are several beach bars to choose from and it is easily accessible by safari taxi. As of this writing the taxi fare is still $8pp each way for 3 or more ppl (or with a group safari taxi), $12pp for 2 ppl, and $24 for one person. You would typically just hop one of the safari taxis or other taxis and go as a group for the $8pp fare unless you want a private driver. CGB is a nice beach in a larger bay that is generally calm but can also be quite rough with sea swells (as is the case with most beaches). CGB is home to several beach bars/restaurants including Myett's, Stanley's famous Welcome Bar(now cousin Tony's), the Elms, Rymers, Big Banana, and Quito's to name a few. Quito Rymer is a popular reggae/island recording artist who plays at his bar Thurs & Fri evenings, not to be missed if you have the opportunity to spend the night. All of these spots have good bar food and drinks and Myett's and others rent lounges and umbrellas. Our pick for THE cheeseburger in Paradise (or fish tacos) is Tony’s, and Myett’s is also great.

 

CGB becomes the most crowded bay in the BVI when cruise ships are docked in Tortola, and if you like a busier or more active vibe CGB is your best choice. Good beer, drink and food choices, as well as some watersports rentals and a water taxi to Jost may be possible. There is also taxi service available if you decide CGB is not for you and you want to go to a quieter beach (see below). Here is a link to a webcam when available –

http://www.resortcams.com/webcams/cane-garden-bay/

 

Brewers Bay is just to the north of CGB and is a very nice beach with great snorkeling. Nicole's beach bar serves drinks and food and rents chairs. Brewers is a bit more rustic but really beautiful. In terms of the number of people you can expect to see there, it is much less busy than CGB, but can become busy with ships in port. Taxi fare is the same as CGB.

 

Josiah's Bay lies to the north of Brewer's and is a nice beach with rougher water, very popular with surfers and you can take lessons from

http://www.surfschoolbvi.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147354-d6105508-r198572995-Surf_School_BVI-Tortola_British_Virgin_Islands.html

Taxi fare is the same as CGB and Brewers Bay.

 

Smuggler's Cove is south of CGB and is one of the most beautiful and natural Tortola beaches. Typically calm waves and great snorkeling off the beach and gorgeous views of Jost and Sandy Cay. There may or may not be a vendor selling drinks and food so you’d want to check with your driver, or if renting a Jeep stop and grab a lunch and cooler of drinks on the way there. Smuggler's is a little harder to drive to because of an unpaved and bumpy road for the last mile or so and the fare is a little higher than CGB or Brewer's. There was a porta potty but that was not present one visit so not sure when there will be one there. The price of a beautiful, secluded beach in paradise! So it gets less of the crowds and attracts more locals and that's the beauty of Smuggler's. . You'll need the taxi driver to return to pick you up here. Taxi fare is $12pp each way for 3, $16pp for 2, and $32 for one.

 

You will pass Long Bay (West End) on the way to Smuggler's and that is a long, beautiful stretch of beach you'll see on picture postcards. Great spot to walk, picnic, or enjoy watching the pelicans dive. Home of the Long Bay Beach Club which once offered day passes but now just rents loungers for $5 each. There is a restaurant and bar and also restrooms available for day visitors. Entry into the water is quite rocky on the west end of the bay but sandier on the east end. Taxi fare is $12pp each way for 3, $14pp for 2, and $27 for one.

 

Long Bay (Beef Island) is a very nice beach near the airport, very natural with no facilities or amenities and popular with locals.

 

Trellis Bay near Long Bay Beef is a popular mooring bay with a nice pottery shop, De Loose Mongoose bar and great fish sandwiches at Cyber Café. The beach isn't as nice as the others mentioned. However you can take a complimentary ferry over to little Marina Cay where there is a nice small beach and a restaurant/bar. Nice day if you’ve already visited the other areas of Tortola.

 

A great option for Tortola is an island tour. Drivers at the dock offer different tours at very reasonable rates (2 hrs at $15 – 20pp, 3 hrs with a 1 hr beach stop at $25pp, for example). Tortola is a gorgeous island to tour and there are amazing panoramic views for photo ops.

