What would be the perfect beach day?

[NCteacherlovescruising]

We are doing tours at our other two ports, so I talked my husband into a beach day in Tortola.  The first, and only other time we were here, we went to the Baths, which was one of my all time favorite excursions!  This time I would love to spend the day at a beautiful beach.  We are docked from 8-6.  Should we do Jost Van Dyke, CGB, or Long Bay Beach?  Which is the most beautiful?  I was hoping to find a Celebrity excursion to JVD, but I don't see one.  How can I check to see what other ships will be in port while we are?

[NCteacherlovescruising]

Disregard my last question.  I found the ship schedule.

[blue_water]

1 hour ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We are doing tours at our other two ports, so I talked my husband into a beach day in Tortola.  The first, and only other time we were here, we went to the Baths, which was one of my all time favorite excursions!  This time I would love to spend the day at a beautiful beach.  We are docked from 8-6.  Should we do Jost Van Dyke, CGB, or Long Bay Beach?  Which is the most beautiful?  I was hoping to find a Celebrity excursion to JVD, but I don't see one.  How can I check to see what other ships will be in port while we are?

Are you looking for a nice beach with food & drink + restrooms and lounges, and the busiest vibe that goes along with that? A secluded beach with perhaps food/drinks but no other amenities? Or the “just right” beach with one beach bar and a restroom?

The first would be Cane Garden Bay.

The second would be Smuggler’s Cove, or Long Bay, Tortola.

The third would be Brewers Bay.

 

Our favorite is SC, we head there while staying in CGB when cruise ships are in. 
Brewers Bay is also gorgeous, both have that “old Caribbean” feel.

And LB (Tortola) is that picture postcard beach for the BVI.
 

[blue_water]

2 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We are doing tours at our other two ports, so I talked my husband into a beach day in Tortola.  The first, and only other time we were here, we went to the Baths, which was one of my all time favorite excursions!  This time I would love to spend the day at a beautiful beach.  We are docked from 8-6.  Should we do Jost Van Dyke, CGB, or Long Bay Beach?  Which is the most beautiful?  I was hoping to find a Celebrity excursion to JVD, but I don't see one.  How can I check to see what other ships will be in port while we are?

Are you looking for a nice beach with food & drink + restrooms and lounges, and the busiest vibe that goes along with that? A secluded beach with perhaps food/drinks but no other amenities? Or the “just right” beach with one beach bar and a restroom?

The first would be Cane Garden Bay.

The second would be Smuggler’s Cove, or Long Bay, Tortola.

The third would be Brewers Bay.

 

Our favorite is SC, we head there while staying in CGB when cruise ships are in. 
Brewers Bay is also gorgeous, both have that “old Caribbean” feel.

And LB (Tortola) is that picture postcard beach for the BVI.

 

I will add that Savannah and Spring Bay on VG are also gorgeous, as is White Bay on Jost. But even with your 9 hours or so of free time, I would stick with a Tortola beach. Tortola is also the most beautiful of the islands!
 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

46 minutes ago, blue_water said:

Are you looking for a nice beach with food & drink + restrooms and lounges, and the busiest vibe that goes along with that? A secluded beach with perhaps food/drinks but no other amenities? Or the “just right” beach with one beach bar and a restroom?

The first would be Cane Garden Bay.

The second would be Smuggler’s Cove, or Long Bay, Tortola.

The third would be Brewers Bay.

 

Our favorite is SC, we head there while staying in CGB when cruise ships are in. 
Brewers Bay is also gorgeous, both have that “old Caribbean” feel.

And LB (Tortola) is that picture postcard beach for the BVI.

 

I will add that Savannah and Spring Bay on VG are also gorgeous, as is White Bay on Jost. But even with your 9 hours or so of free time, I would stick with a Tortola beach. Tortola is also the most beautiful of the islands!
 

Top priority would be sheer beauty!  I would like restroom facilities and the ability to get something to eat and drink. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy to eat and water would be good enough to drink.  The less crowded the better. It will just be the two of us, no kids. I’m thinking relaxing beach day, not one crammed full of people, unless that’s our only option. We hated 7 mile beach!  We didn’t even stay an hour because of the crowds. 

[blue_water]

You came to the right island! 😉

Google Brewers Bay, Long Bay (West End, not Beef Island), and Smuggler’s Cove.

