The Gorgeous Beaches of the BVI!

[blue_water]

 

The beaches of the BVI are indeed beautiful, and this thread is meant to provide brief descriptions and comparisons of the beaches, and your feedback and opinions are greatly welcomed!

 

For those wanting a gorgeous beach with some amenities and no crowd, there is not that 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.

The taxi fare increased December, 2022, and I and others will follow-up with current taxi fares soon. The fares are segmented, or based on 1, 2, or 3 or more persons.

 

TORTOLA

Cane Garden Bay (CGB) on the north shore of Tortola is the primary beach destination for day visitors and bareboaters alike because there are several beach bars to choose from and it is easily accessible by safari taxi and dinghy. 

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, 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 was always Stanley's famous Welcome Bar, as that’s the actual spot, but that is no more…But Myett’s has a great cheeseburger and fish tacos! 

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 and has one restroom. 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 a little busy with ships in port but space to find a nice spot with natural shade. 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

 

Smuggler's Cove is south of CGB and is one of the most beautiful and natural Tortola beaches. Typically calm waves and decent snorkeling off the beach and gorgeous views of Jost and Sandy Cay. Nigel and Miss Patricia should be 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 Brewers. 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.

 

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.

 

Long Bay (Beef Island) is a very nice beach near the airport, very natural with no facilities or amenities and popular with locals. 
UPDATE - Cruise lines now provide lounges/umbrellas, drinks and other amenities here. Not sure if other guests can rent lounges…

 

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 which recently reopened after Irma 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.

UPDATE Seddy and Rubin both passed recently, unfortunately.

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, ferry to the dock in GH, and taxi over to White Bay.

http://newhorizonferry.com/

 

VIRGIN GORDA – Valley area

There are also nice beaches on Virgin Gorda besides Devil’s Bay, including Savannah and Spring Bays.

 

Savannah Bay is gorgeous and has a snorkeling trail that is popular with those who live/vacation on the island.

 

Spring Bay is near the Baths, and offer a similar topography to the Baths, but not as nice. No amenities at Spring Bay, but it is within walking distance of the Top of the Baths, and Mad Dog’s.

 

And of course the famous Baths and Devil’s Bay 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. 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!". UPDATE - The Mineshaft is no more, but Mad Dog Cafe is a great spot.

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 (now Chez Bamboo) 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.

 

Summary -

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, (West End).

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.

For a personalized, private day, try https://sunshinepowerboats.com/

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 share your experience!

 

 

[Minorhawk]

Thank you for the post...Lots of great onfo. How often do the ferries run from from Tortola to JVD?

[blue_water]

2 hours ago, Minorhawk said:

Thank you for the post...Lots of great onfo. How often do the ferries run from from Tortola to JVD?

Hi Shelly, thanks! 😄

 

The ferry has 5 departures from West End, Tortola, which is a 25-minute taxi from the cruise dock, and 5 departures from Great Harbour, Jost. Times are listed here -
https://newhorizonferry.com/schedule/

 

[slewis7]

What an informative and comprehensive post!  We have not yet made plans for Tortola for our mid December cruise, so this thread will be very helpful for us.  Thanks!!!

[RNL113]

On 11/15/2023 at 4:17 AM, slewis7 said:

What an informative and comprehensive post!  We have not yet made plans for Tortola for our mid December cruise, so this thread will be very helpful for us.  Thanks!!!

Please let me know what beach you choose and if you would recommend it!

[BVI Diver]

Yes, Anegada's beaches are true jewels; too bad it's too far away for a cruise stop.  When we went, there was not another human being.  We were visited by a cat, who parked itself under our chairs, and a cow, who came down for a drink of salt water!

[p0mpey]

We will be in Tortola on Celebrity later this month. We are renting a car and driving to Smugglers. As mentioned above all the beaches are beautiful, but we love the seclusion of Smugglers Cove. It is a beautiful beach with good snorkeling. We have been fortunate to spend several weeks in Tortola in years past, and have visited most of the beaches. Can’t wait to visit again.