 

Jost Van Dyke -

White Bay on Jost Van Dyke (JVD) is a nice, white sand beach with several beach bars. There's often a busier vibe during the day because a flotilla of cats and motor boats stop there throughout the day to enjoy the vibe. Since it can be a busy vibe along the beach White Bay is not recommended as a destination for those wanting to enjoy nature and a quiet, relaxing beach. But it can also be quieter, just depends on the day. It is a great spot to enjoy drinks at the Soggy $, Ivan's Stress Free Bar, or be entertained by the magic and card tricks of Seddy (Foxy's son) at his One Love Bar. And you can find good music in the afternoon and evening from Rubin Chinnery at Ivan's on Thursdays.

Soggy $ webcam –

http://www.soggydollar.com/webcam

 

Great Harbor is over the hill and home to Foxy's and other places. Foxy's is a fun place to enjoy, the owner (Foxy Callwood) plays guitar and entertains with his stories. This is a very popular spot for New Year’s Eve as well. Great Harbor does not have the nice beach like White Bay but is a good spot for mooring and is where the West End, Tortola and USVI ferries dock. If you choose to visit Jost via the Horizons ferry out of Soper’s Hole, Tortola you will taxi to West End, Tortola (taxi is $12/14/27), ferry to the dock in GH for $25pp round trip, and taxi over to White Bay for ~$5pp.

http://newhorizonferry.com/

 

Virgin Gorda – Valley area

There are also nice beaches on Virgin Gorda like Savannah and Spring Bay with great snorkeling spots. And of course the famous Baths are very unique and worth a visit for those who have yet to experience them. Everything is within a short drive from the ferry terminal in the Valley which makes it easy to see this part of VG. The easiest way there is on your own, just walk to the ferry to the left of the cruise ship dock and take the 30 min ferry to Virgin Gorda, the cost is $30pp round trip. You will find many taxis available for the short ride to the top of the Baths, then you will walk down a trail to get to the beach and the boulders. Devil’s Bay is a very nice beach there.

 

The drivers will recommend a time to be back at the top for your return to Road Town. If you are lucky enough to be in port for a longer day you can work with a driver and get dropped at different beaches as you wish, and possibly hit the Baths when not quite so crowded. Taxi fares can be googled and are reasonable. You can also rent a car if you have enough time for that, the North Sound is a beautiful area to tour.

 

If time allows you can have lunch at the Top of the Baths restaurant, or even taxi to the Mineshaft Café to enjoy the panoramic view and their signature drink the Cave In - "It's all in the Juice, mon!". Also a little shopping is available in Spanishtown a short walk from the ferry dock. Speedy’s also offers packages that include the taxi to the Top of the Baths (same price as buying on your own), and another that includes lunch and a drink at the Baths & Turtle restaurant in Spanishtown. With many of the shorter port times today I’d recommend getting back to the ferry a little early. The ferries are very dependable, but everyone else will also want to spend as much time as possible seeing the Baths and the island and will take the latest ferry back.

 

Anegada -

The beaches of Anegada are also gorgeous, this is a flat island as compared to the others and is a bit far away for a cruise ship stop but worth a visit if you return for a longer stay.

 

So the islands of the BVI offer several options for beach-goers, just depends on the experience you want to have. For a more active vibe hit CGB or White Bay, JVD, for snorkeling try Brewers Bay, and for a more secluded beach Smuggler’s Cove, Josiah's or Long Bay, (Beef Island).

 

There are also some excellent day sail operators that take you to Virgin Gorda and the Baths, to the Indians and Norman Island for snorkeling, and to White Bay, Jost and Sandy Spit for beach time. These include Aristocat Charters, Kuralu, and Patouche. And Mitch offers a personalized, private day on his powerboat through his Ocean Magic Mitch site.

 

And be sure to treat the beaches and other areas with respect and pick up after yourselves, the folks who live there will be very appreciative. The people of Tortola are wonderful and a treat to meet. The beaches will also be as pristine as you remember them when you return to spend more time in the beautiful BVI!

 

Enjoy your time in our favorite islands, and be sure to post your favorite experiences here too!

Thank you Blue Water...

How long of a taxi ride is it to Long Bay Resort.

How is Turtle Bay Resort?

How far is that and what is offered there?