 

There is a new property at LB so not sure how busy that is today, in the past we’ve been the only souls on the entire beach but there were no amenities then, we brought a cooler. There is a restaurant now…

 

And Smuggler’s is a favorite of locals and land visitors when ships are in. There should be a vendor or two with food/drink and older-but-free lounges…SC is much more remote and the road from LB to SC is very rough…

 

But Brewers is a favorite of day visitors wanting exactly what you described! ~$9/pp taxi each way to BB, a little more to LB and SC…

 

Google/YouTube each for more info!

[pauly]

On 9/5/2022 at 12:46 PM, blue_water said:

Are you looking for a nice beach with food & drink + restrooms and lounges?
 

Yes - lounge chairs, umbrellas, clean facilities/restrooms and possibly food and beverages. Any suggestions? First time in Tortola. THANKS!

[blue_water]

1 hour ago, pauly said:

Yes - lounge chairs, umbrellas, clean facilities/restrooms and possibly food and beverages. Any suggestions? First time in Tortola. THANKS!

Cane Garden Bay is the most popular (and by far the busiest) beach because it’s a large bay home to several restaurants and rentals. Several 20+passenger open-sided safari-type taxis will be dropping many of your fellow passengers there. Just hop a taxi going there, fare is $9/pp each way, and taxis will line up for your return.

 

Our favorite spot to rent lounges and eat is Myett’s…

[NightOne]

On 9/5/2022 at 3:14 PM, blue_water said:

You came to the right island! 😉

Google Brewers Bay, Long Bay (West End, not Beef Island), and Smuggler’s Cove.

 

 

 

What's wrong with Long Bay Beach Beef Island? I thought that place was awesome. 🙂

[blue_water]

3 hours ago, NightOne said:

 

What's wrong with Long Bay Beach Beef Island? I thought that place was awesome. 🙂

It is gorgeous…we loved it when we were the only ones there for hours at a time…

A few (5 or more?) years ago I was seeing lounges/umbrellas and other amenities set-up there for cruise ship excursions. I don’t know if day visitors can go on their own and rent the amenities or if you must take the ship’s excursion…

Personally I would send friends wanting amenities to either Brewers or CGB, depending on the experience they wanted. But LB, Beef may have the desired amenities.   
 

Check the cruise line excursions!

 

[EDIT] LB, Beef is a flatter taxi ride than the other two if that matters…

Edited September 30, 2022 by blue_water

[negn]

We just went to Long Bay at Beef Island.   We used the ship excursion as we were only in port until 1 pm.   Cost for lounge chairs and umbrella was $25.   New, clean restrooms.   A couple of beach bars and food available

[blue_water]

So the ship excursion did not include the lounges and umbrellas negn? Just transportation? How much time did you have at LB?

 

Thanks, just curious since things have changed so much there…😄

[negn]

Loungers and umbrellas were not included.  Think we were there about 2 1/2 hours

[blue_water]

Thank you…
LB Beef was one of the last remaining beaches where one could actually be alone with ships in port…😔

[getmeouttathecold]

On 10/3/2022 at 5:00 PM, negn said:

We just went to Long Bay at Beef Island.   We used the ship excursion as we were only in port until 1 pm.   Cost for lounge chairs and umbrella was $25.   New, clean restrooms.   A couple of beach bars and food available

That is our situation too! Would you recommend it? It would be much cheaper to taxi to a different beach, but I would worry about getting back

[blue_water]

9 hours ago, getmeouttathecold said:

That is our situation too! Would you recommend it? It would be much cheaper to taxi to a different beach, but I would worry about getting back

Not speaking for negn, but just a comment on going to the beaches on your own…

Taxis are very reliable in the BVI, just as in the USVI, and I would not have any concerns about getting a taxi back. When we’ve stayed at Myett’s in Cane Garden Bay we would see several taxis returning to take folks back to the ship. If going to Brewers Bay, taxis will stop there to pick up folks. More often than not your driver will give you a time that he/she will return for you.
 

Beaches less visited by day visitors like Smuggler’s Cove could be an issue, that’s why I’d not recommend going there unless you rent a Jeep, or have a driver who will definitely return.

 

But for CGB and Brewers, which are both gorgeous beaches with a different vibe, you would be perfectly fine! If you want a busier vibe with a bit nicer facilities and rentals, CGB is a larger bay with several beach bars/hotels. If you prefer that “old Caribbean” feel with just one beach bar (Nicole’s) and restroom, then a brewers Bay is for you…Just beautiful…😄

Edited October 26, 2022 by blue_water