[blue_water]

We visited the BVI on several land vacations prior to cruising there. Being a musician I was fortunate to have a friend who retired from teaching and spent his winters on Tortola playing at Val’s in CGB and became quite popular. He turned us onto the BVI and we are forever grateful. It was much less busy then. Sure CGB got crowded on some days we stayed there, but we could always go to Long Bay, East, West, or Smuggler’s Cove and be literally alone.

 

That was before the new cruise line docks and NCL contracts. There was a “rumor” several years ago, or more of a standing joke, that the cruise lines were planning to build an aerial tram to deliver cruise passengers down into Smuggler’s Cove to minimize traffic on Belmont. That hasn’t happened- yet - but I see they now offer a Jeep tour that includes time at Smuggler’s…

We lost Long Bay, East, Long Bay, West is home to a resort property again, White Bay, JVD has a new rental/entertainment business, and now cruise lines are offering excursions to Smuggler’s. Similar to other major ports like Cozumel where the furthest beaches from the cruise docks are now packed…

 

It’s getting harder even for the more adventurous cruise passengers to find that ideal 🏝️…

Edited January 4 by blue_water
Typo

[mckmomma_98]

Can you take a taxi to Smugglers?

 

[blue_water]

The one concern, or important consideration, is getting the taxi back to pick you up. No driver wants to drive all the way there and not get a fare back. So you need a trusting driver, or in the event he/she does not return one of the vendors may call for you.

 

Worst case, it’s a 1km, 15 minute walk, on an uneven, unpaved road back to Long Bay Resort or Tropical Fusion beach bar to call or hail a taxi…

Edited January 8 by blue_water

[hooch03]

Hi,

 

I will be in Tortola in early February on a cruise and considering going to Smugglers Cove, Beggars Bay, or Cane Garden Bay.  It seems these are remote with not much around them.  Will it be difficult to get a taxi back to the ship?  

 

Thank you!

[blue_water]

GCB and Brewers Bay no problem. Smuggler’s is a bit harfder…

[jamin jul]

If you are an avid walker- can you walk from Apple Bay to Long Beach then to Smugglers?Is Apple bay  rocky? Can you see turtles at any of these 3 beaches? Thank you.  

[blue_water]

39 minutes ago, jamin jul said:

If you are an avid walker- can you walk from Apple Bay to Long Beach then to Smugglers?Is Apple bay  rocky? Can you see turtles at any of these 3 beaches? Thank you.  

Sure, it’s ~3km from Sugar Mill to Smuggler’s. There is a hill between Cappoon’s Bay and Long Bay, and the road from Long Bay to Smuggler’s is rougher…

 

I can’t comment on the snorkeling there, but ask that question on the Tortola forum on TripAdvisor, or the BVI forum on TTOL (www.traveltalkonline.com)

 

Why from Apple Bay, may I ask?

[jamin jul]

Thank you blue water . Thought we would take taxi to Apple bay and check out Sebastian’s to see if we would like to return and stay there.  Also- if there is surf- my husband may want to surf.  We will be there in 3 weeks off of cruise ship. We usually go to USVI and stay a week and may want to ferry over and stay at Sebastian’s . Can we get a taxi back to ship from Smugglers or should we get dropped off at Smugglers and walk to Apple Bay and get taxi from Sebastian’s to Cruise  port?

[blue_water]

Gotchya! Yes you can usually find good surf there…

We haven’t stayed at Sebastian’s but we love the restaurant there. We’ve always stayed in CGB or at Heritage Inn up the hill…
 

I can’t say about the taxi picking you up at Smuggler’s as we’ve always driven there. But I think taxis can be relied on there, I’d ask the drivers when you get off the ship. Or a driver may commit to returning to Smuggler’s. A return from Sebastian’s would be assured…

[jamin jul]

Thank you blue water!

[blue_water]

You can also stop by the Tropical Fusion in Long Bay for hydration, they open at 11 (closed on Sunday).

Long Bay is a “picture postcard” beach, rockier on the west end, we’ve never snorkeled there but you can ask while there. We’ll sit there admiring the view and watching the pelicans dive after leaving Smuggler’s…

Edited January 23 by blue_water