 

Thanks again.:cool:

Don

[OCruisers]

I would suggest a beach, either Cane Garden Bay or Brewers Bay, and probably CGB just because there are more facilities there for a larger group and a toddler. However, I know Lulu prefers Brewers (for good reason) and if she sees this post I'd be interested in her recommendation...:)

 

Agree with Blue Water! With a 14 Month Old ... Cane Garden Bay would be the better choice. :)

[nhtravels]

Thank you both! We are very excited! My grandson is a water baby (we have a home on a lake in NH), so I'm sure he will love splashing in the blue waters of the Caribbean!

[blue_water]

If you haven't seen the CGB webcam, this is the view from Quito Rymer's place on the east end of the bay -

 

http://www.resortcams.com/webcams/cane-garden-bay/

 

All of the north shore beaches can be rougher when swells are present, but CGB and Brewers are both typically quite calm.

[LTCOP]

The bathroom functions but is just a toilet ... there's a place to wash your hands outside. It's not gross ... just a bit on the older side.

 

Brewers is a wonderful (the way the Caribbean use to be) place to go! (y)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[blue_water]

To clarify, the previous post is referencing a good descriptive from Lulu of the restroom facility at Brewers, not sure why it was re-posted...

[blue_water]

Thank you Blue Water...

How long of a taxi ride is it to Long Bay Resort.

How is Turtle Bay Resort?

How far is that and what is offered there?

 

Thanks again.:cool:

Don

 

Hi Don,

 

A taxi to Long Bay Beach Club is about 25 minutes and the fare is $27 for 1 person, $14pp for 2, and $12pp for 3 or more.

 

We've not been to the Wyndham Turtle Bay Resort (it is scheduled to open October 27, 2017), it was previously the Lambert Beach Resort. You'd have to contact them directly to see what they offer for day visitors, if anything. Taxi is the same as CGB, Brewers, and Josiah's bay at $24/$12/$8.

 

[EDIT] The listed taxi fares are one-way...

[BarleyBear]

Thank you Blue_blue water for posting your review of all the BVI beaches. I just came back from a Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Escape and I cannot believe that I missed Irma by one week!

 

Anyways I took my family to Brewers Bay based on your post. The beach is beautiful and not crowded at all! Snorkelling is found in the middle of the beach right in front of where the stone wall is broken. However after Irma maybe all of the stone wall is broken!

 

Chairs can be rented but don't expect them to be in awesome shape. The vendor was wiping them down. But with Irma - maybe all the chairs are gone unless they were stored somewhere safe.

 

There were LOTS of noseeums so do bring bug spray! Luckily we had some with us and to be honest we were too busy in the water for the bugs to bother us.

 

Brewer's Bay was so beautiful. I hope Irma didn't destroy the reef.

[blue_water]

Thanks for your report BarleyBear, and happy to know you enjoyed beautiful Brewers Bay! Yes our thoughts are with everyone there, and buildings can be rebuilt, but hopefully the natural beauty was not destroyed beyond the trees. Have seen images along the south shore of hundreds of trees that have been destroyed or at least stripped of foliage, fearing the worst for the beautiful beaches and reefs...

[blue_water]

Bump

[mcarney]

How are the beaches now that it's been some time since the hurricanes? We will be in Tortola November 13th on the Breeze and we are trying to find something to do that doesn't break the bank, but still leaves us with something to remember Tortola with.

 

Thank you

[blue_water]

Cane Garden Bay was opened then closed briefly after a more recent storm due to contamination but is now open with many restaurants and bars serving. Brewers Bay is also open with Nicole’s back open. Not sure about the conditions at other beaches, and we do need to publish an update on all of the beaches. But these are the two that would be your main choices anyway. Taxi is ~$8 pp each way To either beach and they return for you.

 

For a nice day on a gorgeous beach with beautiful views and not a big crowd I’d head for Brewers. Just one of the beaches to look forward on your cruise IMHO. Nice, easy, relaxing and affordable day!

[drvmywifecrzy]

Any new updates for beaches in Tortola?

[dolfan13]

10 hours ago, drvmywifecrzy said:

Any new updates for beaches in Tortola?

We are here on the 2nd of January. NYE cruise on the Bliss. Also looking to hear how everything is doing. We would love to spend our money at Brewers or Smugglers if possible. Anyone with any updates would be greatly appreciated

[blue_water]

On 10/17/2018 at 9:10 AM, drvmywifecrzy said:

Any new updates for beaches in Tortola?

We haven’t been since Irma so can’t help, but I would suggest using TTOL as a resource. There is one thread listing the businesses and areas that are open, and it’s a great site to ask any BVI-related questions.

http://www.traveltalkonline.com/ubbthreads.php/forums/7/1/british-virgin-islands.html

[blue_water]

15 hours ago, dolfan13 said:

We are here on the 2nd of January. NYE cruise on the Bliss. Also looking to hear how everything is doing. We would love to spend our money at Brewers or Smugglers if possible. Anyone with any updates would be greatly appreciated

Smuggler’s Cove is more difficult to get a taxi to, and there were zero amenities last I knew. But not impossible, just may need to bring your own food & drink. For a lively vibe CGB offers the most beach bars, and Brewers would be your best choice for a more laid back vibe with Nicole’s beach bar...

Edited October 18, 2018 by blue_water
Typo

[Sandyfeetdeb]

We are sailing on msc Divina on 1/31/19 and arrive at Tortola on 2/5/19. I am trying to find people, who would like to do a boat charter to go to the Baths, Willy Ts for lunch, and the caves for snorkeling. The cost is around $130/pp for 6-12 people plus tip. Let me know if you would be interested and want to commit. Hope we can get a group...it will be a fantastic day!

debbie

debbraham@aol.com

501-655-0167

[blue_water]

14 hours ago, Sandyfeetdeb said:

We are sailing on msc Divina on 1/31/19 and arrive at Tortola on 2/5/19. I am trying to find people, who would like to do a boat charter to go to the Baths, Willy Ts for lunch, and the caves for snorkeling. The cost is around $130/pp for 6-12 people plus tip. Let me know if you would be interested and want to commit. Hope we can get a group...it will be a fantastic day!

debbie

debbraham@aol.com

501-655-0167

I would start another thread for your post so it is more visible and mention the cat name if popular like Aristocat, Kuralu, etc). Also use your Roll Call forum for the best results. Good Luck!

[blue_water]

Bumping...

[anne13]

Thank you blue_water for this update and being a great ambassador for the Caribbean region!   Very kind of you to be unselfish with your time and help people. 

 

Kind of a goofy question but I will ask anyway...since I'm a scaredy cat...lol...

 

I'm reading that from the cruise port to Cane Bay Beach there is a scary winding road that the cabs take over the mountain to the other side to Cane Bay Beach. I know "scary" is personal/all relative; however,   Google maps gives a couple of differnt routes. 

From your personal experience either driving your own car, or from watching the cabbies, or from speaking with residents, what route would you suggest which doesn't take you over this crazy road people are saying?  

 

What is the route which is scary so I know before getting in the car and ask them,  AND 

What is the route you'd suggest that may not be scary?   

 

I could ask the cab driver to go the less crazy way if we just go privately as a family in the cab. 

We don't want to take an hour and hug the perimeter of the island, but if there is a way of going the 20 minutes and there are less crazy ways, that would be good to know. 

 

Obviously people do this all the time, but I'd like to know in advance, if possible.  We've driven mountains in the USA but this trip sounds kind of dicey according to travelers on diff websites. 

 

Supposedly Cane Bay Beach is one of the top beaches in the Caribbean so definitely want to go for 2-3 hours but just like driving options to suggest to the driver , if possible.   We will be on the Equinox with only one other ship in port that day (a Costa ship.)  

 

Thank you for your advice in advance! 

 

 

 

 

[blue_water]

There are a couple routes, going straight over is the most exciting probably. To avoid much of the steep drive taking the south shore westward to Zion Hill Rd and over the smaller hill there brings you to Cappoon’s Bay or Little Apple Bay. Then you’d drive eastward and up Windy Hill Rd, then down the steep incline into CGB.

 

You can always take a private taxi for a more comfortable ride too...

[anne13]

Thank you again Blue_water:) 

[DarcyWilloughby]

Thanks to topics like this I "discovered" Brewers Beach and it was my favorite out of the four beaches we visited. "Rustic" to me meant not crowded and commercialized. A small beach, a lounge chair for $5 and the little bar/restaurant was exactly what I wanted. Not the most beautiful of the beaches but I counted 20 people on it and I was in heaven.

[colesc15]

Would you do Cane bay or jost van Dyke? Getting to jost is obviously much more expensive